Roomy, frugal sedan great alternative to an SUV
When I talk to new car buyers, they often cite the extra space required for their lifestyle accessories as the main reason why they opt for an SUV or crossover over a car with a trunk. Your bike or snowboard may only cost hundreds of dollars, but the price of buying a larger utility vehicle to haul around your weekend kit may add up to thousands.
Take, for example, this wonderfully capable 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI midsized sedan I’ve been driving for a week. First seen for 2012, the latest generation of VW’s midsized, frontwheel- drive, five- passenger four- door sedan was designed following the German automaker’s compact Jetta sedan’s strategy of offering more for less.
Dimensionally, the Passat is a whole size bigger than the outgoing version. The big VW sedan is about the size of full- sized sedans like the Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus, but priced more in- line with midsizers, like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. But in a market in love with SUVs and crossovers, the Passat TDI Sedan is also roomier, more comfortable, fun to drive, sips less fuel and costs tens of thousands less than a comparable SUV.
Prices for the base, 2015 Passat Trendline with a 170 horsepower 1.8- litre turbocharged four- cylinder gas engine and six- speed manual start at $ 25,370 ( all prices include freight and pre- delivery inspection fees). A Passat with the parsimonious and torque- rich TDI diesel motor starts at $ 27,970. My topline Highline TDI rang in at $ 36,956, but that included a six- speed autobox, power everything, leather, a thumping 400- watt sound system, plus nav and a backup camera, among other niceties.
Let’s dispense with the typical Passat versus Fusion/ Accord/ Camry comparo. Instead, I’d rather convince the must- havean- SUV/ crossover buyer that a big, frugal, demi- luxury sedan, like the Passat TDI, is a much smarter substitute.
Take VW’s Touareg. As a value- laden substitute for pricier German SUVs, I like the Touareg a lot. But compared to the Passat sedan, the five- passenger, fourdoor, midsized SUV sips more fuel, has less passenger space, and doesn’t drive as well.
For starters, the lighter Passat can get away with a 2.0L fourcylinder turbodiesel ( 150 hp and 236 pound- feet of torque), while the Touareg needs a 3.0L, 240- hp, 406 lb.- ft. TDI. The result is an estimate of 5.4 litres per 100 km for the Passat TDI in the city, versus 10.8 for the Touareg TDI.
Sure. The VW SUV comes standard with traction at all four wheels. But my front- driving VW sedan ( properly shod with snow tires) easily tackled the atrocious road conditions this winter brought to much of the country.
Its fuel- economy- oriented six- speed automatic keeps the Passat’s torque- rich diesel mill at low revs in the upper gears when cruising. But you can swap cogs on your own using the console- mounted lever or via something the Touareg doesn’t offer: a manual gearbox.
There’s also plenty of off- centre steering feel in the refined Passat TDI and — while it’s no sports sedan — the sedan can easily string together a set of curves.
Sure, you can’t stand up your multi- speed mountain bike in the Passat’s trunk. But still, the 450 litres of available trunk space ( extendable via fold- down rear seats) handily beats the VW’s smaller family sedans for space. And with a much longer wheelbase than the outgoing model, the current Passat offers more rear legroom than Touareg or any of its midsized sedan rivals. Let’s look at costs. For a TDI diesel Touareg, you’ll need to spend at least $ 60,770. Loaded to match the Passat TDI Highline, and you’re looking at a $ 69,970 Touareg. Yes, you do get all- wheel- drive and about twice the rear cargo space.
However, with its luxurious and roomy cabin, refined road manners and frugal diesel, the 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI sedan is a fantastic alternative not only to pricier midsized German diesel sedan rivals, but also more expensive SUVs and crossovers.