By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(September 1, 2017) We've written about the current generation Volkswagen Passat on numerous occasions — everything from the launch of the U.S. version and the plant that makes it, to the diesel (pre-software cheat discovery), to the one we have here, a 2017 1.8T SE with the Technology package. It’s not like I call every couple of months looking to get into a Passat. I don’t have to.

There’s one in the driveway on which I make monthly payments. Rather, the VW rep looks around and sees that there’s a Passat on hand that fills the slot, and the deal is done.

It’s not easy to plan the schedule months ahead as I’m far from the only auto writer in town, and there’s pecking order to be obeyed. I know it will take time before a new Tiguan or Atlas comes my way, and I’ll probably never replicate that week years ago when I was the only one in the office and had full use of the the just introduced Audi R8. That's when one of the test fleet Passats gets pressed into duty.

Being a Volkswagen, the Passat has been around for quite some time, and the competition has changed at least once, sometimes twice in that period. And, since the car was never seen as a style leader or endowed with the most up-to-date interior, it has gained a reputation for being old and boring, which means I never have any trouble sliding into one when needed.

The funny thing about the Passat is that it’s built on a stretched and widened Jetta platform, and has a back seat that would go down well in China where CEOs and party autocrats ride while someone else drives. The structure is solid, the ride quiet and comfortable, and the interior is pleasantly styled, even if hard plastics dominate. Oh, and it has a huge trunk. I often find that I need to take my Passat to the store as often the test car du jour — even when one of the Passat’s direct competitors — don’t have enough useable trunk space.

Another plus is the powertrain. You wouldn’t think that a 1.8-liter turbocharged four would be enough to adequately motivate such a large car, but it does a decent job of it. Coupled with a six-speed automatic, the combination shifts early under light throttle, holds gears for maximum effect under full throttle, and returns surprising gas mileage. A steady foot on the highway will guarantee you meet, if not exceed, the EPA highway rating of 34 mpg. In fact, the week after it first came home, the family car went on an 1100-mile round trip from Michigan to Virginia while laden with stuff, and returned a solid 37 mpg.

So I am familiar with VW’s Passat, but not to the point of contempt. In fact, the SE tested is a nice step up, and well served by the extra interior and exterior brightwork. And while a power sunroof isn’t high on my list of must-haves, the heated folding outside mirrors are on that list. Ditto the blind sport monitor with cross-traffic alert and heated front seats. The family car has the heated seats but not the rest, and is bedeviled by VW’s past insistence on using a proprietary connector instead of a good old USB port. Thankfully the new car has USB.

It also, in the Technology incarnation, has a rearview camera, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, navigation and more. And, since it’s the mid-level model, it trades the standard Hankook tires for Continentals, which gives the Passat a quicker and more authoritative turn-in without affecting ride quality.

The price for all this tech is a very reasonable $28,815, which includes the $820 destination charge. There were no options, nor any real need for them. It is a satisfying equipment level on a satisfying car that goes about its business in a satisfying manner. Spacious, quiet and roomy, the Passat has quiet good looks, and a personality to match. And it’s undoubtedly the best kept secret ever to come out of Chattanooga via Wolfsburg.

The Virtual Driver