VW Passat Variant in the used car check

M sometimes the worm is in there, 'says Master Wünsch thoughtfully. On a sunny October day, he stands in front of a freshly cleaned VW Passat Variant and ponders what he thinks of this type.

We're talking about a vehicle built in 2012, which therefore belongs to the B7 generation . Volkswagen presented this version of the mid-range model on October 2, 2010 at the Paris Motor Show and had it on offer until 2014. As the successor to the Passat B6, whose platform and technology it largely uses, many see it as just a facelift. “In principle there is nothing wrong with that,” the foreman judges and points out, “that then usually fewer teething troubles are to be expected.“ Then he pauses for art and adds: “It's just a shame that this is not the case with this Passat . At least not without exception. '

Dani Heyne

Defective GPS antenna - this means that the system no longer recognizes its location.

Master Wünsch knows most Passat generations from his workshop. The spacious middle class is known to be popular and therefore not uncommon among its customers, which is why he can get a good idea of ​​the defects that can occur on this type of Passat. “The range of defects is surprising,” explains the foreman and continues: “This ranges from the defective navigation antenna, which means that the system no longer recognizes its location, to major propulsion issues. The timing chains on the popular 1.4-liter turbo gasoline engines stretched until 2011, causing engine damage. With the turbochargers, the wastegate's adjusting shaft can jam, which is why the engine goes into the limp-home program without power. “VW already has a repair kit for this problem for 385 euros, which includes a general overhaul of the charger - oneexpensive thing. 'Similarly uncomfortable: The hose of the rear window washer tends to leak in the kink area of ​​the tailgate, which results in water ingress in the trunk.' Master Wünsch takes a break, tilts his head, then continues: 'And on vehicles with dual clutch transmission On board, it should be ensured that the service action on the transmission oil has been carried out. VW replaced synthetic oil with mineral oil, since the sulfur-containing additives can outgas and damage the DSG electronics. '

Quite a lot of problems, right?

' Of course, all of these defects must do not appear ', assures Wünsch. “But they are not absolutely uncommon either - which brings us to an interesting topic: VW so often stands for solidity. If you compare the quality in this example with that of Opel or manufacturers from Japan, you won't find any advantage. On the contrary. '

After the sentence, Master Wünsch grabs the Passat key, unlocks the doors and starts the check. “After all, we can't chat all day,” he calls out, smiling and scanning the body for irregularities. As always, he drives through the gaps, checks the windshield for stone chips, pays attention to parking bumps and differences in the paintwork. After a good 20 minutes, he happily lifts the thumb of his left hand. 'Apart from minimal scratches on the rear bumper, I can't find anything.'

Before starting the test drive, Master Wünsch takes a thorough look at the seat cushions, checks the service booklet (all important stamps are in it) and leaves calculate any destination from the sat nav. “Works perfectly,” he mumbles and starts the 1.4 petrol engine, which starts cleanly immediately and then quietly whispers in idle. Selector lever of the DSG on 'D', and off you go.

Dani Heyne

Gear oil? If a dual clutch transmission is on board, regular oil changes must be ensured.

'The engine has not lost 70,000 kilometers,' says Master Wünsch and rolls through the city with the Passat. While doing so, he listens on a piece of cobblestone to see whether the landing gear is runningrumbles - does not. On the first free stretch of country road, he accelerates and pays attention to the engine running and the gear changes. Both inconspicuous.

“The engine and transmission are good choices in and of themselves. The power of the turbo gasoline engine is completely sufficient, and the fast gear changes of the DSG are always impressive. '

How does it look on the brake test bench?

Next stop: brake test bench. Here Master Wünsch can see how evenly the brakes decelerate. Assuming that the right side grabs more: Then the car would not only need longer to brake hard, but also pull hard to the right. With the Passat, the values ​​are approximately the same on both sides.

Dani Heyne

Brake check: Master can make wishes on this roller dynamometer Test the stability of the brakes. The Passat passes.

Ten minutes later, Master Wünsch realizes that the pads on the disc brakes should last a long time. The contact pattern of the panes is also exemplary. In a good mood, the foreman checks the suspension of the front axle, which also reveals no weak point. All rubber suspensions are still tight, the ball joints are not knocked out.

The exhaust and the underbody of the Passat also make an impeccable, rust-free impression. It is similar with the fuel and brake lines. At the radiator, the master takes a long look through the grille on the lower bumper. Not only can fresh air enter here, but also stones. What has already made many a cooler leak. If you search carefully, you will recognize the exit from the typical waterways. Not so on this model - everything is perfect and dry here.

Good example of an inconspicuous model

'And here we have the salad,' jokes the master. Of all the weaknesses of the Passat listed at the beginning, this model does not have a single one. It looks neat, shows hardly any signs of wear and drives perfectly. “A car that you can buy with a clear conscience. As is so often the case, the difficulty lies in one point: We cannot look into the components - and we do not know how long it will takeThe gearbox or the turbo will take part. 'With these words, Master Wünsch says goodbye.

There is still a look at the price development: Comparable VW Passat Variant 1.4 TSI from 2012 with around 65,000 kilometers are on the common used car markets on the Internet Mileage offered for 13,500 euros; with twice as high mileage, they start from 10,500 euros.

Should it be a diesel from that year? Then around 17,000 euros are due for a 2.0 TDI with 50,000 kilometers. A tip: Because minor and major problems can occur with this model, a dealer car with a used guarantee is recommended.

Versions, engines & equipment

The Passat of this type is internally called the B7 and was offered as a sedan and estate version from 2010 to 2014. In spring 2012 the Passat Alltrack was added, a 30 millimeter higher B7 Variant with modified bumpers and integrated underride protection as well as wheel arch extensions made of plastic.

Equipment: The basic package is called Trendline and comes with 16-inch steel rims, one electronic parking brake, electric windows front and rear, manual air conditioning, black fabric seats, dark trims and matt chrome-plated inlays. Comfortline, on the other hand, already offers 16-inch aluminum, ambient lighting, chrome strips on the side windows, the bumpers and the doors. A leather steering wheel and comfort seats are just as standard as fatigue detection. Even more luxury is only available in the Highline package, which offers 17-inch aluminum wheels, two-zone automatic air conditioning, fog lights, a multifunction leather steering wheel, partial leather with Alcantara and seat heating at the front.

Dani Heyne

1.4 TSU: The turbo gasoline engine goes well with the Passat, but unfortunately there are always problems with its turbo charger.

Engines and transmissions: There were four petrol engines for the B7: the 1.4 TSI in three expansion stages (122 to 160 PS), a 1.8 TSI (160 PS) , a 2.0 TSI (211 PS) and the only naturally aspirated product in the round, the 200 PS 3.2 VR6. It was coupled as standard to a six-speed DSG, while the rest of the gasoline enginehad a six-speed manual transmission as standard. For a surcharge, they too rolled off the production line with a dual-clutch transmission.

The selection of diesel engines is not that great, there were two engines to choose from: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 250 Newton meters of torque (105 PS). The second engine is the well-known two-liter TDI, which has married into the Passat with four output levels (140 to 177 hp). All diesel versions came with a six-speed manual gearbox, DSG was available for a surcharge.

Worthwhile extras: In addition to the double clutch transmission mentioned, it is probably the assistance systems that should be mentioned here: from the dynamic high beam control to the lane change assistant for traffic sign recognition.