2006 Volkswagen Passat Midsize Car Reviews & Ratings

Passat gets an all-new, roomier cabin for 2006. The new key fob design is the first clue to the interior's extensive renewal project. Instead of fitting a key into a column-mounted ignition switch, the entire fob is pushed into a dash-mounted slot. To stop the car and eject the fob, simply push it again. What might seem a gimmick is in reality a boon to safety and reliability: A dangling keychain can prematurely wear an expensive ignition switch or cause leg injury during a crash.

The Passat's larger dimensions and space gained from the new transversely mounted engine were used well in the interior, particularly in the additional 2.4 inches of rear-seat legroom, a weak aspect of the previous Passat. Also criticized in the outgoing model was a dearth of storage space and other interior amenities. Volkswagen has responded with more storage bins than we can enumerate, a sunglasses holder, sunshades for the side windows and backlight. Ambient lighting has been enhanced. And there's even an umbrella holder in the driver's door, complete with a drainage system so a wet umbrella can be stowed without harm. No need to buy a Rolls Royce to get that feature.

Equally well thought out is the cockpit's overall design, which continues VW's tradition of quality materials, sensible gauge layout, and an ergonomic correctness about the driver's relationship with the controls. The seating position is commanding, the seats themselves a good combination of comfort and control, especially laterally and in thigh support. Standard 10-way adjustability (12-way available on the 3.6L) and a fully adjustable steering wheel ensure a good fit for all body types. Even our six-and-half foot tall co-driver in Germany could find the right position for his lanky frame. More impressively, I put my six-foot frame behind him and, due to all the extra rear legroom, had no problem sitting comfortably.

The car we drove was about as fully kitted out as a Passat can get, optioned with Package #2 Luxury plus the stand-alone options of 18-inch wheels and tires, and the DVD satellite navigation system with glovebox-mounted six-disc CD changer. The wood trim and leather upholstery made the car feel like a junior VW Phaeton, minus, of course, a sticker with a couple more tens of thousands of dollars on the bottom line.

The new dashboard design is broken into upper and lower layers, avoiding the monolithic, crowded look of many control centers. The upper panel, housing the air outlets and deep cowl shading the gauges, is in dark contrast to the lighter panel that contains various functions, including the button for the new electronic parking brake, rotary controls for the headlamps and, to the right of the steering wheel, the engine start/stop slot.

The central console flows rearward from the dash, the navigation screen, climate controls and shift lever nestled within a handsome expanse of wood. Flanking the shifter are buttons for ESP deactivation, an Auto Hold function to keep the car from rolling backward on hills, and Park Assist. Two large cupholders fit between the seats just forward of the folding armrest.

The Passat's interior ambience is best defined as understated luxury. Despite the cockpit's many creature comforts and electronic controls, there's a simplicity about the design and functionality that helps the driver fulfill his assigned task without confusion or calamity.

We were fortunate enough to have a legal means to explore the new Passat's claim as a sports sedan in the best German tradition: on the unrestricted German autobahn. Volkswagen said the 3.6-liter six-cylinder will take the car to 135 mph, and it took little time to discover this is easily done, with a stability that comes only from a sophisticated chassis and suspension.

With an approving growl of support to the driver's right foot, the new narrow-angle V6 delivers a robust flow of power, taking the relatively heavy car to 60 mph from a stop in 6.6 seconds. Despite being almost a full liter larger than the 2.8-liter it replaces, the 3.6-liter engine is about 18 pounds lighter and, despite offering 90 more horsepower and 58 pound-feet of additional torque, it's just as economical to operate. Credit newly instituted FSI technology (where fuel is added directly into the combustion chamber) and a variable intake manifold for much of the increased efficiency. The 3.6L has good torque down low, but it also revs freely, happily climbing toward the 6200-rpm power peak without expressing harsh disapproval of the driver's insistent go-pedal.

The six-speed automatic with Tiptronic feels well suited to the 3.6's powerband. A highly robust unit, it's designed to handle much more power than the 3.6 can deliver. Takeoff is exceptionally smooth, and it upshifts without a glitch when left to its own devices. Gear control is equally fluid when shifts are chosen through the manual side of the Tiptronic box.

Providing a stable platform for the powertrain is a beautifully balanced chassis, optimized by a multi-link rear suspension that delivers a new level of handling control. The front MacPherson strut-type suspension has been refined to the point that the conflicting duties of the front tires, to both pull and steer the car, are fully reconciled, and the car tracks straight and true.

A sport-tuned suspension is also available, offering a lower ride height (by 15 mm), stiffer springs and shocks, but even the standard settings are far more sporty than were found in the previous generation. Body roll, brake dive and acceleration squat, all undesirable traits of former VW suspensions, have been eliminated, and torque steer is all but nonexistent.

