First Glance: A good lookin' wagon
Who says styling isn't important in a wagon? If you ask me, the Passat looks as good, if not better, as a wagon than it does as a sedan (review here). What I like best, though, is that it doesn't give up any practicality, like the Dodge Magnum (review) does with its low roof. Its 35.8 cubic foot load bay gives it more cargo space than a Nissan XTerra SUV. I also like the details, such as the chrome-surrounded grille and the the LED taillights under clear lenses -- a slick-looking touch that does double-duty as a safety enhancement (LEDs are brighter, light up faster and use less energy than regular bulbs).The Passat is one of those cars that looks good in some colors, great in others; sadly the Passat's paint palette is rather dull and conservative. My tester (larger photo) was painted Shadow Blue, a color that makes the Passat look handsome but not particularly upscale. I prefer Blue Graphite, a sharp grey-blue color that looks beautiful on the Passat wagon.
Safety is a priority for the Passat: Front-seat-mounted torso airbags, two-row side curtain airbags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control come standard in all versions. Now that's attractive!
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In the Driver's Seat: Good ergonomics, love-hate navigation system
Settling into the comfortable fake-leather seats - real leather is optional on all Passats save the entry-level Value Edition - I found myself instantly at home. The Passat is easy to see out of and most of the controls are straightforward. Packing for our road trip was easy; the kids had plenty of back-seat room and they liked the center armrest (photo) with its extra storage space and cupholders. The cargo bay (photo) swallowed all of our luggage with room left over for another family's worth of stuff.
I had a love-hate relationship with the $1,800 navigation system. Love: Good directions with next-turn info displayed right on the dashboard (photo). Hate: No touchscreen, it's infuriatingly slow to program and the map display (photo) omits many street names and natural landmarks. The Susquehanna River looks pretty big in real life, but it was missing from the Passat's map.
The nav system's screen doubles as a display for the audio system which included optional satellite radio, a feature I really appreciated on this trip. -- we were able to listen to the same station for the whole ride, though dense tree cover occaisionally blocked the satellite signal.
On the Road: One of the best four-cylinder engines I've ever driven
I can't say enough good things about the Passat's two-liter four-cylinder engine, which develops a V6-like 200 horsepower. The engine has a turbocharger -- an exhaust-driven turbine that blows additional air into the engine, allowing it to develop more power -- but there's virtually no delay between stepping on the gas and getting full power, a problem (called turbo lag) that affects many turbocharged cars.The engine's snappy response is due in part to VW's FSI direct injection, a fuel injection system that increases response and fuel economy while decreasing emissions. The Passat had enough passing power to put many V6s to shame and got great gas mileage; we scored 28.3 MPG in mixed driving and 31 MPG on a long highway run. That's as good as my wife's 4-cylinder Honda Accord wagon, which doesn't have anywhere near as much power as the Passat. When car fans praise German engineering, its engines like this that they're talking about. Too bad the wagon isn't available with a stick-shift; a 6-speed automatic is standard fare.
Ride and handling were top-notch. The Germans aren't as obsessed with quiet as Japanese automakers tend to be, which made the Passat's quiet ride that much more of a pleasant surprise.
Journey's End: A great car, but expensive for what you get
If I were shopping for a new car the Passat wagon would definitely be on my short-list. It's strong on safety and I love the power and economy of the 2.0T engine. But price is a problem: The Subaru Legacy wagon is cheaper, and for $30K I could get an Audi A4 wagon with the same 2.0T engine, manual transmission and more prestige (but less cargo room). I liked the Passat wagon; I'm just not sure if I felt $30,000 worth of like.
