The Volkswagen Passat is already one of our favorite mid-size sedans, winning Cars.com’s last Midsize Sedan Challenge in 2016. The majority are turbocharged four-cylinder models because getting into the V-6 is a rather expensive proposition. It’s only available in the top SEL trim, bringing with it all kinds of options like a leather interior, a Fender premium audio system and a sticker price north of $35,500. Volkswagen decided that the V-6 should be more accessible to buyers looking for something more budget friendly while providing an entertaining driving experience — so there’s this, the new 2018 Passat GT.
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Let’s make one thing clear from the start: Despite the GT moniker, this is not a sports sedan. In fact, this may be misuse of a GT badge, given the changes. But if you view it as a sporty value package, it’s really a decent bundling of existing options with some new bits and pieces.
What Makes the Passat GT a GT?
Cosmetically, the GT builds off the R-Line trim with a unique front bumper, a full-width red-line accent grille like the one on the VW Golf GTI, and standard LED headlights. Blackened trim is added, including black window trim, black mirror caps, a black rear spoiler and gloss-black roof accenting. But the GT isn’t just cosmetic — you also get VW’s 3.6-liter VR6 engine, making a stout 280 horsepower and 258 pounds-feet of torque, mated to the excellent six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. There’s also a new sports exhaust. The front-wheel-drive-only GT sits 0.6-inches lower thanks to the retuned sports suspension with new springs and shock absorbers. Nineteen-inch wheels and tires fill out the wheel wells nicely.
Inside, you’re stuck with the “leatherette” trim, done in dark gray with light gray seat inserts. You won’t confuse it for real leather, but it does look a step above the ghastly stuff used in the last Jetta. Still, one wonders why a premium grippy cloth option wouldn’t be a better idea for these seats. The rest of the interior is also dark, with a black headliner and upper door pillar trim, accented by piano black and simulated carbon fiber dash and console trim. GT sill plates adorn the doorsills. The steering wheel is trimmed in real leather, but it’s slippery and smooth leather, not really what one wants for spirited driving, but it is pleasant to the touch. The overall look is somber and slick, with VW’s typical clean lines and attractive packaging.
How the Passat GT Drives
Despite the GT pretense, the changes don’t do much to change the feel of the Passat. The V-6 is torquey and sounds good, thanks to a new sports exhaust. There’s always plenty of power on demand, and if you slip the Direct-Shift Gearbox into S for Sport mode, it responds with an immediacy that makes pulling away from a stoplight or passing on a two-lane road a lot of fun.
The slightly retuned sports suspension with its lower ride height doesn’t seem to do much for the sporting pretensions of the GT, as the steering hasn’t been touched at all. It’s still a fairly slow ratio and heavily boosted, so despite the incrementally better body control, the GT doesn’t feel eager to be tossed into turns and isn’t rewarding when you do.
The ride quality from the big 19-inch wheels isn’t compromised, however. It still rides smoothly and is decently damped from road imperfections, of which there are seemingly an infinite number around Michigan these days. The changes just don’t make the Passat feel particularly any more athletic than it did before. Before the GT came along, it was a big, comfortable, attractive, easy-to-drive family sedan. With the GT, it still is — it just looks and sounds a bit sportier. I can’t really fault the Passat GT for that, however. The purpose of the GT is not to provide a budget BMW; it’s more to provide a premium mid-size sedan for a value-oriented price.
What You Get for the Money
The GT comes with dual-zone climate control, blind spot warning, forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, heated mirrors, a moonroof and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capability in the small but easy-to-use 6.3-inch touchscreen. There are no additional options to be had from the factory, and your out-the-door-price is just $29,995 including destination fee. The least expensive Toyota Camry with a V-6 is over $4,000 more and the optional (and less powerful) turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the Honda Accord is a few hundred dollars more.
That’s an extremely reasonable sum for a vehicle this well-equipped, and an interesting way to try and drum up interest in the flagging mid-size sedan category as consumers continue their mass exodus toward crossover SUVs. It also drops the entry price for the Passat’s more powerful engine by more than $5,000, which is nothing to sneeze at. Add in VW’s best-in-class six-year, 72,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, and the Passat GT starts to make even more sense. For buyers looking to get into a well-equipped, sporty mid-size family sedan for a reasonable price, VW has made a compelling package.
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