Road Trip Cabin Report - 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI Long-Term Road Test
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Road Trip Cabin Report - 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI Long-Term Road Test
Edmunds' long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI carried this editor's family of four and their stuff on a road trip to Mammoth. Read what they liked and what they didn't.
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Comments
A roof or trunk rack would have allowed you to bring the bike. I put a tow hitch on my Forester just so I could use a hitch mounted bike rack.
the passat is absolutely massive there are not very many sedans that have either a larger trunk or more legroom to get more space you would need either a SUV or station wagon.
Having done numerous road trips with three kids (many well over 500 miles; most near the 1000 mile mark one direction) I have learned that even a large sedan is barely adequate to keep everyone happy. There is just too much stuff that just has to come. The collection of iPads, coloring books, reading books, snacks pillow and blankets is enough to pack the car to overflowing. Add in the numerous cords to power and charge the various electronic toys and it gets maddening. A minivan is really the best roadtrip vehicle, even for a family of five. Sure everyone fits in the sedan, but by the end, no one wants to be in the car.
This is why I like renting cars for trips. Sometimes it is a pain, especially if you don't have a decent sized rental place nearby with good hours and good selection. But it is a nice way to get a larger and more comfortable vehicle for long trips while still having a smaller and more efficient car for day to day use. It is also helpful if they are not just good at taking the reservation but also holding the reservation. I've showed up for my full sized car that was reserved way in advance only to be met with a 2 door Cobalt as the only car on the lot. But there is also the plus that if you get stuck behind a gravel truck for miles on end you can just smile and say "damage waver"
I find this report useless. You want more rear seat room? A taller cargo area? To carry a bicycle? So, all we've learned is that this is not a minivan (or a Roadmaster station wagon) and that you didn't seem to recognize that a mid-size sedan is not ideal for carrying all the crap you would like to pacify your offspring. To rescue a meaningless article, please rent or borrow a Camry, Accord, Altima, and Malibu, and try to fill them with the same mobile garage sale.
Leave some of the crap home. Your poor, deprived kids will survive. Good lord.