2005 Best Overall Value - Cars
2005 Volkswagen Passat
Best Overall Value--Midsize Over $21,000 & Midsize/Large Wagon
Volkswagen's classy midsize Passat sedan and wagon return relatively unchanged for '05. The GL is equipped with a 2.0-liter/134-horse turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, the GLS comes with either that or a 1.8-liter/170-horse turbocharged four, and the top-of-the-line GLX has a 2.8-liter/190-horse V-6. (The W8 model has been discontinued.) A five-speed manual transmission is standard with the gas engines. The diesel powerplant is hooked to a five-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual-shift mode, which is optional with the other models. Among the updates for 2005, heated front seats and windshield-wiper nozzles are now standard equipment on the GLS, as is leatherette seating, which replaces cloth on the GL and GLS. Also standard are 16-inch wheels on the GLS and 17-inchers on the GLX (available on the GLS). Options include OnStar, 4MOTION all-wheel-drive on the GLS and GLX, and rear fully independent wishbone suspension on select GLS and GLX models. Ultimately, what sets the Passat apart from its competitors are its pep, performance, and perks for the price, even in base-level form. The Passat is a first-class machine to drive, in either sedan or wagon form, and its low cost of ownership earned it two Best Overall Value of the Year awards.