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It was either the last howl of winter or a young spring behaving very badly, but the conditions were perfect – hammering winds that were knocking down trees and spreading debris across roads and highways, deep puddles that threatened hydroplaning, swirling spits of snow.

The 2000 Passat 4MOTION station wagon, Volkswagen’s entry, along with a Passat sedan, in the ever-expanding all-wheel-drive market, was made for weather like this.

Of course, Volkswagen made an AWD wagon in the past – its last was the Quantum wagon in 1988 – but those were hardly the halcyon days of the German manufacturer and the time was not too far away when the minivan would kill off demand for station wagons.

But, as they say in the land of Citroen, plus c’est change and all that. Station wagons are making a comeback and, equipped with AWD systems, they are viable options to minivans and even SUVs. And as I have seen with the Volvo Cross Country, Subarus and Audis, the new generation of AWD is remarkable.

The Passat, its system born of Audi’s Quattro, is among the best.

4MOTION refers to the fact that when the car is in motion, all four wheels are driving, all the time, no matter what the speed. In normal conditions, engine torque is distributed 50-50 front and rear. If conditions get slippery and one set of wheels can get better grip than the other, an automatic-locking center differential ships engine torque where it is needed and the split can be as much as 67-33 either way.

But that’s not all. A separate monitoring system watches for individual wheel slippage, and, should any wheel threaten to break into a spin, applies the brakes individually at that wheel to get it gripping again.

It is a seamless driving experience and you are not even aware it is all taking place unless you test it – say on a wet road littered with snow, early-blown tree buds, puddles, twigs – so hard you expect the car to try to break away from you. Trust me. It won’t. I took it into a big, empty parking lot, with all the storm’s flotsam and jetsam strewn about, cranked the wheel around and tried to lose control. I couldn’t, because the car was in control.

And this is a comforting experience when you are sitting in what is a fairly luxurious car – in this GLS model, leather seats, walnut wood trim, even heated windshield washer nozzles (what a fine winter idea).

The view all around was expansive, with a low dash and a chopped hood giving the appearance that the road is right there where you could touch it and the big glass of the back, sides and rear, providing good vision all around. Even the rear pillars, often an obstacle in wagons, are thin and do not block the line of sight.

The front buckets have fairly flat leather planks for seats and could use some lateral wings and a slight bump at the front edge to give the sense you’re better held in them. Lateral wings on the sides are fine. The back seat is comfortable and there is good legroom, though three adults do not fit comfortably. Fold those seats down, however (60-40 split), and you’ve got what seems an enormous cargo area for a midsize wagon. The big rear hatch, which opens way up high, lets you easily load large objects.

Unfortunately, what the Passat has in big space is offset by what it lacks in small storage areas, those nooks and crannies that families, in day-to-day hauling of children and their associated goods, or couples on vacation and the paraphernalia that entails, so desire. Door slots are small, the bin in the fold-down armrest between the front seats is tiny, and an ashtray front and center on the console is a waste of what could be useful space for most drivers.

One very nice touch is the way all four doors have been scooped out up high, giving extra room all around and providing useful armrests.

The Passat is powered by a 2.8-liter, 190-horsepower V-6, not a screamer when it comes to passing, but sneaky fast st rolling down the highway. The AWD system could handle lots more power, but this car isn’t aimed at folks looking for performance. It had a wide band of torque, which really kicked in at about 3,500 RPMs and held steady to beyond faster than you can legally travel. The AWD system does seem to eat gasoline – I got about 18.5 miles per gallon over a week.

The Passat comes with a five-speed automatic that gives you a Tiptronic manual option that lets you shift without a clutch. I’d prefer a standard transmission in an AWD, but at least the Tiptronic comes close to letting me feel I’m in control.

The ride is rigid in a good way and the car holds firm in the corners. This is tightly engineered and is remarkably quiet inside, even as winds swirl about outside.

It’s the 4MOTION that keeps you moving in bad conditions, but it is the suspension that makes the ride comfortable. Up front, it has a four-link setup with coil springs, telescopic shocks and stabilizer bar. The rear has fully independent wishbone with the rest of the goodies found in the front.

Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, with ABS, bring you to straight, sure stops and, if you can’t stop in an emergency, there’s a sound safety system to protect you: A rigid body with crumple zones that fold up like cheap accordions and protect the passenger compartment. There are front and side airbags up front and, in a neat touch, the side bags are built into the seats so that when you move your seat the bag travels with you. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given the Passat its highest rating for occupant protection both front and rear.

I’m not one who’s sorry to see winter go, but I wish I had had the chance to try this out in deep snow or on ice. I suspect its performance would have been an eye-opener.

Annoyances:

The side mirrors are small rectangles and didn’t give me as good a look backward as I would like.

The cupholders, all of a half-inch deep, were useless.

Nice touches:

The wiper control stem that is so simple to use – up and down for front wipers, in and out for rear wiper. No fiddling with separate controls or looking for just the right spot on some dial.

The numbers

Base price: $28,455

Price as tested: $31,705

Horsepower/Torque: 190/206 lb.-ft.

Wheelbase/Overall length: 106.4 inches/183.8 inches

Width/Height: 68.5 inches/57.8 inches

Curb weight: 3,621 lbs.

Seating: 5 passengers

SOURCE: Manufacturer