2007 Volkswagen Passat Road Test

Walkaround

Completely new last year, the 2007 Volkswagen Passat has a presence common to well-crafted cars. It is a stunning example of Volkswagen's goal of melding the aesthetic and the technical. It has a dynamic stance and just enough extraneous shapes and creases to make the car interesting from various angles. Its look is an evolution of the Passat's often copied lines, as there was little reason to break completely with tradition.

The nose is aggressive, with the medallion-shaped grille, vee-shaped contours on the hood, and a large VW badge. Composite headlamps frame the nose like a pair of eyes, staring intently down the road, and large intakes along the bottom of the nose reaffirm the car's performance intentions.

In profile, the Passat's substantial overhangs signal a heftiness associated with large, luxurious automobiles. The wheels and tires, especially the optional 18-inch wheels, fit well within the wheelwells and underscore the Passat's look of a well-grounded automobile. The sweep of the roof is of the modern, sporty sort, its coupe-like contours delineated by chrome trim surrounding the side glass. Chrome is also used in a trim strip to tie together the front and rear fender arches and the sharply cut tail, which is defined by round, horizontal taillamp clusters that echo the shape of the front lights.

Interior Features

The Volkswagen Passat benefited from an all-new, roomier cabin for 2006, which changes little if at all for 2007. The overall design is well designed and 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, with especially good lateral and under-thigh support. Standard 10-way (and available 12-way) adjustability the seats and a fully adjustable steering wheel ensure a good fit for all body types.

The Passat offers good rear-seat legroom. We found a six-foot passenger could sit comfortably by a six-and-half-foot passenger.

The available wood trim and leather upholstery make the car feel like a junior VW Phaeton, minus tens of thousands of dollars on the bottom line.

The dashboard design is broken into upper and lower layers, avoiding the monolithic, crowded look of many contemporary control centers. The upper panel, housing the air outlets and deep cowl shading the gauges, is darker in contrast to the lighter lower panel that handles various accessory 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 center 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 optional Park Distance Control. The chrome surround for the shifter looks nice but reflects the sunlight at some angles, causing glare. Two large cupholders fit between the seats just forward of the folding armrest. The furry material around the cupholders looks like it could be a haven for crumbs, not good for people who eat in their car. Storage is available in a number of storage bins, including a sunglasses holder.

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 drivers fulfill their assigned task without confusion or calamity. Optional sunshades for the side windows and backlight help keep light and heat levels down by day. Ambient lighting helps with interior illumination at night. An umbrella holder in the driver's door, complete with a drainage system so a wet umbrella can be stowed without harm, makes us feel like we're in a Rolls-Royce.

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. However, we found it hung up sometimes when we tried to exit the car in a hurry, and was hard to pull out, which was annoying.

The Passat wagon can carry a surprisingly large amount of cargo, even without folding the back seats down. Pull the cargo cover over your precious cargo hides it from prying eyes. Fold the back seats down simply by flopping the seatbacks forward. This expands the cargo area, though the rear seats do not fold perfectly flat.