VW stylists turned a neat trick with the Passat: It's efficient without looking utilitarian. It's distinctive without being bizarre. The Passat has a smooth, clean shape with attractive details. One of these features is the semicircular arc described by the roofline. Along with thin pillars, this New Beetle-esque shape guarantees good visibility and generous headroom. Another attractive element is the rounded nose with flush-mounted headlights, which helps lower the Passat's coefficient of drag to an impressive 0.27, the lowest in its class. Aerodynamic efficiency reduces wind noise and improves fuel economy, particularly at higher speeds.Viewed from the front or the sides, the Passat should age well. The rear view is a little more generic with a large, squared-off trunk lid flanked by large taillights. It is, however, an efficient design that makes every bit of the Passat's 15 cubic feet of cargo space usable. A second body style, a four-door station wagon, is now available. Efficiency rules here, as the sedan's arching roofline has been supplanted by a normal, and somewhat boxy, wagon design. Load-carrying space is increased, and for many customers extra efficiency is worth the lessening of visual drama. Five models make up the current Passat lineup. The $21,700 GLS comes with a four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual gearbox; a four-speed automatic is a $1,075 option. The $24,300 GLS comes with a V6 and an automatic. There's also a V6-powered GLX that comes with a sports suspension and a 5-speed Tiptronic semi-automatic. Wagons are available with either engine. All models are equipped with front-wheel drive for 1999; an all-wheel-drive system will be available for 2000. The GLS comes with a high level of standard equipment. GLS buyers can order the Tiptronic as an option -- and that's the way ours came. Our GLS also came with the optional sunroof, leather upholstery and CD changer. The GLS can be optioned up to the level of the GLX, but ordering the GLX saves about $2000 over that plan.
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