Volkswagen's 2016 Passat Is a Peppy High-Tech Performer

The 2016 Volkswagen Passat offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making it an infotainment leader. It also has a great engine.
By Anton Wahlman ,

The 2016 Volkswagen Passat sedan is updated to have a cutting-edge infotainment system. Combine that with an excellent engine and great handling, and you have one of the best midsize sedans available right now.

Most new versions of the Passat have infotainment systems with both Alphabet's Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay. The only other midsize sedan to have both systems is Honda's Accord.

There are other cars that have either Android Auto orApple CarPlay -- or neither -- but those cars are expected to have software upgrades that will eventually enable both systems. For example, the Hyundai Sonata and KiaOptima have Android Auto today and will get Apple CarPlay in a few months via software updates.

Volkswagen's implementation of Android Auto was a little underwhelming compared to those of the Honda Accord, Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata. First of all, when you plug in your Android phone for the first time, it's difficult to figure out the activation process. I gave up after about an hour of trying, and had to have a Volkswagen specialist show me.

With those other cars, you just plug in the device and you're prompted to press "yes" just one for the activation. That's how it should be.

The other two complaints I had with the Passat's implementation were that the screen is a little smaller than the competition, and there seems to be a little lag in the reactions. Mind you, these are not huge differences, but they're still worth noting.

The bigger picture, of course, is that the Passat actually has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Given that the rest of the car was already supremely competitive -- with an outstanding 1.8-liter gasoline engine and great driving dynamics -- and the 2016 VW Passat ties with the Honda Accord, Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata as being best in class right now.

The engine is an absolute sweetheart and has great character at all speeds. The fuel economy is very close to being best in class at 38 MPG. Kia's Optima, Hyundai's Sonata and the Nissan Altima achieve 39 MPG; the others less.

The nose of Volkswagen's Passat got reworked slightly for 2016, making it look just a little bit crisper. The assisted driving features are now also just about on par with the class-leading ones.

The interior is among the better ones in an increasingly improving field. It's classy and timeless. As with a few of the competitors, though, there's not enough rear-seat headroom even though there's plenty of legroom.

Pricing starts around $23,000, just like with many of its competitors. What's in the Passat's favor is that with its base price, you get the best four-cylinder engine without having to pay for a more expensive package.

There is a much more powerful 3.6 liter V-6 available, with 280 horsepower, but only 3% of Passat buyers pick this one. Its fuel economy is also significantly lower, at 28 MPG highway.

The trims you really want are the ones that start around $29,000 and top out a little over $34,000. Those prices are very similar to the best competitors. Check with your Volkswagen dealer for extraordinary discounts, not just the customary 10%-20% below sticker price.

This midsize sedan class is the most competitive field in the automotive industry. There is no one class leader, but rather several that are very similar and near the top. I can't say that overall the 2016 VW Passat is clearly better than the Honda Accord, Kia Optima or Hyundai Sonata. However, I can say that it's equal to those, making it equal to the best in class.

Where the Passat excels is with its engine, its driving dynamics and its installation of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Only the Honda Accord has both of those systems right now, although other cars will soon.

In the first 10 months of 2015, Volkswagen sold 71,852 Passats in the U.S. That was down 11.8% from 2014. Will this new 2016 Passat with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay help turn things around for Volkswagen? We'll see.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of submitting this article, the author was long AAPL and GOOG. Volkswagen paid for airfare, lodging and meals at a product launch event for the 2016 VW Passat.

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