2006 Volkswagen Passat consumer reviews

Great car and performance ride is quite and smooth and it will move if need be with good fuel economy not really designed to carry 5 though.

This is my 2nd Passat (I had an '03) and loved it then, and love it now even more. I really like all of the new features. It handles well, and I really like the new styling. My friends say it's one of the most comfortable cars they've been in. I highly recommend the new Passat. It has become more and more like an Audi A6 every day :)

The car has an elegant stance, and looks and feels much more expensive than the price. Power is very good, for a 4 cylinder, and gas mileage has at least matched the claims. The leatherette interior (really a fancy name for vinyl) looks remarkably good, and should wear better than real leather with a lot less care. The steering feels distinctly German, and it feels like a driver's car. Back seat leg room is cavernous. The negatives: Well, the engine is a little thrashy sounding under even moderate acceleration. The front seats are narrow, and really not suited to wide people. The accelerator pedal is a little to close to the center console, so it's hard to let your right leg relax while driving. The cruise control takes some practice to learn to set right on the speed you want, and compared to most cruise controls it hunts too much on hills, causing the car to suddenly surge rather than maintaining the speed quietly. The premium stereo is good, but not as great (for me) as touted by others, but this is a matter of taste, because my wife likes it better than the stereo I prefer. Finally, the trunk is deep, but the car narrows at the rear, and there is no room to lay a set of golf clubs laterally, they have to be angled in. Really, if I had noted that I would not have bought the car. The LCD dash lights cannot be seen in daylight if you're wearing sunglasses. Still, I look forward to driving it, and it seems to go forever between fill ups, despite feeling quite commodius (except in the driver's seat). I do feel that it is comparable to a BMW in feel, though the front wheel drive shows up in hard cornering to remind you it's not a Bimmer. The car is much more beautiful than a Camry or an Accord, and people constantly comment on its beauty. The Passat can not be expected to match the reliability of these competitors. I have since found a 2002 GS300 Lexus with 65,000 miles on it for less money than my new car, and I admit that if I had found it first I would have considered it, instead. The styling of the Passat is nicer, though. The reliability scoring is obviously an estimate, based on Consumer Reports, but VW reliability ratings are already showing improvement, in the past two quarters, suggesting a real commitment to turning around their recent reputation in the U.S.

2.0T engine and 6 speed automatic transmission are excellent. Straight out driving on smooth quiet roads is excellent. Standard seats in vinyl or leather are uncomfortable: narrow, hard, no lateral support. Instrument panel is nicely styled, top of IP is good, but other parts are cheap to the look and feel. Same for doors. Drink holder in console is too small, barely holds one cup, can't hold two. Wind rush over 70 mph. Excess road noise on anything but smooth blacktop roads. Good rear seat room but same comments about seats, too low, uncomfortable for adults for any length of time. Trunk is good size, nicely finished. They got it half right, great drive train, great looks, safety, ecomony, some nice features, but they fell down in seat comfort, interior trim materials, and quietness.