Volkswagen Passat Estate review – conservatively styled, but hugely practical

Verdict – is the Volkswagen Passat Estate a good car?

It might not be the most innovative new car, but the Volkswagen Passat Estate has improved in the areas necessary to keep it competitive. Alongside the co-developed Skoda Superb Estate, it has a class-leading boot and acres of legroom for rear passengers. It also fulfils its brief of being a smooth and quiet cruiser for long motorway trips, and the plug-in hybrid has a much better electric-only range. The downsides are its somewhat fiddly interior controls and styling some buyers may find a bit too conservative, and if we’re honest it’s hard to justify why you’d choose it over the Superb Estate.

Volkswagen Passat Estate models, specs and alternatives

The Volkswagen Passat is a family car that’s been around for decades now as one of the brand’s long-standing nameplates. The latest model maximises practicality as it’s solely available as an estate car, with no saloon option available. With so many buyers opting for SUVs in current times, Volkswagen believes the estate bodystyle is the best compromise for those who want the traditional car-like drive while offering just as much boot space.

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In fact, Skoda is the Volkswagen Group’s brand most known for its focus on practicality first and foremost, and it’s had a major hand in developing the Passat alongside the Skoda Superb. If you want a standard hatchback version you’re essentially catered for with that version of the Superb, while the Estate is very similar to the Passat Estate.

Costing from around £38,000, the ninth-generation Volkswagen Passat has been pushed upmarket somewhat to meet rivals such as the BMW 3 Series Touring, Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class Estate. All offer a slightly different flavour, with the BMW being famously sporty, the Audi benefitting from a sharp design and the Mercedes boasting impressive comfort and tech. A more mainstream rival is the Peugeot 508 SW, which is stylish but has a low roofline that impacts on rear space for passengers.

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The Passat’s engine line-up is fairly conventional, with most buyers likely to be well catered for by the 1.5-litre eTSI mild hybrid that offers decent performance and fuel efficiency, with a more potent 2.0-litre petrol expected later. Then there are the plug-in hybrids, which boast a much bigger 19.7kWh battery this time around, for an enticing 62-mile EV range before the petrol engine wakes up, and lower emissions to appeal to the company car crowd. The drawback is a higher price tag, well above that of the entry-level Passat model.

A 50mm-longer stretch between the front and rear wheels in this Passat adds up to even more room for occupants and a generous 690-litre (1,920 litres with the seats folded) boot, so there should be few times the Passat Estate will leave you wanting for volume. There are some big changes inside, too, most notably a digital-first interior dominated by two large screens, with physical buttons you can count using your fingers.

Trim levels stick close to those of other models in the range such as the Volkswagen Golf, kicking off with Life trim that’ll suit most families. Then there’s Elegance, with some sophisticated exterior styling changes. The top R-Line is the sportiest of the trio, with a widened black mesh grille and five-spoke alloy wheels.

Volkswagen Passat Estate alternatives

The executive estate market hasn’t gone the way of the dodo just yet, but only the strongest contenders have survived. The Passat Estate arguably faces the most competition from the plethora of mid-size SUVs flooding the market.

Estates

Selling a mainstream estate is a tricky business nowadays, especially when most rivals come from esteemed brands such as BMW and Mercedes. The VW combats this with generous boot space and practical features, but you can also get those things in the Skoda Superb.

• Skoda Superb Estate
• Peugeot 508 SW
• Audi A4 Avant
• BMW 3 Series Touring
• Mercedes C-Class Estate

Mid-size SUVs

If your priorities are comfort, fashionable looks and plenty of interior space, you will almost certainly consider a mid-size SUV by default. A low-slung estate can be more fun to drive and economical, though.

• Volkswagen Tiguan
• Audi Q3
• BMW iX1
• Mercedes GLA

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Should you buy a Volkswagen Passat Estate?

If you don’t want an SUV, but love having a huge boot, the latest Passat Estate represents a solid pick. While on paper it rivals the premium German estates, the Volkswagen feels rather more skewed towards practicality than the BMW 3 Series Touring in particular.

Instead, the biggest rival to the Passat is the Skoda Superb that’s been designed by the same team. If it were our money we’d go for the Superb Estate, because it’s considerably cheaper and some of the interior controls are nicer to use, feeling better thought out.

While VW has reverted to using more intuitive physical buttons for the Passat’s steering wheel, there’s still a touch slider for its climate controls, whereas the Superb gets the chunky dials our testers much prefer using once on the road. Still, we found the 15-inch central touchscreen shared with the Volkswagen ID.7 to be responsive and easy to navigate.

Excellent sound insulation in the Elegance trim we’ve tested over a variety of roads meant it was almost as quiet as its Volkswagen ID.7 electric counterpart, and we found its chassis worked best for relaxed and comfortable driving. This should make it ideal for long jaunts, which has been a Passat staple for years. 

What is the best Volkswagen Passat Estate for low running costs?

While official economy figures are still being wrapped up, you’ll want to plump for the plug-in hybrid Passat to drill down running costs, especially if you’re a business driver. With a pretty large battery, it can cover off most commutes without troubling the petrol engine, so most drivers will stand to save a considerable amount on fuel costs. Its CO2 emissions should also be low enough to secure its position in a lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band than petrol or diesel rivals.

What is the best Volkswagen Passat Estate for families?

The Passat Estate gets a good engine and level of kit from the off, so we reckon the entry-level Life trim and 1.5-litre eTSI engine is the most sensible choice for family buyers. It serves up decent performance and middle-of-the-road economy figures, all for less than the crucial price of £40,000 that triggers a VED (road tax) surcharge.

What is the Carbuyer pick of the Volkswagen Passat Estate range?

If the extra cost and smaller 510-litre boot capacity aren’t deal-breakers for you, we’d go with the plug-in hybrid Passat. While the brand is launching an all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, for many people the idea of having the Passat PHEV’s 62-mile EV range along with the back-up of a petrol engine will be very appealing.