I asked my "carmates" what they thought about the Passat, space-wise. One replied that if there were only two of them (males) in the
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| The backseat, with only 1.2 cubic meters of rear passenger volume, is somewhat tight for three adults. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
back, it would have been more comfortable. This makes sense considering there are only 1.2 cubic meters of rear passenger volume and only 960 mm of headroom. Their heads were just about touching the ceiling and therefore felt a little cramped with the third person in the middle. But honestly, how often are there three adults sitting in the rear of any car unless it's a carpool to and from work, and even then the trip is not usually too long? They did, however, enjoy the cushy leather seats, which are optional by the way, and found there to be adequate legroom despite the front seats encroaching on their feet.
With all that said, happy passengers make a happy driver, and that I was during my test week in my Passat GLS loaner. For
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| The exterior of the Passat is very simple but classy; clean-cut with some nice curves. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
the majority of the week I was cruising solo, of course, but it's always nice to hear what the backseat drivers have to say. Still, what really matters is my opinion and I'll stick to that!
Simplicity is a running theme in most Volkswagens I've tested. Each model has basically the same interior layout, which makes getting comfortable in any of the brand's cars all that much easier. Each button is clearly marked and easily recognizable; something I'm fond of in VWs. The exterior is also very simple but classy; clean-cut with some nice curves. And new for the 2004 model year Passat, Golf (except the TDI), Jetta (except the
TDI), and others, is a new chrome application to the exterior side window frame, bumpers, grille and side mouldings making the look all the more upscale.
