Volkswagen Passat with a V-6 feels just right

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – Here’s something you rarely get to say to your local purveyor of Volkswagen passenger cars: I’ll take the six.

That’s as in six cylinders in a V arrangement, standard on the recently tested 2018 Volkswagen Passat SEL Premium.

That gets you a midsize sedan with 280 horsepower under the hood.

Is it worth it?  Oh, yeah.

The tested Passat wore basic sedan skin but moved out like a shop-enhanced hot rod.  My ride rolled down the freeway entrance ramps with authority and tucked into tight spots with effortless ease.

 

Mashing the gas routinely powered me out of harm’s way, whether that was on packed commuter interstates or city streets clogged with unpredictable drivers.

That’s a secure feeling that few high-tech devices can match, in my view.

With that power being dished up by the 3.6-liter V-6, fuel mileage was so-so at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

For the $35,500 starting price, this top-end Passat model was loaded with state-of-the-art safety, comfort and convenience features, all thoughtfully positioned around the driver’s cockpit. I noticed this after I took in the luxurious Vienna leather seating surfaces.

Interior space was surprisingly generous.  Ditto on the trunk space, which came in just a shaving kit short of 16 cubic feet.

All of that makes the Passat not only a delightful daily driver, but a best bet for family road trips, not something I expect from a midsize four-door model.

I realize that Volkswagen has taken its lumps in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the great emissions-cheat scandal that had earthquake impact in California.

But it’s not hard to see why VW sales have continued at a strong pace even after that.  The automaker continues to make customer-pleasing vehicles across all segments, pricing them below what you might expect to pay for competitive models offered by other manufacturers.

The tested Passat stacked up as a primary example of this international formula.