For This Passat estate has an engine that’s flexible and frugal, and it comes with a wealth of standard kit.
Against Opting for Sport trim pushes the price rather high and some of the interior plastics are a bit dour.
This is a desirable version of the Passat estate, but our favourite 1.6 TDI model costs a fair bit less.
The Passat saloon clearly lacks the hatchback versatility of some rivals, but this estate version is as practical as its best rivals, and has a classy image and roomy cabin on top.
As well as cutting a suitable dash in the corporate car park, the Passat is good to drive, if not quite as accomplished as a Ford Mondeo. There are some fine engines to choose from, most of which are very competitive for CO2 emissions and fuel economy.
For the most part, the Passat lives up to its upmarket image. It’s solidly built and looks the part, but some of the interior plastics aren’t as plush as you might expect.
Entry-level S trim provides all the basics, and SE and Sport versions come with plenty of kit. A number of high-tech options are available, including systems that steer the car into a suitable parking space for you and one that can stop the car at low speed if you get too close to the vehicle in front.
I hired this car for a round-trip of 450 miles using a mixture of motorways, A-roads, and town driving. The car was comfortable, spacious, well-built,…