2007 Volkswagen Passat Review

If Volkswagen decided to build a Buick-style station wagon, it might come out something like the 2007 Passat wagon.

Buick no longer builds wagons, but the new Passat wagon would be a good substitute if it did. The Passat provides a quiet, roomy interior, soft ride and strong performance even with the base turbocharged, intercooled 2-liter four-cylinder engine, which feels as if it has extra cylinders.

The wagon comes with front- or all-wheel drive and is a 2007 addition to the mid-size upscale Passat sedan line, which was redesigned for 2006.

That sedan was made larger, roomer, sleeker and more powerful -- and was given additional equipment. It was injected with a large dose of American-style luxury and comfort, although that's made it too soft to be a German sports sedan.

But who cares? I've never found in this country German-style no-speed-limit highways (autobahns), where sports sedans thrive. I tested the Passat wagon here on narrow European-style two-lane country roads and the crowded Interstate 5.

Not that the Passat wagon's handling is sloppy -- that wouldn't be allowed in any German car. Rather, the Passat wagon handles confidently despite its rather soft suspension. The electro-mechanical steering is sharp, with nice road feel, and braking is strong, with good pedal feel.

The Passat wagon's engine isn't very large at 2 liters, but it's smooth and its turbocharger lets it produce 200 horsepower and strong acceleration. It works with a standard, responsive six-speed automatic transmission.

My test Passat 2.0L (2-liter) wagon had the four cylinder engine, which delivers an estimated 22 mpg in the city and 31 on highways, but which calls for premium gasoline.

The entry Passat Value Edition turbocharged four-cylinder wagon costs $25,225, but you might as well pay a few more bucks and get the $26,175 version I tested. It has front seat power recliners and lumbar adjustment, a trunk pass-through area and attractive alloy wheels.

There's also two more powerful V-6 versions that cost $31,150 with front-drive and $33,100 with all-wheel drive.

All Passats are well-equipped, with such items as air conditioning with automatic climate control, cruise control, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player and power windows, (heated) outside mirrors and door locks with remote keyless entry.

Standard safety items include front side air bags and curtain side air bags. There's also standard anti-lock brakes.

This is a German car, so you're going to find gadgetry. It includes a push-button parking brake and a press-start ignition switch. There's also a rather slow-moving power tailgate that's handy if your arms are full of groceries, but not so handy if you must stand in pouring rain waiting for it to fully open.

The cargo opening is low and wide, and there's plenty of room for lots of stuff. If you need more space, the rear seats fold entirely forward to create a giant cargo area.

There are large, nicely located sound-system and climate controls, and front cupholders are intelligently positioned -- although the rear ones that extend from the center armrest feel flimsy. Fuel and coolant temperature gauges are tiny and the angle and location of the standard-size speedometer and tachometer can make them hard to read under some lighting conditions.

The height-adjustable steering column doesn't move far enough up or down, and the front seats have manual fore-aft adjustments and some power adjustments. Why not full-power front seats? Americans generally don't expect a combination of power and manual front seat controls.

The $31,150 wagon has a 3.6-liter V-6 that produces 280 horsepower. Its added equipment includes a power sunroof and AM/FM radio with in-dash six-disc CD/MP3 changer. It delivers an estimated 19 mpg in the city and 28 on highways, or 18 and 27 with all-wheel drive.

The V-6 wagon costs $33,100 with all-wheel drive, which isn't needed by most folks. After all, every Passat wagon is stable when the going gets rough with its front-drive, fully independent suspension and standard traction control and anti-skid system.

There's plenty of comfortable space for tall adults and numerous storage areas, including a deep front covered console bin and pockets in all doors. Large outside handles and doors that open wide ease entry and exit.

Sales of the Passat are way up this year, helping Volkswagen's impressive recovery in America. It's too early to tell if the 2007 Passat wagon will help sales move higher, but that probably will be the case. 

2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON 

PRICES: $25,225-$33,100

LIKES: Roomy. Comfortable. Decent fuel economy.

DISLIKES: Rather soft for a Volkswagen. Flimsy feeling rear cupholders. Some tiny gauges.