2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

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quadricycle

If you couldn't tell, I've got my eye on the Passat. I love cars that make mincemeat out of long highway trips as it seems I'm almost always driving somewhere. Oddly enough (or maybe not) the Golf TDI seems to be drawing my attention too, since it has a manual, the same diesel, and a grown up interior yet fun driving personality.

greenpony

All sales reps in my company get company cars. The most recent ones are GMC Acadias. As for me, I *am* looking for something with a bit more oomph for my next car, but if I go VW I'd get a GTI.

z89

What about storage space? Pens, notebooks, business cards, umbrella holder (previous Passat had it), cane holder (aging population), garbage receptacle, bag holder, etc etc.

There's so much dead space in so many cars; it doesn't cost much to provide a creative design during the early stages of development so that the tooling can pop out more useful injection molded door panels, dashboards, etc.

darthbimmer

A few data points from an actual traveling sales rep: In my industry, company-issued cars are extremely rare. Much more common is a car allowance. We tend to go for cars that are either more sporty or more luxurious. A Passat says "family car". A friend who works in the financial industry has a car pool at her current employer. Their cars are all the same model of modest family car. There, the focus is that the company doesn't want reps to drive up in an expensive car, making customers think their fees are being siphoned off to buy fancy wheels for the staff. My father (in yet another industry) had company issued vehicles for many years but they were pickups and commercial minivans. The company's idea was that with a truck he could occasionally bring a small delivery to a customer. Which he did, like, twice a year. Though in the pre- "everything is online and wireless access is everywhere" era he liked the minivan because he could bolt his filing cabinets to the floor behind the front seats. Mobile office, old school style!

brian_k

Done already. I work for a pharma and we are all driving Passat SE TDI (except me- its too long and I already have a huge personal car, and I have to find street parking in a dense city). Other pharma have made the switch as well. I see them all over now.