2008 Volkswagen Passat Turbo - 4 Cylinder Family Sedan Comparison - video Dailymotion

MT Editor-At-Large Arthur St. Antoine takes a look at one of the sportiest contenders in our 4-cylinder family sedan comparison

Transcript

00:00 Here's the lone European entry in this comparison test, the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Turbo.

00:11 As the name implies, it's a turbocharged engine, the only one in the group.

00:14 A 2.0-liter four making 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque.

00:19 Although all the cars in this comparison test have automatics and it is available with the

00:23 Passat, we were not able to get a test car that had one.

00:26 So this one has a six-speed manual transmission, the only one in the group.

00:30 However, if you want the automatic, it's a nice six-speed available for about $1,000

00:34 more.

00:35 Base price for this Passat Turbo, just under $24,000.

00:39 The only option on this test car, heated front seats, that's about $225 extra if you put

00:43 on the automatic transmission.

00:44 You're just about $26,000 all up.

00:47 Some of the included standard features on the Passat Turbo include 16-inch alloy wheels,

00:51 a nice CD player with MP3 capability, a nice leatherette that looks a lot like leather

00:57 on the interior.

00:58 Basically, the Passat Turbo covers all the essentials with that standard price.

01:02 Exterior styling, it's definitely got that European flair.

01:06 Very clean on the outside, very Volkswagen-looking.

01:09 A very nicely sized car, too.

01:10 A lot of room inside.

01:11 And inside, beautifully detailed.

01:14 Nice little accents of glossy materials, great steering wheel, nice and meaty, and a very

01:20 pleasurable place to conduct the business of driving.

01:22 The combination of that 2.0 liter turbo four, the most powerful engine in this group, and

01:26 the German-tuned chassis really made the Passat Turbo stand out in our handling loops.

01:31 The chassis is tremendous.

01:32 It's got a lot of grip, great steering feel, and yet it definitely absorbs road impacts,

01:37 so it's actually quite a comfortable car to be in as well.

01:40 And there's no getting around the fact that the Volkswagen pins you back nicely.

01:43 You really appreciate that power when you're working your way up through the gears.

01:47 On the test track, the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Turbo turned in the best times in the field.

01:53 Zero to 60, 6.6 seconds and a quarter mile in 15 flat at 95.5 miles per hour.

02:00 Again, the fastest car in the test by a notable margin.

02:04 Around our Motor Trend figure eight test, the Volkswagen posted a lap time of 27.2 seconds

02:09 at 0.62 G average.

02:11 On the skid pad, 0.83 average G, braking, 60 to zero miles per hour in 122 feet.

02:20 Compared with some of the other cars in this group, the Passat Turbo is really the driver's

02:24 car delivering that very special German feel, great looking exterior package, handsome interior,

02:31 perhaps the best road manners of the group, and also roomy and a good value as well.

02:35 A very, very tough car to beat here.

02:37 This is definitely going to be one of the top contenders.

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