Does 15 years make a big difference with the Volkswagen Passat?
TFL’s Nathan Adlen had the chance to see recently when he looked at a 2002 Passat and the new 2017 Passat.
One of the most notable differences is that the 2017 Passat is bigger both inside and out. The new Passat is longer, wider and taller than its 2002 counterpart. Inside, there’s more legroom and headroom, but when Nathan sat in the back he noticed that for taller people the headroom still doesn’t provide enough space.
Another difference is with the technology. In the 2017 version, there’s Bluetooth and smartphone technology with the infotainment system. The new one also has bind spot monitoring and rear traffic assist technology to help people see when backing up their vehicles.
In the 2002 version, that technology wasn’t available.
Both the 2002 and 2017 versions have a 1.8 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The 2002 version comes with 170 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque. It gets about 19 mpg city and 28 highway.
The 2017 version also produces 170 horsepower but has 184 lb-ft of torque. It also gets better gas mileage with 23 city and 34 highway.
With both versions having the same engine, which one is better – the old or the new? The only way for Nathan to find out was to do a drag race with TFL’s Andre Smirnov.
Which one ended up being the fastest? How much bigger is the 2017 Passat? And, which one is lighter and has a better overall feel? Find out by watching the complete TFL video above.