Passat GL with five-speed manual ($21,750) is our choice. It's fun to drive, relatively affordable, and beats the V6 by several miles per gallon. Yet it delivers the Volkswagen quality. GLS V6 with the automatic ($26,460) is an excellent choice for someone who wants a responsive, well-equipped sedan with an automatic. Spring for the GLX sedan ($28,750) if you want a real luxury car.

Passat W8 ($37,900) 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. It probably won't garner the cachet of, say, a Mercedes C320 sedan, but you'll be driving an excellent automobile and will gain respect from enthusiasts. Its features make the W8 a good deal for the money, even if it is priced higher than any previous VW. Volkswagen plans to sell only 5,000 W8s per year, which makes it something of a halo car for the Passat line.