Volkswagen Passat Saloon 2005 - Present

Competing against the Mondeo, 3-Series BMW, Vectra Mercedes C-Class and Honda Accord it a task akin to taking on the job of PR for Cherie Blair - tough and with attack from all sides a job that's never going to be completely finished.

The Passat proves to have strength in depth. When you first sit in the car you're immediately struck with both the amount of space available to all of the occupants, and the quality of the fit. It offers luxury accommodation to the drivers and passengers alike with seating that looks great and offers levels comfort usually found in the living room. The headroom is spacious with nice levels of light and good all round vision although the legroom could offer more. The interior storage facilities are useful and the umbrella holder a nice if a little unnecessary touch. Boot space is considerable with more than enough space for a family of 4 to take off for a fortnight without having to sit on their luggage.

Under the bonnet the 2.0 turbodiesel offers the best performance and economy alliance. The power is smooth and steady right through the revs, never surprising the driver or leaving them wanting more. The Petrol engines offer decent payback from the bottom up. The 1.6 FSI offers reasonable performance at 113 bhp and 37 mpg and the 1.8 FSI pushes 157 bhp but the drivers choice will always be the 2.0 TDI.

Volkswagen have spent considerable time and energy getting the handing on the Passat right and have made great strides in the process. The vague disinterested feel to cornering has gone replaced by a ride that feels a lot more confident and assured. It now approaches corners with poise viewing them as something to be embraced and then left behind rather than an obstacle to be overcome. The new power assisted steering offers the driver real feel for the road rather than numbing it. It is a lot more engaging than the old Passat could have hoped to be but is still al little shy of the class leading 3-Series.

With the New Passat Volkswagen have raised their own standards and put down a firm marker in a highly congested class of car. Whether it's the market leader or not it demands consideration.

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