Handsome interior, very comfortable seating, intelligently-designed controls. Lots of torque with the diesel engine, crisp acceleration with the 6-speed manual transmission, and wonderful economy: Kingston, Ontario to Manhattan and return on 70L . After 20 months and 34,000 km, I sometimes wish the dashboard and door panel materials were softer/more luxurious, but the excellent quality of the design and assembly are more important, and I only have to go for another drive to remind myself how well-designed and beautifully-put- together this new Passat is. The TDI option, with the 6-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic, is the option to choose - 5.4L/100km on the highway, and 6.4 in city driving, consistently. My mileage would be better if I drove more slowly, but that's hard to do in the Passat.