2005 Volkswagen Passat Mid-Size Sedan and Wagon

Description: Mid-Size Sedan and Wagon
Base MSRP Range: $23,360 - $33,615
Invoice Price Range: $21,408 - $30,920
Where built: Germany

The mid-size Volkswagen Passat in sedan and wagon formats returns with a five-seat passenger compartment filled with the appointments of a luxury car. Each packs a 4-cylinder or V6 engine, manual or automatic transmission and standard front-wheel-drive (FWD) or VW's optional 4Motion AWD.

A base GL Passat has a feisty dual-cam 1.8-liter plant with turbo-charger and inter-cooler hitting 170-hp. Coupled to the turbo is a manual 5-speed that's a mechanical treat for those who like to work a shifter, but Passat also offers a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic. A direct-injection turbo-diesel at 2.0-liters is available with a power rating of 134-hp. And a V6 drops into any version of Passat. Displacing 2.8-liters, the longitudinally-mounted plant pumps out 190-hp with the manual or automatic.

Silverstone Gray is a new paint choice for any Passat, as Passat GLS upgrades to larger 16-inch alloy wheels with 17-inch Bilstar alloys now optional on GLS and GLX.