Verdict
B
Saloon · Germany · 1996-Present
VW Passat
VW Passat — spec data and generation history.
Years
1996-Present
Generations
5
Segment
Saloon
VW's Mondeo-class executive — five generations on the modern UK market, dropped to estate-only with the 2024 B9. B5 (1996–2005) shared platform with Audi A4 and brought 1.8T petrol and the W8 oddity; B6 (2005–2011) moved to PQ46 transverse and introduced the dreaded EA888 oil consumption; B7 (2010–2015) was a B6 facelift; B8 (2015–2022) on MQB was best-resolved and offered GTE PHEV plus 4Motion 240 BiTDI; B9 (2024–Present) is estate-only on MQB Evo, Skoda Superb's twin, with 19-mile EV-only PHEV range. Honest take: B8 is the smart used buy; B9 saloon doesn't exist.
What changed
Era-to-era deltas
B7 2010-2015 → B8 2015-2022
BHP +10 bhp
Torque +30 Nm
0–60 mph −0.5 s
Top speed +5 mph
MPG +8 mpg
B8 2015-2022 → B9 2024-Present
BHP +15 bhp
Torque +20 Nm
0–60 mph −0.3 s
Top speed same
MPG +5 mpg
Generations
Click any generation for the full deep dive
1996-2005
B5
→
1.8T 150 — 148 bhp, 0-62 in 8.9s.
Verdict
C
BHP
148
0–60
8.9 s
Top
132 mph
MPG
32.0 mpg
Used
£500-£3,000
- + Audi A4 underpinnings
- + Estate practical
- − Rust on UK survivors
- − Multitronic CVT issues
2005-2011
B6
→
2.0 TDI 170 — 168 bhp, 0-62 in 8.6s.
Verdict
C
BHP
168
0–60
8.6 s
Top
137 mph
MPG
47.0 mpg
Used
£800-£3,500
- + Cabin step up from B5
- + 3.6 R36 cult AWD V6
- − EA888 oil consumption
- − Rear electronic handbrake fragile
2010-2015
B7
→
2.0 TDI 170 — 168 bhp, 0-62 in 8.6s.
Verdict
B
BHP
168
0–60
8.6 s
Top
137 mph
MPG
54.0 mpg
Used
£1,200-£5,500
- + Better-resolved B6 facelift
- + BlueMotion economy
- − Mostly cosmetic over B6
- − Dieselgate-affected
2015-2022
B8
→
2.0 BiTDI 240 4Motion — 237 bhp, 0-62 in 6.1s.
Verdict
A
BHP
237
0–60
6.1 s
Top
149 mph
MPG
47.0 mpg
Used
£8,000-£25,000
- + MQB platform — best-resolved Passat
- + GTE PHEV viable company car
- − EA888 EVO PCV
- − 7-speed DSG mechatronic
2024-Present
B9
→
1.5 eHybrid PHEV — 201 bhp, 81-mile EV range.
Verdict
B
BHP
201
0–60
7.6 s
Top
138 mph
MPG
283 mpg
Used
£35,000-£52,000
- + Estate-only — proper estate values
- + Skoda Superb twin underneath
- − No saloon body for UK
- − Built in Slovakia not Germany
Known issues by generation
Common faults reported on each generation — useful when shopping the used market.
1996-2005 · B5
- Coil pack failures on 1.8T
- PD diesel cam follower wear
- Multitronic CVT failures
2005-2011 · B6
- EA888 oil consumption
- EA189 Dieselgate emissions
- DSG mechatronic faults
2010-2015 · B7
- EA888 timing chain tensioner
- EA189 Dieselgate
- DSG mechatronic
2015-2022 · B8
- EA888 EVO PCV diaphragm
- 7-speed DSG mechatronic
- MIB infotainment freezes
2024-Present · B9
- MIB4 software early bugs
- PHEV battery management
- Adaptive damper sensor faults