Hi everyone,

Welcome at my video series about buying a second hand car. We will look at desirable used cars that might be interesting for you to buy. We talk about the car in general, the drivetrain, safety and reliability.

In the previous video I looked at the passat B6. Now we will take a look at the B7 which is the facelift off the B6.

This will be a shorter video since most of the car is based on the B6, i will focus on the improvements over the B6 in this video.

The B7 was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in september 2010.

New technologies also found their way to the VW Passat B7, helping the model in reclaiming its status as a favorite in its class.

We will start off with the powertrain of the B7.

In the B7 we will find six engine choices, as always the diesels are the stars of the line up since they combine good performance together with good fuel efficiency.

There is a 1.6 and 2.0 liter version of the TDI, with 138 and 168 HP.

For the petrol engines, the pick is the 1.4 TSI with 120 HP or the 1.8 with 158 HP.

These engines appear quite small, especially for its class. The reason that VW went for small displacement engines combined with turbochargers has to do with the tax systems in some countries, that system is based on co2 emissions.

The trend of small displacement together with turbochargers started a couple of years ago.

In this class emissions matter since they are driven mostly by company representatives or executives. Except for the V6 all engines for this generation passat are turbocharged.

Here is an overview of the engines that were available for the car.

These cars could be had with a 6 speed manual transmission or with the DSG, Volkswagen’s own automatic transmission.

How does this car handle ?

Compared to the B6, this facelift is more refined, and even more comfortable. But do not think for a second that it is a lot of fun to drive, for fast cornering and more feedback during driving, you should go for a Ford Mondeo instead.

Where the Passat absolutely shines is the highway, you can feel it was designed for long motorway journeys. It has adaptive suspension that allows you to choose comfort, normal and sportive settings.

Is the Passat B7 a safe car ?

The passat earned five stars out of five going through a series of tests at the EURO NCAP testing centre.

The car has a couple of safety features that convinced the jury. The car has front and side airbags, city emergency detection, traffic sign detection, park assist, lane changing warning and of course the by now standard ABS and ESP systems.

Is the Passat B7 comfortable ?

The B7 is more comfortable that the B6. Volkswagen has put new seats in the Passat that give more support. Also there is more space on the back seats.

Next to that the dashboard and overall look and feel has been upgraded. The car is ready to start the 2010’s it seems.

Also, Volkswagen used more insulation materials to make sure that it is quieter in the cabin, this adds to the comfort and makes longer journeys less tiring.

Overall some of the electronical issues of the B6 were solved with this B7. Although some engines have been affected by diesel gate and need new software. Check if that already been done by the previous owner, and while you’re at it, check the car for a proper service history.

The 1.4 TSI engine has a history of failures when it comes to the engine chains, if you hear a rattle of noise when starting the engine, it is time to visit the workshop. Driving around too long with the problem can even result in engine damage beyond repair.

If possible stay away from the entry level engines and safe up to get a high spec version engine, you will thank me later. All in all this passat is a great allrounder that will serve you for many years.

Reasons to buy a Passat are practicality, reliability, a certain feel of solidity and for some people the brand.

If you have any questions about this car, or you want to share your own experiences from owning this car, please leave a comment.

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Drive safe, see you guys in the next video.