I bought a 2011 Passat Sport thinking it would be a great car, as some acquaintances really liked theirs. I test drove it and thought it would meet my needs. Fast forward about 6 months when the transmission started having issues and needed a complete replacement due to faulty shifting. It also was super plastic feeling in comparison to other VWs I was loaned during the time it was getting fixed. I also thought that the amount of power and torque was inadequate and low for the car in comparison to the other cars I was driving. I live in Colorado and actively would drive up to the mountains for skiing and other outdoor activities. While I did have a rock rack and ski rack on my car, I felt like it was sometimes a struggle to make it up to the top of the passes with normal acceleration. After I got my car back from its transmission being rebuilt at around 9,000 miles, I also started to notice some interior rattles from the passenger seatbelt area, and somewhere inside the dash. The dealership was not very helpful in getting the issues looked at or resolved, which was frustrating as I bought the car new from the lot. Some positives that I did like included the ease of parking it in downtown Denver, as well as the excellent gas mileage that I received. It also had good maneuverability and was pretty responsive. In the end, I kept the car until early 2014, when I sold it for a Nissan Maxima.

I am satisfied with this vehicle. It's great on gas mileage. I fill up the tank once every two weeks or sometimes once a month. I've only had to bring it in for one oil change, since it's synthetic oil. It looks a lot like a BMW now, but it's affordable. The heated side mirrors are nice to have when it's snowing. The cruise control function moves five miles per hour at a time, which is nice, so you can quickly speed up and slow down.