The 2012 Passat TDI as a company car

bradleyheathhays

I have a job where I drive to a lot of locations around the state and need a new car. For me a typical day is about 4 hours of city driving and 5 hours of highway. A friend suggested the '12 TDI for sale at the local dealership. 80k miles and they're asking 10.4. Black leather, looks good, sounds fair. Although I've done most of my own auto work over the last 20 years diesel engines are something I don't have a lot of experience with. So here's what I'm wondering.

1 - Generally, how well would this TDI stand up to being a much used company car?

2 - How much trouble would it be for a decent amateur mechanic to take care of one of these?

3 - I've seen it described as dependable, but not so much as the Accord. How well is this car built to last?

4 - At what mileage will this car begin to get expensive to own?

5 - Historically, which has given the lowest cost per mile, diesel or gas?

Thanks for the help

Mr_Shiftright

1 - Generally, how well would this TDI stand up to being a much used company car?

You'd need a crystal ball to answer that question. A lot would depend on how well it was taken care of in the past, and how up to date all the services are.

2. --2 - How much trouble would it be for a decent amateur mechanic to take care of one of these?

You should be able to do basic maintenance but without the right computer and some special tools your abilities will be limited. The DSG transmission, for instance. You'll also have to learn how to religiously maintain a clean fuel system with a diesel with new filters every 20K or so.

3--that sounds about right.It's decent but it's not an Accord

4 - At what mileage will this car begin to get expensive to own?

I would say, at 80K, it's already there, because 80K is when you might expect certain components to either fail or at least to be a bit tired. 80K is IMO about the beginning of the repair/replace cycle. The car has life left in it, but it has been rolling for 7 years already. So tires, suspension bushing, alternator, water pump, all need to be checked, You'll also need a timing belt at 130K and if you have the DSG transmission, that will need a fluid change every 40K, and it's not cheap! So again SERVICE RECORDS will tell you a lot.

5--5 - Historically, which has given the lowest cost per mile, diesel or gas?

Back when this car was first built, diesel would have the cost per mile advantage. But now with hybrids and highly efficient gas cars and EVs, and with diesel fuel prices higher than ever, I think this has shrunk to a point where it barely makes sense anymore. The passenger car diesel market is dead in the US.

Having said all that, I wouldn't mind owning a TDI Sport Wagon with a manual transmission and good service records.

The dealer's price seems high to me. Check out some typical California asking prices here:

https://www.activeautomarin.com/inventory/?f[make_name]=&f[model]=&f[price]=