Given the 2006 Volkswagen Passat’s dual role as mainstream family sedan and entry-level luxury car, it’s no surprise that designers and engineers spent extra time making sure that occupant comfort and convenience were key development targets. Areas of particular improvement over the outgoing model were rear seat leg room, interior storage spots, and small touches like side and rear window shades and sun sensors to help the particulate-filtered climate control system work more effectively.

In terms of comfort, both front and rear seat riders benefit from the 2006 Volkswagen Passat redesign. In back, leg room is greater by nearly 2.5 inches, and some models get manual shades for the side glass and rear window. That’s good news for young families, because there’s more space for child seats and less sunshine to hurt sensitive eyes. Rear vents that distribute air conditioning and heat are also new for 2006, and the rear seat is a 60/40 split folding design with a center pass-through for maximum cargo flexibility.

For adults, rear comfort is a mixed bag. The added leg room is terrific, but the bottom cushion is mounted too low to provide adequate thigh support. Nevertheless, four adults each measuring six-feet-tall will find decent, if not plentiful, accommodations with good foot room under the front seats. A center fold-down armrest is nice, and features a handy storage compartment.

Front seat comfort varies depending on the model you choose. In the 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T, the driver’s seat lacks tilt adjustment for the bottom cushion, so thigh support is not what it could be. And if you order the optional perforated leather, you might be disappointed in the quality. Before we knew our test car had the option package that included leather we wrote this in our notebook: “Standard leatherette upholstery is perforated, but wouldn’t pass for leather.” Why? Because it’s dry and stiff and not very luxurious. On a positive note, the Passat’s upper door panels are padded and shaped for resting an elbow during long cruises, the center armrest is height adjustable, and the front passenger has more leg room than anyone short of an NBA center could need.

Our 2006 Volkswagen Passat 3.6L Sport test car was more pleasing on a couple of key points. First, the seat leather was soft, smooth and befitting of a luxury car. Second, the dual power front sport seats offered seat bottom cushion tilt for greater comfort. The sport seats’ added bolstering isn’t intrusive for wider bodies, but we didn’t travel any twisty roads in this car, so we cannot attest to their ability to hold you tight for spirited driving.

Storage nooks and crannies are plentiful inside the 2006 Passat, though the glovebox gets space eaten up by the six-disc CD changer when the navigation system is ordered. The Passat features big door pockets front and rear, reconfigurable center console cupholders that can be converted into a storage area, bottle holders in the front doors, a huge cubby in the lower left dash panel, and twin storage trays in the dash – all lined with either felt or rubber. Additionally, there’s a felt-lined pen tray, a large storage bin under the center armrest, and a slick umbrella holder with a drain hole built into the front doors. Expanding the trunk is easy since the rear seat folds without removal of the headrests, and the new Passat includes bag hooks, a light bulb, storage dividers, and cargo netting in the 14.2 cubic-foot trunk.

As if this isn’t enough, Volkswagen offers a different kind of comfort – peace-of-mind – with a four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, and four years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance.