Engine Review: 2017 Volkswagen Passat Highline V6 – The Six-Cylinder Midsize Sedan Lives

This is a review of the 2017 Volkswagen Passat V6. 

That's right: it's not a diesel (obviously), not an artificially aspirated inline-four, not a hybrid. This sixth-generation Passat, delivered to GCBC Towers by Volkswagen Canada, is equipped with a six-cylinder powerplant breathing on its own: no turbos, no superchargers, no battery-electric whizbang.

A vee-shaped six. Six cylinders, arranged in the shape of a V, or as close as Volkswagen wants the six cylinders to resemble a V in its narrow-angle VR6 tradition. 

3.6 liters of displacement in a 2.0-liter world.

THE GOOD + Mega motor + Massive rear seat + Quick shifting DSG + Big car mannerisms + Outside the box

THE BAD – High price of entry – Anonymous design – Some fiddly controls – Big car mannerisms – Bizarrely dim-witted steering

The V6 engine is certainly no longer normal, not in a class of midsize cars where the overwhelming majority of buyers choose a four-cylinder model and roughly half of all competitors don't even offer a V6 as an upgrade.

Economics, regulations, marketplace trends, and technological advancement have conspired against six largeish cylinders. A torquey turbo inline-four like the 2017 Volkswagen Passat's own 1.8T will cost less, pollute less, satisfy the demands of most buyers, and surprise many with its real-world grunt. 

And yet the six-cylinder lives, not only here in the 2017 Volkswagen Passat Highline, but also in the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, discontinued Chrysler 200, and in a new turbocharged Sport version of the Ford Fusion.

Those nameplates accounted for seven out of every ten midsize car sales in Canada last year. 

But we know only a fraction of those sales were produced by cars with V6 powerplants. For good reason.

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We've reviewed the Volkswagen Passat before. That diesel-powered car is no longer available, and some members of the competition have moved the midsize game on. Indeed, the Passat has been refreshed since then, as well. Nevertheless, unlike a typically thorough GCBC Driven review, this review focuses on the V6 engine option, rather than discussing the Passat as a whole. 

You can, however, summarize the car this way. Bland styling masks a composed chassis that exhibits some of the tendencies of a hefty, traditional, American full-sized car: dead steering on the straightahead that's slow to react, just a hint of float when you want the car to button down during a mid-corner rise, too much body roll to properly battle the athleticism of the Mazda 6 or Honda Accord Sport. Torque steer, fortunately, is largely curtailed – 280 horsepower makes its way to the pavement fairly easily. The back seat is huge. The non-CarPlay tech interface is old but straightforward. From the typically comfortable Germanic seat, thick bolsters and firm cushions, visibility is excellent. Some of the newer safety tech added to this older design causes the Passat to feel older – they're not easily altered through strange instrument cluster sub-menus. 

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2017 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HIGHLINE 3.6 Base Price: $27,540 * As-Tested Price: $40,890 * Colour: Urano Grey Assembly: Chattanooga, Tennessee Drive Type: front-wheel drive Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch Engine: 3.6L DOHC 24-valve V6 Horsepower: 280 @ 6200 rpm Torque: 258 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm Curb Weight: 3571 pounds Length: 191.9 inches Width: 72.2 inches Height: 58.5 inches Wheelbase: 110.4 inches Tires: Gislaved NordFrost5 Tire Size: 245/40R18 Passenger Volume: 2888 litres Cargo Volume: 450 litres EPA City: 20 mpg EPA Hwy: 28 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 11.9 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km Observed: 25.3 mpg Observed: 9.3 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

1.8T
15 years ago, it seems a perfectly rational choice to consider a 2.3L-powered Honda Accord but end up thinking more power – not a lot more power, just a 33% jump – would be wise. Rather than 150, you got 200. As was common at that time, the Accord's V6 was available across much of the lineup.

The whole four-cylinder/six-cylinder continuum has since been shaken up. In the 2017 Volkswagen Passat's case, the 3.6L V6 produces 110 more horsepower than the 170-horsepower 1.8L turbocharged four pot, a 65% increase.

The 1.8T that so impresses in the much smaller Golf isn't about to feel pedestrian in the larger Passat, but the story of a comparison between the Passat 1.8T and the Passat 3.6 is really a study in constrasts. With the 1.8T linked to a traditional six-speed automatic, acceleration from rest to 100 kmh requires a perfectly reasonable 7.8 seconds, according to Car And Driver. Aided by a torque peak (184 lb-ft) at an extraordinarily low 1500 rpm, the Passat 1.8T leaps from 80-110 in a tick under six seconds.

