Volkswagen Passat is understated but classy
VW Passat 2.0 TDI under-promises but over-delivers – and it’s economical
T’S ONE of life’s mysteries, why a newly-opened jar of filter coffee smells so good, yet when drinking the coffee it never actually lives up to the promise – perhaps it’s an analogy for life.
But in the case of our long-term test vehicle, a VW Passat 2.0 TDI Comfortline, the reverse is true. This is a vehicle that is underrated by many, and unlike coffee, the Passat under-promises and over-delivers.
Which makes it fairly unique in the wide line-up of vehicles currently available on the South African market.
When it comes to taking extended road trips, the Passat has been the vehicle of choice among my colleagues, and it has done the round trip, fully loaded, to the Cape, and even been used to tow a classic race car.
So when I headed off to the Drakensberg for a weekend with friends and luggage, I immediately put in my winning bid to use the VW for the weekend.
And a wise decision it turned out to be. The Passat never turned
Ia hair, loaded with three adults and luggage, and even handled the steep, rocky dirt road between Witsiehoek and the Sentinel car park at Mont- Aux- Source with aplomb. Admittedly the dusty Passat did look a bit out of place parked alongside SUVs and bakkies, but we certainly did it in a lot more comfort.
If I had to sum up the Passat, it would be space, comfort, performance and exceptionally frugal fuel consumption.
Space: The VW is roomy, with enough space up front and in the rear to accommodate adults. Many cars are a bit cramped in the rear and adults of average length would only want to do short trips. Not so with the Passat, good legand headroom mean adults in the rear need not play games such as counting cars to try while away the time.
The stowage space in the cabin is excellent, and the large console between the seats and other nooks and crannies mean most things can be put away so that you aren’t sitting amidst a sea of debris. Boot space is also good and easily swallowed luggage for three adults.
And this is done without sacrificing the full-sized spare wheel for one of those horrible Marie biscuits spare wheels some cars have.
Comfort: The long- termer comes with all the creature comforts needed to make it a home from home, although some of the nice-to-have ones in our test vehicle are not standard, but come with an additional price tag – such as the electric sunroof, larger 17” wheels instead of the standard 16s, leather seats with heaters, tyre-pressure monitor and electrically-folding towbar. Of these I would have probably opt for the leather seats as a nice extra feature.
The bells and whistles include automatic climate control, cruise control, radio/CD system, and a speed- sensitive steering wheel which feels lighter at low speeds to make turning easier, and becomes heavier at higher speeds to increase directional stability,
Performance: The type of person who owns this type of vehicle is not going to be particularly concerned about how fast he can travel from traffic light to traffic light.