Used 2022 Volkswagen Passat

If anyone really wants a 2022 Volkswagen Passat midsize sedan, they’d better hurry. This year is its final spin around the sun and it’s going out with a special limited edition called, appropriately enough, the Limited Edition. No one could accuse VW of being overly fancy.

That said, the new Passat Limited Edition comes with a lot of standard equipment, including heated seats front and rear, plus a Fender-branded audio system. For the non-rockers out there, Fender makes electric guitars and amplifiers, including the Stratocaster, which is most often associated with Jimi Hendrix.

Since it’s only three grand more than the entry-level SE, it’s almost a bargain. Which adds to the urgency, because Volkswagen is producing just 1,973 examples of the Limited Edition, commemorating the year the Passat name was first introduced in Europe.

Should buyers decide on a more affordable 2022 Passat, they still have the SE and R-Line as choices. Any version provides a comfortable ride, a huge back seat area, an equally generous trunk, plus that near-luxury look to the cabin materials and design.

Thin front pillars contribute to excellent outward vision, although we’re glad to see blind-spot monitoring being included as standard. Helping in the search for an ideal driving position is a height-adjustable driver’s seat.

The engine’s output is respectably adequate, as opposed to noticeably muscular. For easy progress that doesn’t demand much effort from a driver, the Passat has it down pat. The suspension delivers a cushioned ride quality with safe and predicable handling.

If all this sounds a tad uninspiring, that’s where the Passat is coming from. Not that anyone would want unsafe and unpredictable handling, but a little more precision and feel wouldn’t go amiss.

The Passat does that typical VW thing of putting high-quality soft-touch plastics in the most visible areas and wherever elbows may land. The overall design is understated, perhaps too much so for some tastes.

The 6.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is also looking rather small compared with the offerings from newer rivals. The top spec of the Kia K5, for example, has a 10.25-inch display.

However, it’s comfortable in here, with plenty of space — even if it isn’t class-leading. Rear legroom of 39.1 inches is objectively plenty, but the Honda Accord pips it with 40.4 inches.

It’s a similar story with trunk space. The Passat’s 15.9 cubic feet is unarguably capacious. Yet again, the Accord’s 16.7 comes out best. We recommend test driving both cars, concentrating on personal priorities.

Like the interior design, the VW Passat’s exterior shies away from making any bold statements. That’s not uncommon among mainstream midsize sedans. Nor is this a criticism, merely an observation.

The R-Line has slightly more presence than the SE, with model-specific fascias front and rear, plus a rear spoiler and 19-inch alloy wheels. The other two versions run on 18-inch alloys.

The Limited Edition is available in Racing Green Metallic. The others aren’t, but all three offer the choice of Aurora Red Metallic.

ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS
Installed on the R-Line and Limited Edition models, these adaptive LED headlights move in harmony with the steering to shine into corners. Even if they provide an extra half-second of reaction time, that could mean not hitting a deer on a dark, twisting country lane.

VW CAR-NET
This feature links an owner’s smartphone to their new Passat. Among the functions available are remote locking/unlocking, roadside assistance contact, stolen vehicle location, and helping the driver find the car in a parking lot by sounding the horn and flashing the lights. It’s a subscription service, but VW offers a free trial period.

All three trim levels in the 2022 Passat range have automatic LED headlights with a coming/leaving home feature, rain-sensing wipers, powered tilt/sliding sunroof, keyless entry/ignition, remote start, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, simulated leather upholstery (perforated), leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a self-dimming rearview mirror.

Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control.

The infotainment system is controlled by a 6.3-inch touchscreen or voice commands, and includes a CD player, satellite radio, three USB ports, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, and the capability for Wi-Fi (available with a subscription).

Actual extras across the lineup amount to fairly small things like mats, locking wheel bolts, trunk liner, premium paint and a garage door opener. Adding equipment of greater substance entails choosing one of the two higher trims levels.

Both the R-Line and Limited Edition versions of the 2022 Passat have adaptive headlights that illuminate corners and automatic high beams, plus ambient cabin lighting, navigation, a couple more USB-A ports, and a Fender-branded audio system.

The R-Line is kind of the sporty one, with shift paddles mounted beneath the steering wheel, and a black rear spoiler.

The Limited Edition adds real leather seating surfaces (also perforated), 8-way power-adjustable front seats with memory settings for the driver’s side, heated outboard rear seats, hands-free trunk opening, front/rear parking sensors, and a steering assistance function when parking.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission is the only drivetrain in the 2022 Passat range. Output is 174 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque, going solely to the front wheels. Regular gasoline is fine.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
174 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
206 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/36 mpg