2.0 TDI SE Bluemotion Technology Estate

Economical, comfortable cruiser and load carrier

My car is the SE model, and it is probably the most comfortable car I have had. Electric seat movement, lumbar control, and numerous seating positions mean my wife and I easily find a comfortable sitting position.

Whilst not as good as the manufacturer's figures, it is economical, averaging about 48 mpg over the last 30,000 mixed miles of driving, and road tax of £30 pa is an absolute boon.

I was fortunate enough to have parking sensors already on when I purchased the car, and these are a massive help. I would now have them fitted automatically.

Without tempting fate, I have had 30,000 trouble free miles so far.

The boot is huge, a practical shape, and inside the car we can easily fit 5 adults or, at a push, 3 adults and two child seats.

On good road surfaces, especially those in France and new motorway surfaces, the car is almost silent, and easily cruises at 80+mph when it is legal to do so (abroad!!).

I am not a hard driver, but when I do need to get a move on I find the acceleration good, and there is plenty of power for me on motorways in 5th and 6th gear.

One or two irritations - why on an SE model does VW not provide independent climate control for passenger and driver? Many other lesser manufacturers do!

The electric handbrake can still be a bit temperamental, although the garage assure me the computer says there is nothing wrong!!! That's OK then - if the computer says......

My previous car had a 6 CD autochanger which I miss.

As someone else said, warm up on cold mornings is much slower than my previous Passat.

And when I thought there might be a fault and an odd noise, I was told I would have to pay an £85 diagnostic fee to clarify, which would be refunded if the fault was found to be a warranty item. I declined, left it, and the noise went away, but what happened to a good old mechanic listening on a test drive?

For this reasons, I have only given a score of 4, but if you want a comfortable, economic car that is easy and good to drive, but is a cut above many other cars on the road, then I would highly recommend the Passat Estate.

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