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Since the new generation of the most popular car among slavs who want to prove that they are wealthy but they can’t quite afford the full platter was announced in 20-20, it’s time to look at the VW Passat B8.

All the hysteria began in 2000 when the Passat B5 stormed Europe with the dreary Golf IV, another car where the designer had access only to a ruler and a pencil. Today you have a VW Passat B8 that will take your money and transport you in comfort, but all the hysteria started there. Then came the B5.5 with the 1.9 TDI which washed more people’s brains than Top Gear did to us in regards to many cars and stereotypes.

Then came the Passat B6 and the engineers got bored of improving it. They probably went by Audi’s logic: “If the recipe is good at first, don’t change it.” And so the Passat B7 is basically a facelift of the B6 and the VW Passat B8 is a facelift of the B7 which is a facelift of the B6. VW Passat B8 – the double hamburglar of the car world.

But at least you have most of the problems solved and you have that shiny dashboard clock which is the main reason why they didn’t simply bolt on a Passat B6 dashboard directly. Or glue?

But does a classic sedan still have a place in this world?

As is the case of the main rival, the Ford Mondeo V, the Passat B8 is already in a world where it can no longer find its place. A world where everyone goes cross-over and hybrid, a world where a sedan with a 2-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine and a manual gearbox is already a social rebute that only attracts nostalgics. Kind of like Ricky Gervais’ Office.

Especially true since in the past this type of sedan was usually bought as a gift to those in management, car sector which was also clampled by cross-over genetic anomalies. The male boss doesn’t want the Passat anymore, he wants the Tiguan. The female boss doesn’t want a boring Passat anymore, she wants a T-Roc or whatever you call that mess on wheels.

VW Passat B8 engines

Petrol

• 1.4 TSI CAXA of 125 and 150 horsepower – Out with the old timing chain and bring a welcome to the timing belt, so that you have something to hang yourself with when you see the repair invoices. After 2013 the problem of oil consumption was solved (or so VW promised) so you can buy this engine safely. But would you?


• 1.5 TSI DADA and DPCA of 150 horsepower – Given that the engine was launched 5 minutes ago, it’s hard to talk about its reliability. However, there have been some issues with the manual transmission on this engine, especially the T-Roc and Golf, so it is possible that the Passat has this problem as well. Also, this just in: This engine brings back the old oil drinking habits of the 1.8 TSI of old. Never change VW, never change.


• 1.8 TSI CJSA of 180 horsepower  – VW promised us that it solved the problem of oil consumption in 2013, but it seems that we were lied to more than when the bosses promised us that if we work and make our targets we will also receive a raise. Those bastards lied to me. Or that when a girl lied to me and told me she wanted to have tea at her house and when I was there there was no tea. There weren’t even any clothes on her. I left disappointed.


• 2.0 TSI CJXA of 272 and 280 horsepower – Does anyone really buy a VW Passat B8 with this engine? In any case, have the oil can in the trunk because it suffers from the same problem as the 1.8 TSI. DON’T CALL ME TO TEA IF YOU DON’T HAVE TEA.

Diesel

• 1.6 TDI CLHA and CLHB of 120 horsepower – Just like I said for the previous generation, if you consider buying a Passat wagon with a 1.6 TDI engine then I invite you to get out. It’s like putting Danny Devito to carry Shaq on his back. And Danny Vito would leak gasses every 100 meters of driving through the city because the DPF would clog up.


• 2.0 TDI CKFC of 150 and 190 horsepower – As with the BMW F30, the Passat should have come with just this engine. Just this engine. Past problems have been solved so you can continue to go with the most popular engine in Europe. Watch out for the classic DPF and Dual Mass Flywheel issues.


• 2.0 Bi-TDI of 240-horsepower – Launched originally on the now-ancient B7, this curiosity has proven to be reliable over time. However, I don’t think that you want to know how much it costs to replace the turbos on this monstress. Still, you should this because it will most likely happen after a few years of wear. Or you’ll probably get a simple 2.0 TDI and be done with it.

Hybrid

1.4 TSI CPWA + electric of 218 horsepower  – Basically, the running gear was taken straight from the Golf VII GTE, a larger capacity battery was taken and the Passat GTE was born. A new idea for an old car concept. Personally, I don’t see the point of a hybrid for a middle-class high-way muncher sedan, made for the long haul and not for the city. But I’m sure that there is some degenerate out there that lusts over a hybrid Passat.

VW Passat B8 Reliability Issues

• For diesel engines there is still the problem of the double-mass flywheel that wears out faster than you would like. This means both car wear and wallet wear, and in exceptional cases the flywheel can take the gearbox with it.


• Serious issues with the rear brakes, where the discs and pads either rust or wear out after only 50 meters of driving. This is because the typical Passat B8 driver is driving much too slow to put the rear brakes to do any sort of work.


• A recurring theme on the Passat B6 returns to the 8th generation, namely the electronic parking brake. Again there are problems with the electronic brake and especially there are problems with the Auto-Hold function.


• The DSG7 DQ200 automatic transmission is again the subject of problems and words of health worthy of Seaburn Casuals. Be strict of the schedule when it comes changing the oil and filter and light a candle at the local church from time to time for the life of the Mechatronic.


• The TV on board tends to work at will and to frequently run commercials on TV and shows such as Midsommer Murders and Alas Smith and Jones.

VW Passat B8 Verdict

And that’s the Passat’s biggest problem: It’s a boring car. Many people also criticized the B7s for their lack of imagination and the fact that it was just a modest facelift of the B6, and it seems that VW does not respond to criticism in any way. Yes, everything is done correctly, but it is much too boring. It has nothing wrong, it has nothing special. It’s like a simple shirt you wear all the time. You don’t embarass yourself, but you don’t impress either. It’s like going to a restaurant and ordering some cream soup. You don’t even make fun of yourself, but neither will the people there take pictures of you and put their pictures on instagram, tiktok, kik, tumblr and what other application was launched this week.

What engines do I recommend? For gasoline I recommend the 1.4 TSI 150 horsepower, and for diesel I do not think it makes sense to recommend anything other than 2.0 TDI. Personally, I would recommend the 150 horsepower version, because less power means less stress and that means increased reliability. Important aspect, especially when we know that we will buy VW Passat B8 only in next 7-10 years.