The midsize sedan segment in the US market is one of the busiest and most competitive spaces in the US car industry. This segment is dominated mostly by the Japanese giants and a few other foreigners. Feeling left out, Volkswagen wants to bite into the segment and grab a slice of the same. To do that, VW will be betting on the 2020 Volkswagen Passat.
The Passat, being a Volkswagen, enjoys the reputation of being one of the best-built cars in the segment. It also offers truckloads of space for the passengers at the back. Powering the 2020 Passat is a 2.0L 4 Cylinder Turbocharged Stratified Injection (TSI) Motor that delivers 174hp and 184lbs-ft of Torque.
Vehicle images are guides only and may not reflect the model's exact specifications/features– exact specifications/features should be confirmed with the seller.
The Passat has always been one of the few cars in the segment whose design was never polarizing and was appreciated by all. It has a Teutonic elegance to its design with its sharp lines and solid tank-like build quality. The 2020 Passat comes in just two trims and a single 2.0L motor as an option and loses out on the GT Trim and the V6 that was present last year.
With the prices nudging the $25k mark for the base variant, the Passat takes on some well-established rivals in the segment such as Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu. Let's move ahead and find out how does the Passat holds up against them.
2020 Volkswagen Passat Front Three-quarter View
2020 Volkswagen Passat Rear Three-quarter View
8.0/10 Features
7.8/10 Engine and Performance
6.5/10 Fuel Economy
8.0/10 Interior
6.5/10 Safety
2020 Volkswagen Passat Features
8.0/10
Starting at just $18,545 for the base S Variant, the 2020 Jetta is available in a total of 5 trims namely the S, SE, R-Line, SEL and the top of the line SEL Premium. The base variant comes with some great standard features like Powered Side Mirrors, Automatic LED Headlights with LED DRL's, LED Tail Lights and more.
Trims
Wolfsburg Edition
SE R-Line
Price(MSRP)
$25,295
$29,995
Features
Apple Car Play and Android Auto
Adds/Upgrades these from Wolfsburg Edition
6.3" Infotainment Touchscreen System with 1 USB and AUX Input
8" Infotainment Touchscreen System with Navigation and 2 USB ports
17" Alloy Wheels
19 inch Alloy Wheels
Keyless Entry
Hands Free Trunk Opening
Push Button Start
Fender Audio System
Leather Upholstery
Ambient Interior Lighting
Heated Front Seats
Powered Sunroof
Heated Side Mirrors
Dual Zone Climate Control
Power Adjust Driver's Seat
Adaptive Cruise Control
Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel
Active Blind Spot Monitoring
60/40 Split folding rear seats
Front and Rear parking Sensors
Automatic Headlamps
LED Headlamps and Tail Lamps
AM/FM/HD/Satellite Radio and Bluetooth Connectivity
Auto-Dimming Inside Rear View Mirrors
We Recommend
At $25,000, the Wolfsburg Edition offers the bang for your buck. Unless you really want a luxurious feel in the cabin and a fancy audio system, we’d prefer you stick with the Wolfsburg Edition.
2020 Volkswagen Passat Engine and Performance
7.8/10
"The 4-cylinder engine seems a bit overwhelmed by the Passat's large size. Still, it offers strong fuel economy and a fairly smooth transmission, so it's probably best to look past the average acceleration" -Autotrader.com
The 2020 Volkswagen Passat comes in just 1 Engine option, which is the 2.0L Turbocharged 4 Cylinder Motor that belts out 174hp and 184lbs-ft. of Torque.
VW has decided to give the powerful V6 seen on the 2019 Passat, a miss in favor of better Fuel Efficiency Figures and lower emission figures.
The Turbocharged 4 Cylinder Motor is plenty responsive with its 174HP and the Turbocharged Engine yields decent results in terms of the Fuel Efficiency Figures as well.
The TSI motor is a proven Motor and delivers a Strong mid-range performance and grunt, once you get past the 1400rpm mark.
