Yannis

...But there’s a light shining back to the better times of the past, and it’s the almost-base Passat Wagon. If you’re really shaving dimes, there’s a “Value Edition” that goes for less, but the 2.0L (or 2.0T, depending on either our window sticker or vw.com) throws in a few extras that are worth a few months of ramen to pay for the difference. It’s still got gratuitous amounts of chrome too, so the untrained eye won’t tell the difference between this bargain edition and the high-line V6 version.

Anyway, those extras are things like stability control, and a power liftgate. If you’ve never had a power liftgate, it might be just enough to convert you to the wagon sect (we already think the Passat looks better in wagon form). It’s like having your very own Mini-me to do all your hatch opening- and closing-related business. Sadly, it will not kick other motorists in the junk for you (we tried). The Passat also has a “hold” feature on the transmission that, when activated, automatically applies the parking brake at stops so your left foot can be left free for important things like tapping along to the beat of your Phish bootlegs.

And standard on every Passat are lots and lots of storage bins, including two slide-out drawers above the radio and a big compartment near the driver’s left knee. There’s even a seemingly secret door inside the map pockets. Could this be a special consideration for the aging Deadhead demographic?...

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