Volkswagen Passat Volkswagen Passat 2012

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Volkswagen Passat Specs at TrueDelta: Powertrains and tires by trim level (2012)

How powerful is the engine? How much room is in the back seat? Get the 2012 Volkswagen Passat specs.

2012 Volkswagen Passat Specs - Exterior and Interior Dimensions

Body 4dr Sedan
Wheelbase 110.4 in
Length 191.6 in
Width 72.2 in
Height 58.5 in
Curb Weight 3220 lb.
Fuel Capacity 18.5 gal.
Headroom, Row 1 38.3 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1 56.9 in
Legroom, Row 1 42.4 in
Headroom, Row 2 37.8 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2 57.0 in
Legroom, Row 2 39.1 in
Total Legroom 81.5 in (over 2 rows)
Cargo Volume 15.9 ft3

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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat

2012 Volkswagen Passat Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
YearComment
2012 Volkswagen's research must have found that Americans highly value rear legroom, because the Passat has an abundance of it. Unless you're an NBA center you'll have plenty of room to stretch out in the back of this sedan. see full Volkswagen Passat review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat

2012 Volkswagen Passat Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 4dr Sedan turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel
6-speed automated manual FWD
SEL Premium seating is fantastic. Definitely worth the cost of the upgrade over the mid-grade seats. see full Volkswagen Passat review
2013 4dr Sedan turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel
6-speed manual FWD
rear seat room is exceptional. can handle long-legged folks with ease and those with large shoe sizes. enter and exiting with larger folks not a problem either. see full Volkswagen Passat review
2012 4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Older teenagers like the extra room see full Volkswagen Passat review
2012 4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
HUGE amount of rear legroom! see full Volkswagen Passat review
2012 4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Tons of room while driving. I am 6'4" and have plenty of leg and headroom. see full Volkswagen Passat review
 

2012 Volkswagen Passat 4-door Sedan Specs - Powertrains and Tire Sizes

Trim 2.5L S 2.5L SE TDI SE V6 SE 2.5L SEL 2.5L SEL Premium TDI SEL Premium V6 SEL Premium
Standard Engine 2.5L I5
DOHC-4v
170 hp@5700
177 lb-ft@4250
2.5L I5
DOHC-4v
170 hp@5700
177 lb-ft@4250
turbocharged
2.0L I4 Diesel
DOHC-4v
140 hp@4000
236 lb-ft@1500
3.6L V6
DOHC-4v
280 hp@6200
258 lb-ft@2500
2.5L I5
DOHC-4v
170 hp@5700
177 lb-ft@4250
2.5L I5
DOHC-4v
170 hp@5700
177 lb-ft@4250
turbocharged
2.0L I4 Diesel
DOHC-4v
140 hp@4000
236 lb-ft@1500
3.6L V6
DOHC-4v
280 hp@6200
258 lb-ft@2500
Standard Transmission5-speed manual5-speed manual6-speed manual6-speed automated manual6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed automated manual6-speed automated manual
Optional Transmission(s)6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed automated manual     
Standard DrivetrainFWDFWDFWDFWDFWDFWDFWDFWD
Standard Tires215/60R16 tires215/55HR17 tires215/55HR17 tires235/45HR18 tires215/55HR17 tires215/55HR17 tires235/45HR18 tires235/45HR18 tires
Optional Tires  235/45HR18 tires     

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What Our Members Are Saying about the Powertrain of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat

2012 Volkswagen Passat Powertrain: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 4dr Sedan turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel
6-speed automated manual FWD
TDI performance is adequate but not ultra fast. see full Volkswagen Passat review
2013 4dr Sedan turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel
6-speed manual FWD
not so much powertrain performance but powertrain choices, esp the fact that that car comes in a manual transmission. unusual for a midsize car others makes/models with a manual would be ford fusion, mazda 6, honda accord (that i know of) see full Volkswagen Passat review
2013 4dr Sedan turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel
6-speed automated manual FWD
Amazing TDI power train. 43 MPG,! see full Volkswagen Passat review
2013 4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
excellent choice: solid, serene, safe, reliable tho a tad small in rear seats (same as c class on which glk is based, so no surprise). excellent highway cruiser, 6-11 hour non stop drives on highways leaves one feeling fine. found ex loaner as cpo, 19k miles for $30k, prem 1, real bargain. update jun 2014: traded for cpo 2013 vw passat s 2.5 automatic in jun 2014, cut my operating costs in half but still get roomy, serene, engaged german driving experience. the glk needed $1500 to pass inspection, mainly new tires. the glk was a fine car but i was tired of the ongoing high costs and im thinking of a move to an area w/o a nearby mb dealer. the cpo vw 3 free 10k interval services, two more warranty years with a cpo for $16600 before tradein, $9100 otd after trade, glk payoff, ttl. for $4k more i could have gotten a cpo 2014 passat wolfsburg 1.8. after several test drives over several days i chose the cheaper 2.5. why? i prefer cloth seats (s), steel wheels for snowy/potholed nothern roads, i have standalone plug/play sirius radio, 2.5 is fine in passat, saved $4k. passat is cavern-like roomy, quiet. my engineer pilot son who also has an mb c class agreed that the passat is almost 90% of mb at 50% of the cost. i get 26mpg suburban, 36mpg highway in the 2.5 s. the new 1.8 is totally (!) transforms the jetta but not so much the passat, at least not $4k worth for me now. the 2.5 gets an undeserved bad rap from the car media. see full Volkswagen Passat review
2012 Volkswagen Passat Powertrain: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2012 4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
The engine is nothing special really. The car is quite heavy and 170hp leaves you wanting a bit more. However, the gas mileage is a pretty fair tradeoff. Additionally, sport mode makes the drive a bit more enjoyable. see full Volkswagen Passat review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Tires of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat

2012 Volkswagen Passat Tires: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2012 4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
The stock Hankooks that came on the car are great in the warm weather (both dry and wet), however they are AWFUL in the snow. Had a few close calls during the winter because of complete loss of control at low speeds. Initially I thought that the tires were worn, but upon inspection they all had plenty of tread left. see full Volkswagen Passat review
 

2012 Volkswagen Passat MSRP and Invoice Prices

Body Trim Base Price Invoice Destination
4dr Sedan 2.5L S 19,995 19,175 770
4dr Sedan 2.5L SE 23,725 22,752 770
4dr Sedan TDI SE 25,995 24,929 770
4dr Sedan V6 SE 28,995 27,806 770
4dr Sedan 2.5L SEL 28,395 27,230 770
4dr Sedan 2.5L SEL Premium 29,895 28,670 770
4dr Sedan TDI SEL Premium 32,195 30,876 770
4dr Sedan V6 SEL Premium 32,950 31,600 770

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