Models
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
MSRP
$26,190
$26,470
$27,075
$27,340
Engine
2.0L i4 Intercooled Turbo Regular Unleaded
2.5L i4 Regular Unleaded
1.5L i4 Turbo
1.5L i4 Turbocharged Gas
Transmission
6 Speed automatic
8 Speed automatic
Continuously variable automatic
Continuously variable automatic
Horsepower
174 hp @ 5000 rpm
203 hp@ 6600 rpm
192 hp@ 5500 rpm
160 hp@ 5700 rpm
Torque
184 ft-lbs@ 1500rpm
184 ft-lbs@ 5000rpm
192 ft-lbs@ 1600rpm
184 ft-lbs@ 2500rpm
The 6 Speed Automatic Transmission has got to be one of the best in class. The Transmission offers smooth shifts through the gears and shifts gears precisely as and when needed. The Gears shift up and down without much fuss when moving through traffic or exiting the Major Slip Road and joining the Motorway.
Acceleration
Given the Turbocharged Motor inside the 2020 Volkswagen Passat, the Turbocharged Motor is expected to perform well in providing decent acceleration from the Engine.
The 2.0L Turbo doesn't disappoint in this aspect and provides small bursts of acceleration after the motor does away past the turbo lag mode.
Models
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
0-60 MPH
5.7 sec
N/A
6.1 sec
8.5 sec
Quarter mile
N/A
N/A
14.7 sec
16.5 sec
Engine
2.0L i4 Intercooled Turbo Regular Unleaded
2.5L i4 Regular Unleaded
1.5L i4 Turbo
1.5L i4 Turbocharged Gas
Emission
(Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)
6.1
5.5
N/A
5.5
In terms of outright comparison, the Passat clearly beats the rest of the competition with ease with the sporty Honda Accord coming in second. The Big and Hefty Malibu has to bear the heft of this weight and is the slowest of the lot.
Ride and Handling
Volkswagen promotes the Passat as one of the most comfortable sedans in the segment and hence, the ride is more comfortable than sporty. The Suspension has been sprung towards the softer side and hence the ride is extremely smooth over most road conditions.
In terms of handling though, the Volkswagen engineers have ensured that the Soft ride doesn't hamper the handling of the Sedan. The Chassis is well balanced and offers very little body roll on the corners and while doing high speeds.
Braking
The Brakes of the 2020 VW Passat have been improved over the 2020 model. With big and chunky 12.3" rotors on the front and 10.7" on the rear, the Passat offers good braking power and good bite. The Brakes are not soggy or soft and offer good feedback while braking hard.
Model
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
Brake Front (in.)
12.3
12
12.3
11.8
Brake Rear (in.)
10.7
11.1
11.1
11.3
Curb Weight (lbs.)
3285
3241
3208
3159
60-0 MPH (ft.)
N/A
N/A
109
109
The Passat also comes with Automatic Emergency Braking as Standard and this adds to the overall braking performance, for when the driver is slow to react or isn't concentrating hard.
2020 Volkswagen Passat Fuel Economy
6.5/10
In terms of the Fuel Economy, the 2020 Passat delivers a very solid 36MPG in the mileage. The 2.0L Turbocharged motor may not be the most fuel efficient in its class but the mileage figures are pretty respectable, considering the class the Passat sits in.
Model
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
MPG (city)
25
29
29
29
MPG (highway)
36
41
35
36
MPG (combined)
29
34
31
32
Range (city/highway)
463/666
421/595
429/518
458/569
Tank Capacity (gal)
18.5
14.5
14.8
15.8
The Passat, despite with its average overall Fuel Economy of 29MPG manages to beat the competition in terms of the overall range because of its massive 18.5 gallon fuel tank.
