Mileage: 1,490
Economy: 38.5mpg
It’s amazing how different cars can affect the way you live. I’ve happily spent the past 10 months driving our Suzuki Vitara, and not once did I feel cramped or devoid of space. Yet within days of getting the keys to our new Volkswagen Passat Estate, I’ve turned into something of an ‘action man’, the Eddie Stobart of Auto Express. I’ve been shifting anything and everything I can fit into the car’s huge 650-litre boot – and the opportunity to move bulky bits about has opened up a new world of possibilities.
Within days, I’d packed up and moved my wife’s entire millinery studio from one place to another. This included dismantling and loading desks, furniture and shelves, not to mention dozens of delicate hats. It only took three trips, which is testament to the amount of space the estate offers when all the seats are folded down (1,780 litres).
Soon after this, I also remodelled our back garden, using the car to collect (among other things) several two-metre-long decking boards. That’s certainly more than most average family models could accommodate.
The usual tip run and shopping trips have become easier with the added space, while the automatic hands-free tailgate (£600) has made loading easier. I also love the option to pop the boot open from the driver’s seat; especially useful when collecting friends and family who are carrying loads of gear.
Cabin quality is impressive. I love the look of the patterned metal finish cutting through the soft-touch dash plastic, and the high-gloss black steering wheel edging. As you’d expect of a car designed to eat up motorway miles, it’s relaxing and comfortable to drive; this estate is aimed squarely at fleet buyers.
However, some options take the quality further. The Vienna leather luxury pack brings heated front seats and windscreen washer jets, but at £1,815 it isn’t cheap. The driver assistance pack is another pricey extra, with £1,110 of tech including high-beam and lane assist, traffic sign recognition and predictive pedestrian protection.
The clarity of the systems’ display and the superb ergonomics can’t be faulted, and the functions I’ve used so far have been straightforward. But as I count up the cost I think of the Vitara; true, it’s in a different class, but for around £6,000 less it came with many of those pricey options as standard.
Estates are designed to lug things about, yet the Passat’s cabin is so finely finished I feel a strange urge to protect it to the best of my ability. I permanently carry a tarpaulin in the back to prevent causing any damage from messy jobs. I don’t own a dog, but if I did it wouldn’t be allowed in the back without a shampoo and rinse.
The VW is beautifully smooth on the road. Its 2.0-litre BlueMotion diesel is quiet and refined (especially compared with the Vitara’s engine), and its 38.5mpg isn’t too bad given that the first 1,500 miles have been spent in the city. I’d expect that figure to come down as the estate gets to stretch its legs over the summer and into the holiday season.
*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old living in Banbury, Oxon, with three penalty points.
- Model: Volkswagen Passat Estate SE Business TDI
- On fleet since: March 2016
- Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 148bhp
- CO2/tax: 107g/km/£20
- Options: Discover Navigation Pro (£825), Vienna leather (£1,815), Dynamic Chassis Control (£715), XDS electronic differential (£185), tyre pressure sensors (£135), driver's assistance pack (£1,110)
- Options continued: Rear view camera (£315), keyless entry (£600), cargo management system (£290), advanced phone connection (£360), rear sunblinds (£90), Sand Gold paint (£585)
- Insurance*: Group: 21E Quote: £434
- Mileage/mpg: 1,490/38.5mpg
- Any problems?: None so far