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 nothing 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.

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 midpack in 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).

Never forget that looks can be, and often are, deceiving. The Passat pictured here looks like a regular wagon, but little do some people know that at the core of this parent-mobile is the heart of a Volkswagen GTI. That’s right, 200 turbocharged horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque working with a six-speed automatic transmission to put power to the pavement with negligible turbo lag. It’s an effective setup, one which promises to move you around in rapid fashion while still returning laudable fuel economy. In fact, while traveling between southern California and Las Vegas, we recorded between 25 and 31 mpg depending on how far we bent the speed limit signs.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept

The Koreans rustle themselves up a rear-drive pony car. Hyundais nothing if not ambitious. What else but ambition could turn a company known only for shoddily m...

2008 Ferrari F430 Scuderia - Previews

In case the F430 wasnt fast (or good) enough. The great thing about the 430 Scuderiaa faster, lighter, and even more compelling version of the F430 is that Ferr...

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid Preview

Mercury's new 2006 Mariner Hybrid is what most people would consider to be a no-brainer. Fundamentally identical to the Ford Escape, which is available with a g...

2005 Mercury Mariner Preview

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Mercury is hurting. With the departure of the Cougar sport coupe and Villager minivan, the brand was down to four relatively undistinguished...

2005 Mercury Montego Preview

Mercury lands squarely on the family car game board with the 2005 Montego, the first competitive sedan for the company to sell since the original Sable debuted ...