Introduction

Review: Volkswagen Passat Wagon – Review: It was the lethal bullet that killed Oldsmobile, and it’s the poison that continues to weaken Buick. Regardless of how much you dress them up, they’re still the cars our parents and grandparents drove, the same vehicles in which we suffered mercilessly at the hands of our siblings. The same goes for station wagons. Decades later, with SUVs and CUVs galore, why would we want our parents’ cars? Well, for one thing, the 2007 Volkswagen Passat Wagon is <i>nothing</i> like a 1967 Ford Country Squire or a 1980 Datsun B210. This modern interpretation of an old style excels in the areas of power, handling, comfort, efficiency, and style, though at nearly $30,000 you definitely pay for such advances.

What We Drove

After requesting a 2007 Passat Wagon for evaluation, Volkswagen saw to it that a 2.0T model made it to our offices for a week of testing. Accompanying our Blue Graphite front-driver were a Dynaudio system ($1,000) and what VW calls Package 1 ($1,625), which includes a power sunroof, XM satellite radio service, and a six-disc CD changer. Tack those items, as well as a $630 destination charge, onto the $26,175 base price, and you come up with a grand total of $29,430. For the record, our 2.0T fell into the lower half of the Passat Wagon lineup, positioned just above the Base ($25,855) and below the 3.6L ($31,780) and the 3.6L 4Motion ($33,730).