Yet with Volkswagen's quick-shifting six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission installed and with 40% more torque, the Passat V6 shoots from nought to highway speed in 5.7 seconds and from 80-110 in four seconds. Those were recently the times of genuinely fast cars. Even now, it's a level of acceleration Volkswagen's Golf GTI can't quite match.

The 1.8T is still the far more conventional choice. Fuel consumption is 16% lower, for starters. Most family sedan buyers don't care about sports car-baiting acceleration. Most importantly, the 1.8T is the exclusive engine for the $27,540 2017 Passat Trendline+ and $32,540 2017 Passat Comfortline, and the standard engine in the $37,540 2017 Passat Highline. 

RIVALS
Beyond the Passat 3.6 V6's lesser sibling, there are numerous alternatives made available by Volkswagen's competitors. Other than the discontinued Chrysler 200's 295-horsepower V6 – the 200 hardly seems like the prototypical Passat buyer's substitute – and the rare AWD beast that is the $44,038 2017 Ford Fusion Sport's twin-turbocharged 325-horsepower 2.7L EcoBoost V6, the Volkswagen's 280 horsepower makes the Passat a segment leader. 

The top-selling Toyota Camry offers a 268 horsepower 3.5L V6, the Honda Accord's 3.5L V6 makes 278 horsepower, and the Nissan Altima's 3.5L V6 is a 270-horsepower unit. All accelerate with similar vim and vigour, although the Honda's engine is part of a better overall dynamic package, the Nissan's V6 is linked to a disappointing continuously variable transmission, and the Camry's V6 will shortly appear in an all-new design. 

Subaru also offers a six-cylinder, a horizontally opposed boxer unit to be precise, but we've been disappointed by its output in the past, albeit thankful for an all-wheel-drive system that helps get the power down. 

Almost across the board, the various V6 engines are linked to the most luxurious trim levels of each car. At Nissan, the V6 is available only as a 3.5SL, priced at $37,508. At Honda, the EX-L V6 and Touring V6 are $35,685 and $38,185, respectively. (And in Accord Touring Coupe form with a six-speed manual transmission at $37,985 or with an automatic at $38,985.) In the outgoing Camry, the V6 is an option on the XSE and XLE trim levels, priced at $37,485 and $38,510, respectively. Finally, at Subaru, the 256-horsepower H6 is part of the $32,590 3.6R Touring trim, the $36,090 3.6R Limited, and the $37,590 3.6R Limited Tech. 

And at Volkswagen?

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

MONEY TALK
You'll pay more. Only on the 2017 Passat Highline is the 3.6L, 280-horsepower even an option. It'll cost you $2000, driving the base price for the Passat V6 up to $39,540. (There was a $1350 Driver Assistance Package added to our test car.)

Only at Ford, where the Fusion Sport stands out for no shortage of reasons, does a core mainstream midsize car make a V6 such an expensive proposition. And at Ford, there's a 240-horsepower 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that now serves as a mid-grade option, priced from $30,738. 

The Passat V6, therefore, is a costly proposition. 

Naturally, it's well-equipped: 18-inch wheels, power sport seats, navigation, sunroof, 400-watt Fender audio, proximity access, blind spot monitoring, and much more.

Moreover, the Passat does a passing Americanized impression of a de-luxed, upsized Audi A4. 

Granted, Audi Canada sells nearly two A4s, priced from $40,595 and tested last year by GCBC, for every Passat sold by Volkswagen Canada. 

Forget the money. Forget the junior Passat and the Passat's opposition. What's this V6 engine actually like when the throttle pedal is depressed?

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IN ISOLATION
First, stand behind the car while you ignite the Passat's 3.6L V6 using the remote starter. You'll quickly be alerted to a surprisingly intoxicating burble. Subdued German styling, yes. But subdued German symphony? Not so much. 

You won't hear much of the V6's burble inside the quiet cabin, but there's no shortage of snorty breathing when the Passat is under the gun. 280 horsepower rarely feels slow in any machine, but tasked with motivating fewer than 3600 pounds and linked to a rapid-fire transmission, 280 horsepower is copious. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Volkswagen Passat Sales Figures
2015 Toyota Camry XSE V6 Driven Review
2017 Audi A4 Driven Review
2015 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited Driven Review
2016 Volkswagen Golf R Driven Review

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In fact, the six-speed DSG can be more soul stirring if you drop the shifter from D into S, where low gears are held for as long as the Passat considers it remotely possible that more power may soon be required. It's an aggressive Sport mode, and not unwelcome when you're truly under the gun.

But to be honest, if that's the kind of driving you plan to participate in very frequently, a true sports sedan is probably going to reside much farther up your alley. 

The 2017 Volkswagen Passat's 3.6L V6 is a sports sedan's engine, but it's under the hood of a traditional American family sedan. 

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Passat was supplied by Volkswagen Canada's press office.

