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2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon Safety Review

September 30, 2009

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Not available for frontal or side; "marginal," rear
IIHS

Four stars, frontal
NHTSA

Although the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon hasn’t been tested for side impact by either the IIHS or NHTSA programs, the Passat sedan has been rated "good" for side impact by the IIHS and earned four- and five-star ratings from NHTSA.

“Most wagons are bought as family vehicles, so buyers pay particular attention to safety items,” MSN Autos notes. “The Passat wagon has standard front-seat side airbags and side-curtain airbags, along with anti-lock brakes.”

“Standard safety features include antilock brakes with automatic disc wiping to keep brake discs dry and clean in wet conditions, an electronic stability system, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags, and LATCH child-safety seat anchors for each outboard seat,” says Cars.com. “Though the center rear seat — the best place for a child-safety seat — lacked anchors, it was easy to use an anchor from each outboard seat to tightly secure a child-safety seat."

Several reviewers note the optional torso-protecting rear-seat side-impact airbags—a feature that’s not widely available, even on luxury wagons costing much more. “What’s more, the Volkswagen Passat Wagon offers eight airbags, along with active head restraints to help reduce whiplash injuries,” ForbesAutos clarifies.

Conclusion

Despite the lack of crash-test results, the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon offers some of the best available safety equipment and promises to be among the safest wagons available at any price.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Not available for frontal or side; "marginal," rearIIHSFour stars, frontalNHTSA Although the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon hasn’t been tested for side impact by either the IIHS or NHTSA programs, the Passat sedan has been rated "good" for side impact by the IIHS and earned four- and five-star ratings from NHTSA. “Most wagons are bought as family vehicles, so buyers pay particular attention to safety items,” MSN Autos notes. “The Passat wagon has standard front-seat side airbags and side-curtain airbags, along with anti-lock brakes.” “Standard safety features include antilock brakes with automatic disc wiping to keep brake discs dry and clean in wet conditions, an electronic stability system, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags, and LATCH child-safety seat anchors for each outboard seat,” says Cars.com. “Though the center rear seat — the best place for a child-safety seat — lacked anchors, it was easy to use an anchor from each outboard seat to tightly secure a child-safety seat." Several reviewers note the optional torso-protecting rear-seat side-impact airbags—a feature that’s not widely available, even on luxury wagons costing much more. “What’s more, the Volkswagen Passat Wagon offers eight airbags, along with active head restraints to help reduce whiplash injuries,” ForbesAutos clarifies. ConclusionDespite the lack of crash-test results, the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon offers some of the best available safety equipment and promises to be among the safest wagons available at any price.  2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON STYLING | [7 out of 10] Kelley Blue Book: “sleek, flowing lines” ForbesAutos: “Styling is handsome inside and out” Cars.com: “sleek and aggressive in the sport wagon tradition” Nearly all the reviews TheCarConnection.com surveyed heap praise on the 2008 ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Compared to most compact and mid-size crossover sport-utility vehicles, the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon has a better ride, a quieter interior, and superior fuel economy. And although handling isn’t a strong suit for the Passat Wagon, it’s more responsive as well. The closest competitor to the Passat Wagon is the Subaru Outback, which comes with standard all-wheel drive, whereas VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is only included on the top VR6 model of the Passat Wagon. The Passat Wagon does have a better ride and more spacious backseat than the Outback, and its standard 2.0T engine is more powerful than the Outback’s 2.5-liter. Other alternatives include the Saab 9-3 Sport Combi, which also has good versatility and zippy performance, and the Volvo V50, which has responsive handling but a somewhat noisier interior. The V50 has an attractive interior design, while the 9-3 looks quite plain next to the Passat. Both Swedish models are pricier than the Passat Wagon, which appears to be an especially strong deal for the base four-cylinder models.

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See the Volkswagen Passat Wagon in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

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