Dash and seats are cleanly designed and handsome, harmonizing well with the exterior styling. The arched hood over the instruments echoes the roofline, and the soft curve of the dash matches the exterior sheet metal. Speedometer and tachometer flank two smaller gauges, all with the look of precision instruments. At night they illuminate in a cool blue (indigo) glow. A multifunction trip computer calculates time, distance, average speed, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, miles to empty, and outside temperature. There's even a light for low washer fluid.
Getting in is easy, with a silicone-damped assist handle over each door. Central locking is standard, and a valet key keeps the guys at the parking garage out of your trunk. The center dome light, with time delay, is complemented by two reading lights front and rear. There's also a light in the glove box.
Standard safety equipment includes the requisite frontal airbags, plus seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and side-curtain airbags designed to protect both front and rear seat passengers. All side airbags are not the same. Unlike the more common side airbags that protect occupants' chests, the curtain-style airbags in the Passat provide head protection, and that's important. Doors lock at 8 mph (but can be reprogrammed by the dealer) and unlock for occupant rescue if the airbags deploy.
The rear seats are comfortable and offer lots of headroom. Two adult males will find adequate room in the back seat, but three will be a squeeze and shouldn't be contemplated for more than a short ride. Volkswagen must see it this way because three-point seat belts are provided for the outboard passengers only. Cup holders for the rear seats are located in a fold-down armrest that provides some storage.
The trunk in the base sedan is big, with a flat floor extending the full distance to the seatbacks. The result is an impressive 15 cubic feet of cargo capacity, which is more than Honda Accord, less than Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Articulated trunk-lid struts don't intrude into the trunk like goose neck hinges (and they are chromed, a nice touch). The rear seatback on front-wheel-drive models splits 60/40 and folds down to extend trunk space. Opt for 4Motion all-wheel drive, however, and you lose a full one-third of the trunk's capacity to the extra mechanism between the rear wheels. Nor do the rear seats fold down. You have to make do with an armrest-sized pass-through.
Passat wagons offer 39 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, 56.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, more than a Land Rover Freelander.
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