2006 Volkswagen Passat Sedan

Whether the all-new Passat is a pricey mid-size sedan or a high-value European one depends on your point of view. Compare specs and prices with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and the Passat could fairly be judged overpriced. Spend some time behind the wheel and your frame of reference might change entirely. The interior is a cut above anything else in the category—almost to the same degree as Volkswagen's Touareg Sport Utility Vehicle—and its handling characteristics remain perceptibly Teutonic. No, the VW badge doesn't carry the prestige of Mercedes' three-pointed star or Lexus' circle-L, but the Passat itself offers many of the characteristics that define a premium sedan.