Appearance wise, the 2004 Passat adheres to the conservative familial lines that started when J Mays, Ford Motor's current
 |
| The wagon's clean, open and symmetrical appearance is beginning to show its age. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
head of design was styling for Volkswagen. The wagon's clean, open and symmetrical appearance is beginning to show its age, however especially when compared to the likes of the Dodge Magnum, Mazda6 Wagon or new Volvo V50. But nonetheless some designs retain a certain appeal year after year, this being one of them.
Also appealing is the design's wind-cheating drag co-efficient of 0.27 in both sedan and wagon configurations. It not only helps to keep fuel costs down but also reduces wind noise inside the well made cabin. While leather, aluminum and woodgrain surfaces are available my GLS tester wasn't a fully loaded example, but rather a middle-of-the-road, realistically equipped edition, probably more representative of what the average Passat buyer is seeking. As with its outer skin, the inside furnishings have
 |
| I found the Passat's driving position to be among the most comfortable and relaxing I have sampled in any vehicle, regardless of cost. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
changed little since the vehicle's 1998 introduction, but like I just mentioned that's not a bad thing.
As in the past I found the Passat's driving position to be among the most comfortable and relaxing I have sampled in any vehicle, regardless of cost. Greeting the driver is one of the most intuitive and logically packaged nerve centers in a modern automobile, in my opinion at least, which places all switchgear exactly where my hands expect to find it. I never needed to search around for the rear window defrost button, or any other control, as I often need to in unfamiliar test vehicles. A couple of other noteworthy simplicities include the Monsoon audio system, which utilizes three small dials for sound contouring. The HVAC system is also controlled via a simple three-dial setup.
