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All new 2012 VW Passat Prices

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The all new model will now start at $19 995. (Plus destination).
Which, for the first time, provides VW with a real competitor to the Accord/Camry crowd in the US.

This was achieved by turning the Passat in a big Jetta. The “real” Passat is still available in Europe.
The one we are now getting here is based on a stretched Jetta platform.

The base price includes the 2.5 Liter engine with a manual transmission.
A loaded 2.5 SEL starts at $30 665.
The TDI Diesel starts at $26 765. Or $32 965 for the SEL TDI. Which is a bit over $2000 more than the non diesel.

The top of the line VR6 SEL will be priced at $33 720.

For exemple, a loaded XLE Camry 2.5L is about $30 000. So the Passat is now competitive, at least in price.

I will be reporting on how it drives as soons as I get one for a week.

Conversation 29 comments

  1. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Camry, so if those are the only two choices, it's the Passat by default. But VW is really pushing the bland-meter pretty far into Toyota territory.

  2. This thing cannot hold a candle to the Nissan Altima. I just wished the Nissan had a nicer posterior lights.

  9. I thought the old Passat was also based on the stretched Jetta platform. Don't we still get the CC variant of the old Passat over here?

  10. $11,000 difference between base and loaded? WOW.. how stripped will it be? Drum brakes, roll up windows, no A/C, cd player? I love VW but maybe it would be better to buy a used German made Passat a couple of years old.

  13. $33,000 Passat OR $33,000 Genesis….HMMMMMMMM

    I believe only Toyota and Honda can get away with selling their mid sizers with the original T and H badge for $30,000… as opposed to the L and A badges.

  14. Whenever I see an oncoming car with a burned out headlight, it is usually a VW. While most of the VWs are more than 3-4 years old, there are still a bunch of newers ones with this trait. If VW still can't get something as simple as that correct, no way for me.

  15. This thing is terrible.

    It competes on price and NOTHING else. I'd take an Accord, Mazda6, Sonata, and Optima over this POS.

    "Anonymous said…
    I'd buy a Camry over this POS. And I hate Toyotas. Thats how bad VW's are.

    May 26, 2011 4:50 PM"

    Yeah, I would too and the Camry is the anti-enthusiast vehicle.

  20. I have a new jetta. Have to say I have no issues w it at all so far. I know vw has had electrical issues in the past from working at Bentley, so I could understand the whole burnt out headlight thing. I also see the impala traits on this car. It's plain, yet some reason I still like it. The other cars it's up against also have issues though, so I don't think I would absolutely rule this car out.

  21. a vw camry without the lethal camry "sudden acceleration", flimsy headliner, cheap brakes, and dumpy styling. But Camry buyers aren't looking for a good car. They're looking for the same brand they bought before, and before that, and before that. And this won't change that. People are creatures of habit. (especially in the mid & low ends of the car market)

  22. May 28, 2011 9:07 AM

    please google "toyota at fault unintended acceleration" or "toyota lawsuit unintended acceleration" and see what comes up. I am pretty neutral towards toyota and they are definitely not at the top of the shopping list for my next car (save the ft-86) but facts are facts. sounds like you are one of those old grannies who can't tell the accelerator from the brake and decided on blame everything on the manufacturer.

    As for VW, yeah i'm pretty sure all those golf/jetta/beetle driven around by 20-30 yrs old college/office girls were purchased for automotive-enthusiastic reasons. and ppl are creature of habit EVERYWHERE, go take a look at the 2nd hand trade-in lots for the bmw and merc dealership, guess what? they are filled with older bmw's and mercs. and the majority of customers can't tell/don't care which set of wheels are driving the car.

  23. This is an old MBA trick…Price a stripper low to get the weaklings into the dealer then harass the feebs into submission, aka, upselling them. You go in expecting to pay $20K and you walk out paying $30K. It will cost you $3K more immediately if you want an Auto Tranny.

  24. Seriously, the automatic transmission is a $2700 option, I kid you not! They should of advertized priced it at $14,995 and have a $10K option package if you want both an engine and transmission installed. The Dumb-Dumbs will always fall for this trick and hugely overpay.

  25. 2.5L – SE (man)
    2.5L – SE (auto)
    2.5L – SE w Sunroof
    2.5L – SE w Sunroof/Navi
    $23,725
    $24,825
    $25,625
    $26,795
    17" alloy wheels, V-Tex leatherette, 8-way power driver seat, heated front seats, touchscreen Premium VIII radio, Multi-Function leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum trim dash and middle console, exterior chrome window trim, sliding front center armrest
    + Six-speed automatic transmission
    + Sunroof
    + RNS 315 Navigation with Mobile Device Interface (MDI)
    2.5L – SEL
    2.5L – SEL Premium
    $28,395
    $29,895
    +RNS 510 Navigation, Fender Premium Audio System, Homelink, comfort sport seats, interior chrome accents, wood grain interior décor, exterior chrome accents
    + leather seating surfaces, keyless access and remote start, fog lights, driver seat memory, 8-way power passenger seat
    TDI – SE
    $25,995
    17" alloy wheels, V-Tex leatherette seating, 8-way power driver seat, heated front seats, touchscreen Premium VIII radio, Multi-Function leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum trim dash and middle console, exterior chrome window trim, sliding front center armrest

  26. Does the grille have to look that incredibly uninspired and ugly? It would actually look better if someone ripped out the grille.

    The 2000 to 2004 Passats were athletic and stylish-looking. This looks like an old-man's car… like a German Toyota Avalon.

  27. That's not a bad spread in price. The Chrysler 300 ranges from $24k -$50k+ and the E-class from $40k-$80K+. An $11k spread is nothing.

  28. I'm actually a fan of the fake leather…seriously!

    Rationale is that I have a dog, who scratches the hell out of my leather. As such, the fake stuff (from what I hear) is a LOT more durable. So, it has that going for it I guess?

  29. I consider it a bad thing when I see the front end of this and the Darth Vader theme comes to mind….Like there's something evil hiding behind that 1980s grille.

    The deletion of projector low beams alone is enough of a reason to ignore this car, let alone the Impala side profile (which won't seem to go away even AFTER the impala is redesigned…similar to the Ford Taurus/1st Gen Buick LaCrosse side profile situation).

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