2020 Volkswagen Passat Interior
8.0/10
The 2020 VW Passat is just the ticket for long-legged families- TheCarconnection.com
Seating and Comfort
If you are looking for the best Car to be driven around, the 2020 Passat is the car to beat. The Passat is one of the Few Cars in the segment that offers more space in the rear than the front.
4 People can seat with supreme comfort inside the Passat while taking 5 aboard the same, won't be much of a tussle.
Model
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
Passenger capacity
5
5
5
5
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)
38.3/56.9/42.4
38.3/57.7/42.1
39.5/58.3/42.3
39.1/58.5/41.5
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)
37.8/57.0/39.1
38.0/55.7/38.0
37.3/56.5/40.4
37.5/57.1/38.1
Throughout the 2020 Passat range, you will be greeted by Synthetic Leather Upholstery Interiors with seats that are supportive and pack a wide range of adjustment options with them.
The Seats have been well contoured and the large legroom makes for a superb drive, down the Pacific Coast Highway or Route 66.
Cargo Capacity
Volkswagen has not done any kind of cost cutting when it came to providing good Cargo Capacity to the 2020 Passat. The Passat packs in 15.9 cubic feet of Storage Volume capacity, which makes it one of the biggest Cargo Carriers in the segment.
Model
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
Cargo Volume (ft.3)
15.9
14.1
16.7
15.8
In terms of Storage Space though, the Honda Accord with its cleverly built Cabin and Exterior Design gives it the best Cargo Capacity in the segment. The VW Passat comes in Second while the Malibu from Chevrolet comes in a close 3rd.
Infotainment System
VW has updated the Infotainment System of the 2020 Passat. The Car comes with a big 6.3" Touchscreen infotainment system that supports both Android Auto and Apple Car Play as Standard.
Other Noteworthy features include
Bluetooth Telephony
Rear View Monitor
8" Touchscreen Infotainment System with Navigation
CD Player with SD Card Support
USB and AUX connectivity
Fender Audio System
Color Multifunction Display
Interior features
In terms of the Features offered inside the 2020 Passat, VW hasn't skipped on much. The Interiors are well built and strongly put together and also house some good features.
Some of the Interior Features include
Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control
Adaptive Cruise Control
Park Distance Control
Push Button Start
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls and Paddle Shifters
60/40 Split Folding Rear Seats
8 Way Power Adjust Driver's Seat
Heated Front Seats
Auto Dimming Rear View Mirrors
Ambient Interior Lighting
Forward Collision Warning
2020 Volkswagen Passat Exterior
"The 2020 VW Passat is the J. Crew of cars. It's crisp, well-tailored, and will blend into any crowd" -TheCarconnection.com
Design
The Current Crop of Volkswagens have an understated design language and the same follows for the 2020 Passat.
The Design is Crisp and Elegant and gives the Notion of a Solidly Built and Well Put together Sedan. The Big Alloy Wheels adds to the presence of the Passat while the Body Kit on the Rear adds a hint of sportiness to the design.
The Overall Stance resembles of a Coupe and the floating roof line adds to the same feeling.
In the front, you will be greeted by a big grill housing the big VW logo and sharp creases running across the bonnet that adds to the aerodynamics and enhances visibility for the driver.
The Rear of the 2020 Passat is similar to the 2019 version with LED Tail Lights and subtle amount of Chrome and houses the Big VW logo.
Dimensions and Weights
The 2020 Volkswagen Passat has dimension that resembles the other quintessential sedans of the segment. The Height and Weight of the 2020 Passat is similar to what the other rivals have but it's in the overall Height that the VW has its nose ahead.
Model
Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition sedan
Toyota Camry SE sedan
Honda Accord Sport sedan
Chevrolet Malibu LT sedan
Curb weight (lbs.)
