2012 VW Passat: Motor Trend Best Seller

1ST PLACE: Volkswagen Passat SE
All the essentials, and much more

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More than 12 months after being chosen as our 2012 Car of the Year, the Passat continues to impress. No whiz-bang here. This a classically styled, sagely engineered four-door that focuses on bona-fide family sedan requirements while delivering a notably superior driving experience.

You want room? The VeeDub delivers, with a leviathan back seat, a massive trunk, and plenty of breadth for shoulders. "Four dudes on a road trip?" Martinez asks. "No problem. The Passat can handle them and all their stuff." Writes Febbo: "Very few cars of any size have this much space. Really does feel like an affordable Phaeton."

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The interior design is clean and purposeful, almost to the point of being austere. "Functional to a fault," according to Evans. The rest of us disagree. Febbo again: "Textbook German functionality. You wouldn't call this cutting-edge, but the interior decor will still look good in 10 years, while several of these other cars will look dated." We love the fat three-spoke steering wheel. The big gauges. The super-intuitive central display screen. The outstanding seats. The hard stuff this VW gets so right.

The powertrain -- a 2.5-liter inline five mated to a six-speed auto -- delivers the group's slowest acceleration and good but not outstanding observed fuel economy (25.5 mpg). But, as usual, the numbers simply don't tell the whole story. Seabaugh: "Engine revs smoothly and the transmission is geared well." Martinez: "Throw the transmission into Sport and you're plenty pleased with the quicker shifts and touchier throttle." The Passat may not be fast, but it feels happy doing its work, and that's a much more important ingredient in the driving experience.

Handling is actually rewarding -- far better than what you might expect from a car in this class. Martinez: "Steering feel is heavier than the rest, but that's to be appreciated. As is the slightly stiffer ride. Both add to the 'tossability' and athleticism of this sedan. Doesn't feel as big as it is -- that always amazes me. An enthusiast with a family will love this car." Adds Kong: "A joy to drive in the city, on the highway, on winding roads. Damping is ideal for just about any situation."

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The Passat also exudes refinement. "Still can't believe how quiet it is compared with other cars," says Febbo. "VW has come a long way on NVH." As testament to the Passat's build quality, Volkswagen supplied us with an example showing 14,000 miles on its odo -- in test-car years, that's more like triple that many miles. Yet the Passat was solid and tight.

Base sticker for the nicely trimmed Passat SE model is just $24,495. For that you get gobs of family-sedan goodness, tangible driving pleasure, and a number-one best-seller.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1212_2012_2013_midsize_sedan_comparison/viewall.html#ixzz2BlP7Xskt