Volkswagen Passat 2013 Automatic

The Volkswagen Passat seats five and has generous interior space. The front seats provide lots of head- and legroom, and finding a nice driving position is easy thanks to simple steering-wheel and seat adjustments. That said, thigh and lumbar support could be better. The rear seats are quite roomy as well, and even taller passengers will find ample room to stretch out. There are two full sets of LATCH connectors for securing child seats. The Passat has 15.9 cubic feet of trunk space, which is good for the class.

The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split to accommodate larger items. The Passat's interior remains quiet, even at highway speeds. Its dashboard design and materials look upscale as well, though there are a number of hard plastics. All Passat models come with a CD player and Bluetooth. Available features include a touch screen, navigation, satellite radio, and an excellent Fender sound system. The audio and climate controls are nicely arranged and user friendly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the Passat a 2013 Top Safety Pick +. The sedan scored the highest rating of Good in four out of five areas tested. It also received the second-highest rating of Acceptable for small overlap front crash safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Volkswagen a perfect five-star rating for overall, front, and side impact safety.