03/09/2008 09:11. I've seen a Passat or two and thought: "Seems like a nice, normal car." But I didn't know much about it-or care. Then european car acquired this 3.6-liter V6 version with a six-speed Tiptronic transmission and all-wheel-drive. This sounded like a little more fun.

Usually, a car with decent displacement and just a few cylinders means one thing: a nice low- and mid-range powerband with a top end that falls flat. That's not surprising, torque seems to be what many Stateside buyers go for, forgetting what makes a car go really fast.

The car has an automatic transmission and the ability to seat five, so that torque is welcome for nice initial acceleration. But with all 265 lb-ft peaking at 2750 rpm, like a wanna-be SUV, I was preparing for disaster at the top end. Seriously, outside of... // European Car Magazine