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04/07/2008 12:10. Volkswagen thought its 1998 Passat would give the U.S. midsize sedan segment "a loud wake-up call from Germany." The 1998 Volkswagen Passat may have impressed Motor Trend editors, but a decade later the Passat remains a niche player, albeit a top-performing niche player.

At the core of the Passat's appeal is a 2.0-liter turbo four with plenty of low-end torque. We described the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Turbo that won our 10-car comparison test as "unusually muscular" and the phrase could just as easily apply to the 1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS. The 1.8-liter turbo four in the 1998 Passat produced 150 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque. That car went from 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds, a time that would place it ahead of many competitors in our 2008 sedan comparo. The 2008 Passat is even quicker:... // MotorTrend Magazine