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2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Review - Very Expensive Golfs Are Very Good, But Also Very Expensive

How does one imbue the traditional station wagon, long since out of favour, with the qualities consumers associate with other vehicles that are increasingly deemed desirable?

THE GOOD + Torquey 1.8T + Quick and smooth shifting  + Excellent ride & handling + Way roomier than a Golf + Looks the part

THE BAD – Dieselly start-up and idle – Very, very expensive – Not really jacked up – Way smaller than Outback – Electronic gremlins

Subaru answered this question 23 years ago. Volvo provided its response two decades ago. Audi, in the A6 Allroad, revelled in the allure of an adjustable air suspension just prior to the dawn of the new millennium. 

But with a lineup thin on utility vehicles, Volkswagen determined to use the company's Golf SportWagen as a launching pad into the SUV-ified wagon world two years after Subaru launched its fifth Outback. 

This is the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. 

With merely 1.4 additional inches of ground clearance and overall height under five feet, it's obviously no rival for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and Toyota 4Runner. 

Don't kid yourself: there's no body-on-frame construction; no Fox internal bypass shocks. The BF Goodrich Krawlers are still at the tire store. The aftermarket lift kit? Not yet ordered.

But past evidence suggests there is a market for such wagons. Should there be a market for this tall wagon?

WHAT IS IT?
Known in Volkswagen parlance as the Mk7, the current Golf is the seventh Golf in a line of Golfs that stretches back to 1974. In Canada, the Golf exists in three bodystyles: three-door hatchback (base Trendline only), five-door hatchback, and wagon. 

Sprung off the SportWagen is this Alltrack model, be-cladded and elevated by less than an inch. All-wheel drive is standard equipment on the Alltrack and now optional on the two lower trim levels of the SportWagen. 

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

With the diesel emissions scandal removing TDI models from the lineup, the Golf is available with this car's 170-horsepower 1.8L turbo, a 2.0L turbo in the GTI, and a higher-strung 2.0L turbo in the Golf R. 

2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ALLTRACK Base Price: $37,020 * As-Tested Price: $39,940 * Colour: Tornado Red Assembly: Puebla, Mexico Drive Type: all-wheel drive Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic Engine: 1.8L DOHC 16-valve I4 turbo Horsepower: 170 @ 4500 rpm Torque: 199 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm Curb Weight: 3422 pounds Length: 180.2 inches Width: 70.8 inches Height: 59.7 inches Wheelbase: 103.5 inches Tires: Continental WinterContact Tire Size: 225/45R18 Passenger Volume: 2670 litres Cargo Volume: 861 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 1883 litres EPA City: 22 mpg EPA Hwy: 30 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 10.6 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 9.0 L/100km Observed: 31.0 mpg Observed: 7.6 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1725 in fees.

Although Alltracks are available in SportWagen-aping S, SE, and SEL trim levels in the United States, Volkswagen Canada is simply positioning the Alltrack as the top-trim SportWagen, akin to the Highline model. 

The Alltrack sent to GCBC Towers from Volkswagen Canada for an extended stay added to its $37,020 base price one package priced at $1310 and another at $1610. The grand total: $39,940, or $1760 less than the Volkswagen Golf R. 

HOW BIG IS IT?
Bigger than the Golf you already know; substantially smaller than the Subaru Outback with which it shares a mission and is comparably priced.

Compared with a five-door Golf, the Alltrack adds 33% more cargo capacity behind the rear seats and 26% more with the seats folded thanks to an extra foot of overall length. Cabin dimensions are, predictably, virtually identical in every direction. 

However, with the Outback's 9.4 additional inches of length, the Subaru offers 11% more space for people, 17% more cargo capacity, and 10% more seats-folded capacity. For families, the 3.4 extra inches of Outback shoulder room across the rear seat and 2.5 extra inches of rear legroom will be difference makers, too. 

You pay a price for the Subaru's extra metal. Each of the four-cylinder Outback's horsepower must cart around 20.8 pounds of Outback in the top-spec model. Each of the Golf's 170 horses are tasked with hauling only 20.1 pounds. 

DOES IT WORK?
Scribble down all the possible criticisms you could possibly level at the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, and our experience with the car's infotainment unit rises to the top of the list. 

Known as MIB II, this tech interface isn't the most advanced to begin with, though the option of plugging in for Android Auto or Apply CarPlay masks many of its limitations. But after a couple of days of normal operation at the beginning of its stay at GCBC Towers included a full day's use of the navigation system, freezes, shutdowns, and slow reboots eventually became the norm. Since visiting one dealer and chronicling this story on Twitter and on TTAC, we learned from another dealer visit after the car's stay with us that the navigation SD card appeared to be the key culprit. 

