Volkswagen Passat Estate 2.0 SE TDI - The Verdict

Price: £19,480
Engine: 2.0 litre diesel
Performance: 0-62 mph in 10.1 seconds, 46.3 mpg
CO2: 165g/km
Worth considering: Audi A4 Avant, Honda Accord Tourer, Mazda 6 estate

Volkswagen owns a lot of car badges. At the top end is Bugatti, which slots in above even Bentley and Lamborghini, while a rung down from these two, Audi has established itself as a plausible competitor to BMW and Mercedes. Mainstream motorists are catered for by VW, budget-conscious buyers by Seat and Skoda.

It's no secret that lots of bits are shared between the cars produced by these different manufacturers; many features are fitted first to the pricier models but quickly filter down to the lesser cars.

My favourite example is the windscreen washer set-up that began to appear on the group's cars some time ago. Instead of squirting water on to the screen in crude jets, it spread it evenly in the form of a mist. This feature started off in the most expensive models and has now made it into quite humble cars made by Volkswagen's various operations.

Or take the DSG transmission; this brilliant innovation made its first appearance in expensive Audis but can now be ordered on the humble Skoda Octavia diesel as well.

I don't think buyers necessarily have much to complain about if the cars are similar under the skin - after all, my two examples are of levelling up rather than levelling down - but it does pose a problem for Volkswagen; how to differentiate, say, an Audi from a VW, so that the company can charge more for one than the other.

A year or two ago, it looked as though they'd found the answer. Audis received an imposing new frontal treatment incorporating a deep radiator grille that extended below the bumper line. Now, nobody would be able to mistake an Audi for anything else.

Did this work? Not really, if this new Passat is anything to go by. It's great - probably good enough to be an Audi, in fact. Beautifully built, it has an interior that is a model of restrained good taste. On the road, the smooth 2.0-litre diesel engine feels livelier than the official performance figures suggest, while quiet, relaxed cruising is available in sixth gear.

And it's enormous; the load space is vast, and rear seat passengers will have no complaints either. Just as well, then, that the Passat doesn't have that distinctive frontal styling with the deep grille, otherwise nobody would have any reason to buy the more expensive Audi A4 or A6 instead. Except, of course, as you can see from the photos on this page, the Passat does have precisely such a grille.

Once again the temptation to spread pleasing features around has got the better of the company's decision-makers. They just can't help it.

John Morris, 39, data analyst from Birmingham
USUAL CAR: ALFA ROMEO 155 V6

Although the Passat estate is clearly aimed at the rep market, it would make a good choice for a family car. The seats were comfortable and easy to adjust, and there is plenty of space in the back; the controls were well laid-out and the choice of red and blue for the dials was a refreshing change. I liked the little touches: a clip on the windscreen for car-park tickets; an adjustable central arm rest ; remote central-locking that switches on the headlights when unlocking; and privacy glass. The engine was quiet and smooth while cruising, and made the right noises under acceleration but misses out on the extra grunt available in similar cars of the same class.

John Stringer, 60, educational consultant from Harbury, Warwickshire
USUAL CAR: MG ZT 190+

I tried to purge myself of preconceptions that this Passat would be dull. Here was a car punching above its weight, competing with BMW and Mercedes. Passats have grown with middle age, 15cm wider than the boxy original and 24cm longer. And they're full of gizmos - from a "key" shaped like a cigarette lighter to an electric parking brake. I'm sure this beautifully assembled car would serve me faithfully for years to come. But did it feel like a premium-brand competitor? Well, if I were given it as a company car, I wouldn't complain. But would I buy it myself - pore over the catalogues and eagerly await delivery? Nah.

Dan Beament, 31, quality engineer from Coventry
USUAL CAR: AUDI A4 AVANT, VAUXHALL ASTRA

The Passat looked very smart in a dark metallic blue, with smatterings of chrome highlighting the details. Inside, all seemed logical and solid - not quite Audi standard, but not far off. Although I wonder if the push-button start and electronic parking brake were demanded by marketing rather than engineering. They took some getting used to, and I question whether they improved on traditional controls. On the move, the Passat took more to cruising along, rather than pressing on. For a large diesel estate, it could handle and accelerate quite well, but seemed happier using the tremendous torque of the engine to lope along in a more relaxed manner.

THE VERDICT

If you would like to take part, e-mail motoring@independent.co.uk or write to: The Verdict, Features Department, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS, giving your address, phone number and details of the car, if any, you drive. For most cars, participants must be over 26 and have a clean licence.