Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £15,150 to £32,780
Most efficient and lowest polluting in class, common rail's flexibility.
Gearing restricts performance, BlueMotion price premium.
Hugely improved engine plus stop-start increases the BlueMotion's appeal considerably.
The BlueMotion 2 is based on the current generation Passat, but it still feels fresh, even besides its more modern alternatives.
The Passat hasn't been well received by owners, though. In the current 2008 JD Power satisfaction survey it rates a dismal 77th out of 100, with owners complaining about poor interior build - very un-Volkswagen. Worse still, those questioned also reported a high number of engine niggles.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Passat
wrote on 06 06 2006