Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £15,150 to £32,780
Much better to drive than previous model, build quality, enormous boot.
Styling on the dull end of scale, rear seat legroom not brilliant.
With hugely improved dynamics and excellent perceived quality, the Passat takes the fight to Mercedes and BMW.
The Passat is taller, longer and wider than the car it replaces, so it's no surprise that the interior feels spacious and airy. That's truer for front seat occupants, because while rear headroom is fine for the tall, legroom is less impressive, albeit perfectly adequate. The boot, though, is enormous, a full 90 litres larger at 565 litres. The rear seats also fold down to accommodate long loads. The electromechanical brake, a little button on the dash by the steering wheel, frees up a little space around the console. And the seats, especially the optional leather items with the funky 1960s-style ribbing, are superbly supportive and comfy. There is plenty of interior storage and the door bins in particular are simply enormous.
But it's the details that really impress, those things that salesmen call 'surprise and delight' features. Like the umbrella holder (complete with umbrella) built right into the leading edge of the driver's door (standard fit in the UK, appropriately). Or the Bluetooth connection that allows the Passat to turn itself into your hands free mobile. And you'll wonder why every car in this class doesn't have double sun visors that work on side and front screens simultaneously. Then there's the massive air-conditioned glovebox that'll take A4-sized documents.
Other neat items include optional adaptive cruise control that maintains a set distance and bi-xenon headlights with corner illumination. And for real out-of-the-box thinking, a foldable towel that lives in the boot and can be draped over the rear bumper when you need a clean place to sit while changing into hiking or jogging shoes. Brilliant.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Passat
wrote on 06 06 2006