The Passat is America?s best-selling German car. Volkswagen has gone from selling about 15,000 Passats annually five years ago to nearly 100,000 sold last year. The Passat GLS 1.8T was the least expensive German-built car sold in the U.S. until the Jetta wagon arrived last summer; lower priced VWs sold in the U.S. are made in Mexico. The W8 now becomes the most expensive Volkswagen ever. Volkswagen plans to sell only 5000 W8s per year, which makes the W8 something of a halo car, meant to reflect glory on its lesser peers. On the other hand, its features make the W8 a good deal for the money, even if that?s more than the base GLS. The Passat GLS 1.8T is our pick for those on a moderate budget. It beats the V6 by several miles per gallon. The Passat W8 will place you in an exclusive group of drivers. There is no other W8 engine in the world, nor is there likely to be one, and owners of a W8 can expect to explain the difference between it and a V8 many, many times. In addition to being a member of the elite, you?ll be driving an excellent automobile. We?re interested in the sport package and six-speed manual transmission, which we expect will give the Passat W8 a more sporting personality.
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