We headed to Dunne Motor Services in South Dublin to have a look at a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. Dunne Motor Services is an AA Approved Garage, so this Volkswagen Passat comes with 12 months free AA Breakdown Rescue and a 101-point check. We think that this could be a great option for a young family looking for a reliable and spacious car.
What is the Volkswagen Passat?
The Volkswagen Passat is a medium-to-large saloon car, that also comes as an estate. There is plenty of space in the cabin and in the boot. There is a good range of combustion engine options that will be quite economical for a car of this size.
How much does it cost to run a Volkswagen Passat?
AA Car Insurance
With AA, Car Insurance is personal. Whether you’re a new customer or existing AA member, you’re open to a host of benefits that are hard to find elsewhere.
The Passat we had on test was the 1.4 litre petrol engine, so it will be quite efficient. It is rated for 57mpg but that’s probably a little bit optimistic in general. You might get that figure in gentle rural driving. Considering the size of the vehicle and space inside, you’ll still do well for fuel economy.
Don’t forget that if you want to reduce your fuel costs, you can download the AA App here. You don’t even have to be a member. Just use the App at the counter in a participating Circle K garages and you will get a 3c per litre discount!
Tax & Insurance
Tax will also be quite decent at €200 for the 1.4l version we tested, which is reasonable considering that this is a good-sized family car with plenty of space inside.
This version of the Passat will be reasonably cheap to insure also. It is not a high-performance vehicle, and the value isn’t particularly high. If you are interested in finding out how much it would cost to insure yourself on it then you can get a quote from us here!
Is the Volkswagen Passat spacious?
The Passat is quite spacious, and will easily handle a young family with all the baby seats and buggies in tow. The boot has close to 600 litres of space. As well as having a big boot, there’s plenty of cubby holes to store smaller items around the cabin. Passengers in the back also get quite decent legroom. So you will easily get 4 adults of 6ft in there. Just note that the central passenger in the back won’t be quite as comfortable.
Spec and finish inside
The Volkswagen Passat styling of this model still looks quite well we think. Although about 6 years old, it still carries itself in the looks department. We had a higher spec on test, which makes it stand out a nicely. The alloys were in good condition, with tyres that have plenty of wear left in them. The paintwork was in good condition, with no noticeable blemishes.
Inside, we were very impressed with the level of spec. The multi-fabric seats were in great condition, and were quite comfortable. The dash was obviously looked after by the previous owner, and all buttons and knobs seemed to be working perfectly.
What is the Volkswagen Passat like to drive?
There is a reassuring sense of quality in a well-appointed Volkswagen like this. It feels solid and dependable. We wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s luxurious, but you have to spend a whole lot more to get anything better. This may just be the sweet spot.
We were testing the 1.4 litre Petrol Automatic. This engine delivers 125hp. If you’re interested, that’s the 0-100km/h time in 9.7 seconds. So it isn’t the fastest car on the road, but we suspect nobody is buying the Passat to take to the Mondello race track! It has plenty of power to cart around a full load of people and bags. It’ll easily get up to speed on the motorway and that’s all that matters!
We liked how the suspension is set up. It’s nicely weighted to take a corner with balance, yet have enough cushioning to take ramps and small bumps in the road. Noise insulation is quite good, and it does feel quite solid on the road.
Having cruise control, automatic climate control, heated seats and a multi-function steering wheel make it an easy car to live with on a daily basis. The automatic gearbox mean that it is quite comfortable to drive, especially if you spend some time in traffic or on rural roads where you have to speed up and slow down a lot.
Why buy an AA Approved Car?
AA Approved garages such as Dunne Motor Services where we tested this Volkswagen are inspected before being allowed onto our programme. They have to meet a certain quality to be accepted. If they don’t continue to meet our standards, they will be removed from the AA Approved programme.
Each AA Approved car that is sold comes with a 101-point check. For added peace of mind, you get 12 months free Breakdown Rescue when you buy an AA Approved car. You can learn more about the programme here.
