Price - 2012 Volkswagen Passat vs Ford Fusion vs Hyundai Sonata - With Canadian Midsize Sales Chart

Volkswagen Canada announced pricing for the 2012 Passat some time ago, but with the car finally arriving at dealers, it seemed like a good time to measure the 2012 model's value against the segment's Canadian leaders. The top selling midsize car in Canada isn't the Toyota Camry, nor is it the Honda Accord. So far this year the Ford Fusion leads the midsize pack. The Hyundai Sonata ranks second. 

With the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat looking to shake things up considerably, it's also worth seeing how much the segment has changed over the last five years. The chart below displays year end sales volume for nine cars (including the Passat/Passat CC combo) from 2006 to 2010 as well as the first seven months of 2011. Notice the Toyota Camry's decline, the Toyota Venza's assistance, the Fusion's gradual increase, Subaru's uptick, and the Passat's inconsequential volume. 

Passat volume in Canada has always been reported with the CC. Those cars are mostly unrelated now so perhaps Volkswagen Canada will begin reflecting that in sales reports soon.

CLICK CHART FOR LARGER VIEW
2011 YTD: Malibu Down 16.7%, Fusion Down 2.2%, Accord down 33.6%, Sonata up 24.3%, 
Altima up 14.1%, Subaru up 12%, Camry down 35.4%, Venza down 7.3%, Passat/CC down 55.5%

Back to prices, the basic Passat stickers for $23,975. The 2.0L diesel is the one you'll want, though. TDI prices range from $27,475 to just under $34K for the loaded Highline. The V6 is powerful but probably an unnecessary extravagance given the 2.0L TDI's swelling torque, along with its MSRP advantage and fuel savings. 

Despite VW's huge price decreases you can still pay less for a 2012 Hyundai Sonata or 2012 Ford Fusion. For less than the price of a Comfortline TDI you could have a turbocharged Sonata, a car The Good Car Guy was really impressed with in loaded $34,199 trim.

For basic midsize savings, however, Ford has even Hyundai beat. At $19K the Fusion's main rival is a decently equipped Focus. Apart from options the top-of-the-line all-wheel drive Fusion Sport with a 3.5L V6 costs less than a Passat Comfortline V6. The Fusion is more to look at, too, although the Passat leaves more of an impression than first believed. That is, if you notice it. And that's a big if, particularly considering the eye-catching nature of the Sonata or Hyundai's platform-sharing partner from Kia, the totally revamped Optima.

Volkswagen Passat	2.5	TDI	V6
Trendline	$23,975	$27,475	-----
Trendline +	$24,875	-----	-----
Comfortline	$27,975	$30,575	$33,575
Highline	$31,475	$33,775	$37,475
Hyundai Sonata	2.4	2.0T	Hybrid
Base (GL, 2.0T, Hybrid)	$22,699	$29,249	$29,999
GLS	$26,499	-----	-----
Limited	$28,899	$32,399	-----
Limited With Navigation	$31,699	$34,199	-----
Premium	-----	-----	$34,499
Ford Fusion	2.5	V6	Hybrid
S	$19,084	-----	-----
SE	$21,799	-----	-----
SEL	$24,469	-----	-----
SEL AWD 3.0	-----	$28,919	-----
Sport AWD 3.5	-----	$32,568	-----
Hybrid	-----	-----	$31,684

Freight and delivery costs $1565 at Hyundai dealers, $1450 at Ford, and presumably $1365 at Volkswagen, based on freight costs for other Volkswagens. Add $1600 for an automatic on the Sonata GL. An automatic transmission is a $1220 option on the Fusion S and Fusion SE. The VR6-engined Passat is equipped with an automatic, but optioning the TDI and 2.5 with an auto tranny should cost between $1400 and $1625.

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