This is not confidence-inspiring stuff, especially given the degree to which actual Volkswagen quality sometimes stands in stark contrast to a Volkswagen's perceived quality. From the way the doors thunk to the nature of the materials inside, this $40,000 car feels better built than many $50,000 cars. 

But is it built better? Consumer Reports ranks Volkswagen 22nd out of 29 auto brands in reliability. 

Elsewhere in the interior, space is sufficient, albeit not plentiful. It's a wagon, sure, but it's a compact wagon. Cabin space is naturally Golf-like, which is to say not class-leading among compacts, let alone competitive with the similarly-priced Outback. And while there's a lot of space for stuff in the back, the ceiling is not terribly high and the floor not terribly low. A small family can go on vacation for a week, but they'll have to think about how they pack. 

If the five occupants are sized to fit in the Golf, they'll likely be a happy bunch. The Alltrack is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, an impressive Fender-branded audio system, nicely firm seats. Like all Golfs, it's quiet. It never rides harshly; no pothole impact is damaging. 

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For the driver, more specifically, the Alltrack is every inch a Golf. There's no sensation of elevation, for instance, which may disappoint the high-riding Outback driver. But it pays dividends in the handling department. As a rule, lower cars cope with cornering better, and they can maximize their handling potential without sacrificing ride quality. 

The Golf Alltrack turns in quickly, grips tightly, corners relatively flat, and pulls out of the corner with all 199 lb-ft of torque presenting like 240 lb-ft. The Golf Alltrack is by no means a slow car, and the quick and smooth-shifting dual-clutch six-speed automatic exaggerates the 1.8T's power.

With an extensive amount of slow-speed highway driving caused by very wintry conditions, the plentiful power wasn't matched by plentiful fuel consumption. We averaged 7.6 L/100km with the 2017 Golf Alltrack over the course of 12 days with the Volkswagen. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Volkswagen Canada's sales reports don't isolate the Alltrack portion of total Golf sales. South of the border, 1616 copies of the Golf Alltrack were sold between September and November. Applhing November's Volkswagen USA performance – 906 total Alltrack sales, or 14% of total Golf sales – to Volkswagen Canada's November results would produce 207 November Alltrack sales north of the border, with no promise of accuracy. 

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Subaru's Outback is the obvious alternative, of that there can be no doubt. Outbacks top out right around $43,000, but that price includes a six-cylinder powerplant. With more space and features (but less straight-line performance and less dynamic appeal), the four-cylinder Outback reaches just above $40,000, but starts right around $30,000. 

The Volkswagen faithful may wish to wait and see what Volkswagen has in store at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. A three-row Tiguan could narrow the Alltrack's appeal. 

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Monthly & Yearly U.S. Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Sales Figures
2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon TDI Highline Driven Review
2015 Subaru Outback 2.5i Touring Driven Review
2016 Volkswagen Golf R Driven Review

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A basic Volvo V60 doesn't cost much more than this Golf Alltrack, there'll soon be a new version of the Subaru Crosstrek based on the latest Impreza, and you might want to look at the most nimble compact crossovers, as well: Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, and Subaru Forester.

Don't forget Volkswagen has also made all-wheel drive available in the regular Golf Sportwagen for a $1500 premium in entry-level mid-grade Comfortline trim or Highline guise.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
One way or another, you'll have to pay a lot.

In Canada, your options for Alltrack pricing are few, at least for now. You must take the dual-clutch automatic and the equivalent of the regular Golf SportWagen's top-tier Highline trim level. 

You can then choose a $1310 Driver Assistance Package (adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist, emergency braking, park assist) and/or a $1610 Light and Sound Package (LEDs, dynamic cornering lights, auto high beams, and Fender audio). 

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
Handsome styling, a sufficiently spacious interior, all-weather traction, abundant torque, decent fuel economy, luxurious content levels, exceptional ride and handling balance: these are the kinds of traits that can foster long-lasting relationships between a Volkswagen and its owner.

Yet a price that pegs the larger and more luxuriously equipped Subaru Outback as a prime competitor does the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack no favours. Indeed, the inevitable Alltrack/Outback comparison is particularly noteworthy since the 2016 Outback 2.5i Limited Tech in our family has been absolutely reliable for more than one year while the Golf Alltrack in our care last week suffered from meaningful maladies. 

This is a problem for a brand that saw its sales crumble in 2016 precisely because cars weren't operating the way they were supposed to.

Assume reliability and remove the prerequisite for Outback-like space, however, and the scales tilt very obviously in the Golf Alltrack's direction. The wagon's extra length and the weight of all-wheel drive don't detract from the Golf's distinctly superior on-road behaviour. 

At its core, the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack is the Subaru Outback for the keen driver. 

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Golf was supplied by Volkswagen Canada's press office.

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