With the ever-increasing number of new SUVs and trucks coming through the Autoweek offices,
a sedan brings with it an almost nostalgic feeling -- and it's even better when it's
a sporty version of a sedan.
Car things tend to be better when they are sporty car things.
Enter the VW Passat GT.
VW started with its V6 powered, R-Line trimmed Passat sedan, lowered it by 0.6 inch, stiffened
up the suspension and swapped 18-inch for 19-inch rubber.
It's not particularly well-equipped -- conveniences like a hands-free trunk, rain-sensing wipers
and the fancy audio system, all standard in the top-of-the-line Passat SEL Premium model,
are not available here.
But the price is $29,995, more than $5,000 cheaper than the SEL Premium.
The GT instead comes adorned with several "sporty" style trim pieces.
Inside the cabin, you'll see a piano-black center console, a black headliner, carbon-fiber-look-a-like
trim, aluminum doorsills and unique stitch patterns in the leatherette seats, wheel,
and shift knob.
Outside, there's a cute black spoiler on the trunk, unique lower front-fascia styling
and a smattering of GT badges throughout.
All together, it looks sharp enough, but it teeters on the line between tasteful and trying
too hard.
The Execution
Those styling quibbles quickly fall out of mind once you get behind the wheel.
The Passat is a 192-inch family sedan, with requisite space inside and footprint outside,
yet this model has enough pluck to satiate your car nerd cravings.
The 3.6-liter narrow-angled V6 makes as much as 280 naturally aspirated hp and 258 lb-ft
of torque.
Combined with one of the better dual-clutch transmissions in the business, you're never
wanting for power.
Turbochargers are making their way under more and more hoods, so the fact that this engine
is naturally aspirated alone makes it stand out.
Hit the gas and you press against the seat with linearity.
Fewer computers are doing less work to make the engine feel this way -- it happens organically.
Splendidly simple and quickly addictive, the engine's response may prove the advertised
28 mpg on the highway harder to achieve than usual.
Is this a backroad burner?
No.
After all, those 19-inch wheels have Continental ContiProContact all-season tires holding the
air.
But the Contis grip commendably considering their purpose and match the suspension tuning
well.
Chuck the Passat GT into a corner, or more commonly, a freeway entrance ramp, and lateral
grip and body motion respond just as your butt and hands expect.
The lower limits make them easily approachable and tempting to chase.
The Takeaway
In the VW Passat GT, you can own a family sedan that will still play.
Hell, throw your kids in back and take them with you to your favorite stretch of twisty
pavement.
You're not going to chase down any 911s, but you can still crack a smile while trying
to.
Think of it as a family-size GTI.
It's quick and sporty, but it's still practical enough for most any family task.
And the sub-$30K price point falls right in line with many more pedestrian offerings.
And, in more ways than one, it's a way to stand out.
Sedans, station wagons, hatchbacks (you know -- cars), they're great.
They're closer to the pavement and higher on the fun-to-drive ladder than SUVs or crossovers.
And this one notches up the fun one further rung without sacrificing any of its duties
of common transportation.
Step out of line with the masses: Have your need to seat four and carry luggage fulfilled
with something that still gives your keister a sense of the road underneath you and allows
your car-loving heart to get the blood pumping.
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