I’ve always had a compact and now I feel like moving up in size. I’m thinking of whether I should go Japanese or German. If I visit a VW dealer in Texas, would the price tags there be enough to give me a heart attack?

Woody
Houston, TX

Hey there, Woody! That’s a hard decision. Turn Japanese or go German. Both smack of brilliant engineering and both will give you value for your money. To answer your question -No, the VW shop in Texas should not give you a heart attack. After all, if you read the VW ads, they claim that you get luxury and German engineering without the hefty luxury car price tag. One car that should interest you is the 2009 VW Passat.

So, what is the Passat all about? The Passat’s looks just smack of European design but with kindness to your wallet in mind. The current Passat model already comes ready for action with its 200 horsepower Turbo 4 -cylinder engine. That should be enough to get you to 60 mph under 8 seconds. As standards, you’ll enjoy the interiors that include free satellite radio for three months and heated front seats. I also think that you’ll get a kick out of having as a tempting option, a 12-way power seat for the driver. That’s to get you snug behind the wheel and enjoy the ride. After all, Passat’s suspension is tuned to provide comfort and give you that luxurious European car feel without a feeling of guilt for breaking your bank.