One aspect of previous models that was desirable was brought forward in the braking system. The four-wheel discs (ventilated in front) provide crucially direct feedback, and the ABS threshold is set high enough to allow a good measure of late braking for the sporty driver. Overall brake feel is superb, and the car stops from high speeds with little drama (as we found out on the autobahn when an old plastic Communist-era car pulled into our lane going about 75 mph more slowly), aided by standard Brake Assist.

Steering around the moving chicane directed our attention to the improved electromechanical rack-and-pinion steering, which up until then we had totally ignored simply because it was working so well. It adjusts assist based on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. It also corrects for side winds as well as minimizes column vibration. We can attest to its precision while making rapid lane changes at high speed.

Several standard electronic handling aids are there to aid the driver in distress, but they do little to mute the pleasure of driving the new Passat, which is core to the VW ideal. If it weren't nimble around corners, easy to park, and stable on the straights, it wouldn't be a Volkswagen.

The base Passat ($22,950) is powered by a new 2.0-liter 200-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder and offered with two levels of trim. The Value Edition comes with a choice of six-speed manual transmission or six-speed Tiptronic automatic ($24,025).

The standard upholstery is a very nice leatherette, and the entry-level front seats are eight-way manually adjustable with adjustable head restraints and lumbar support. Increasing interior utility are 60/40 split/folding rear seats. Only a single sunvisor is available. Base running gear is 7x16-inch steel wheels with 215/55R16 all-season radials, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, a newly developed, speed-variable electromechanical steering system, and a sophisticated suspension with a MacPherson-type setup in front and a multi-link design in the rear. Electronics make their way into the base interior via the new electronic parking brake; three auxiliary power outlets; power windows, central locking, and heated outside mirrors; illuminated vanity mirrors; eight-speaker stereo with an in-dash CD player and MP3 capability; tire-pressure monitoring system; anti-theft alarm and theft deterrent system; and single-zone climate control, which features a pollen filter and also supplies ventilation to the rear passengers.

The 2.0T ($23,900) adds interior ambient lighting, illuminated footwells, adjustable driver seat (six-way power, four-way manual), split folding rear seat with armrest, storage and pass-through, dual sunvisors with illuminated mirrors, chrome exterior trim for the window surrounds, body moldings, 16-inch Catalunya alloy wheels with all-season tires. The 2.0T comes with the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic ($24,975). Dual rear side airbags are optional ($350).

Options for the 2.0T: Package #1 ($1,625) includes a power sunroof, stereo with in-dash CD changer, satellite radio plus activation plus three months service. Package #2 Luxury ($2,825) offers everything from #1, plus leather comfort seats, four-spoke multi-function leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather shift knob, heated driver and passenger front seats. A Cold Weather Package ($225) offers heated driver and passenger front seats. An upgraded Dynaudio stereo system ($1,000) is available, but only with one of the packages. The DVD satellite navigation system is packaged with a glovebox-mounted six-disc CD changer ($1,800). Wheels can be upgraded to 17-inch Le Mans alloys with 235/45R17 all-season tires ($400).

The Passat 3.6L ($29,950) is powered by a new 280-horsepower V6 matched to a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. Later in the model year will come an all-wheel-drive 3.6L 4Motion ($31,900).

The Passat 3.6L ($29,950) includes everything from the 2.0T plus the 17-inch Le Mans alloy wheels with all-season tires, the stereo system with in-dash CD player and MP3 capability, power sunroof, satellite radio and chromed horizontal fins on the front grille.

Options include heated front driver and passenger seats ($120), rear side airbags ($300), Dynaudio stereo system ($1,000), and DVD satellite navigation system ($1,800).

Luxury Package #1 ($2,750) adds leather comfort seats, wood trim, leather-wrapped four-spoke steering wheel, walnut shift knob, automatic headlights with coming home feature, fog lights, rain-sensing wipers, heated driver and passenger front seats, heated washer nozzles, heated exterior side mirrors with environmental lighting, dual-zone Climatronic, Homelink, switchable auto-dimming interior mirror, 12-way power driver and passenger seats with three-position memory for driver seat and exterior mirrors, manual rear and side sunshades, and a storage net in the trunk.

Sport Package #1 ($3,050) delivers leather sport seats, aluminum trim, leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with Tiptronic controls, leather shift knob, automatic headlights with coming home feature, fog lights, rain-sensing wipers, heated driver and passenger front seats, heated washer nozzles, heated exterior side mirrors with environmental lighting, dual-zone Climatronic, Homelink, switchable auto-dimming interior mirror, 12-way power driver and passenger seats with three-position memory for driver seat and exterior mirrors, manual rear and side sunshades, and a storage net in the trunk.

Luxury Package #2 ($5,250) includes all the equipment from Luxury Package #1 plus bi-xenon headlamps with Adaptive Front Lighting System and washers, Dynaudio premium sound system, and park distance control. In the same way, Sport Package #2 ($5,550) has all the stuff in Sport Package #1 plus the equipment from Luxury #2.