Vehicle: 2006 VW Passat 2.0T Tiptronic with convenience pkg
Price as tested: CDN$32220

Performance: Under new Passat’s bonnet, its powered by one of two engines. An exceptional 200hp 2.0L turbocharged DOHC with direct fuel injection or 280hp 3.6L V6. Our tester is equipped with the former, which has to be considered as the world’s best 4-cylinder turbocharged engine available today. We have been impressed with this powerplant when we first drove Audi A3 and A4, the same goes for Passat. Not only does it has high level of refinement and smoothness, its level of NVH is able to rival to many so-called V6 engines. With 207 lb/ft of torque arrives at a lowly 1800rpm, power has never been an issue. Throttle response and tip-in are wonderfully responsive without being abrupt. The engine never seems to run out of breath at high rpm. Matched with this engine is the excellent 6-speed Tiptronic. Although it still has Tiptronic’s somewhat slow upshift characteristics, the work ethics of this tranny has matched with the engine exceptionally well. Both the up and downshifts are crisp and responsiveness is more than acceptable. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t allow enthuisastic drivers to rev pass redline before upshifting. If VW of America equipped the Passat with the nifty DSG as with the A3, it would be an even better car than it currently is.

Handling: Passat has always been regarded as a family sedan that has sporty intentions. The new one is no exception. A solid chassis is an excellent foundation for suspension components to hang its head. Combined with the right damping by creating comfortable yet supple ride without losing the handling characteristics typical of Passat. The whole dynamic package is impressive. For a family sedan, Passat’s body rolls and understeer are minimal. The pleasant surprise has to do with its ESP. Unlike many family sedans, Passat’s ESP is uninstrusive. It allows enthuisastic drivers to push into a high limit before it starts to kick-in. Steering is precise and responsive, with plenty of driver feedback and control. Push through the corners, Passat feels more like a sports sedan than a family sedan.

Brakes: Along with standard 4-wheel discs and ABS, Passat also comes with Brake Assist. This brake assist is a very well-designed system. It doesn’t grab your leg during panic stops. Instead, it allows the driver to modulate the threshold of ABS before it starts to assist the driver. On the other hand, the stopping distance and pedal feel are typical VW high standards. That means its short with top-notch pedal modulation.

Interior: Inside new Passat’s interior, it got everything you typically expected of a VW. To start things of with a great set of instrumentation gauges, ergonomically placed climate control and stereo system. The leatherette seats are simply superb. It provides top-notch back and side supports. The leatherette material also good enough to trick others as “real” leather. The interior plastic quality are as good as the leatherette itself. There are plenty of soft plastic around the dashboard. Everything from glovebox to coin holder are carpeted inside. However, its not without pet peeves. On our convenience package, it lacks tilt/telescope steering to adjust for a perfect driving position. The remote fuel filler/trunk release also too far forward on driver’s side door.

The back seat space is simply amazing. The rear legroom is larger than anything else in its class, same goes for plenty of headroom.

In terms of cargo space, its simply enomorous even without folding the 60/40 split fold-down rear seats. The only drawback is the high trunk liftover which hammered the overall versatility when loading luggages.

Conclusion: The new Passat, just like its predecessor, once again upped the ante in the family sedan segment. It got excellent powertrain, handles relatively well and rides comfortably. Not to mention it has interior space that rivalled luxury cars costing twice as much. Here lies the rough, with the attractive pricing and torquery engine characteristics of 2.0T. The starting price of 3.6L V6′s 44 grand makes me wonder whether it really worths the premium over the already excellent 2.0T. We will be seeing more Passats with 2.0T emblem on the trunklid than 3.6. While its good from a driver’s perspective, I am unsure for VW as V6 has higher profit margin.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 VW PASSAT 2.0T
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.75/5