3285
3241
3208
3159
Length(in)
191.9
192.1
192.2
194.2
Width(in)
72.2
72.4
73.3
73.0
Height(in)
58.5
56.9
57.1
57.9
Ground clearance (in)
5.4
5.7
N/A
N/A
Wheelbase (in)
110.4
111.2
111.4
111.4
Track width (in) F/R
62.1/61
63/63.2
62.6/63.1
62.6/62.5
The 58.5" of Headroom adds to the spaciousness of the Cabin inside and makes it easier for taller passengers to feel less claustrophobic than sitting in the other cars.
Exterior Features
Despite having an Understated Exterior Design, the Exteriors of the 2020 Passat has some unique design elements and features. You get the Big VW logo in the front grill and at the Rear while there is generous usage of Chrome on the front grill. Some other exterior features in the Passat includes
LED Headlights
LED Daytime Running Lamps
LED Tail Lights
Powered and Heated Side Mirrors
Rain Sensing Windshield wipers
Remote Start
Hands-Free Trunk
Keyless Access
19" Alloy Wheels
Powered Sunroof
2020 Volkswagen Passat Safety
6.5/10
The 2020 Volkswagen Passat comes with a whole host of Safety Features and has passed the tests conducted by the IIHS and NHTSA with flying colors. The Best part about the 2020 Passat is that unlike its rivals, Volkswagen is bundling a lot of Safety Equipment and Tech as standard in the Sedan without the need of paying optional extras.
Some of the Safety Features in the 2020 VW Passat include
ABS with EBD and Hydraulic Brake Assist
Automatic Emergency Braking
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Blind Spot Monitoring System
Lane Keeping Assist
Front and Side Curtain Airbags
Adaptive Cruise Control
IIHS Ratings
The IIHS in its Test Results has given the 2020 Volkswagen Passat, a Top Safety Pick Score with maximum scores of Good in all categories other than the Small Front Passenger Side, Front Crash Prevention and Front Headlamps section.
NHTSA Ratings
Like the IIHS, the NHTSA has bestowed the 2020 Passat a perfect 5 Star Rating with the Volkswagen acing all tests except a few, where it scored 4 Stars.
2020 Volkswagen Passat Competition
2020 Volkswagen Passat vs. Honda Accord Sedan
The Honda Accord has been a popular choice among buyers because of its spacious cabin, powerful engine, good looks, and Honda Reliability. The Honda Accord also has good resale value and has one of the lowest depreciation rates in the segment. The Volkswagen Passat, however, has one of the best-built Interiors and exteriors, which will last longer than most people ever will. The Passat also cocoons the Passengers sitting in the rear with its generous Seating Space and comfort.
2020 Volkswagen Passat vs. Toyota Camry Sedan
The Toyota Camry has also been among the popular choices of the People, looking for cars in this category. The Camry with its superb fuel economy, powerful engine and Hybrid Powertrain option has helped it gain prominence over the years. The Volkswagen Passat, however, offers a more understated elegance in the Design and manages to beat the Corolla in terms of the overall driving range and Safety Features as standard. The VW is also ahead of the Camry in terms of the build quality and feels like it has been made to last.
2020 Volkswagen Passat vs. Chevrolet Malibu Sedan
The Chevrolet Malibu has been the weapon of choice for people, who wanted a feature rich car that offers all the bells and whistles without compromising on the Mileage figures. Come 2020 however, Chevrolet has indicated that it will be axing down the Malibu for reasons unknown. The VW Passat, on the other hand, has a much better Safety System and offers a lot of equipment and build quality that GM engineers will take years to achieve.
2020 Volkswagen Passat Final Verdict
The 2020 Passat is the last Car of the Current Generation Passats as VW is expected to bring a New Generation of the same in 2020. Volkswagen has done its best to ensure that the 2020 Passat bows out with its Head High. The Passat matches Teutonic Styling and Build Quality with unmatched Cabin Space and Comfort and makes for one of the best chauffeur driven cars in the segment. At just $25,000 as well, the Passat offers one of the most feature loaded cabins and is definitely a Best Buy Sedan in the Segment.
