New Cars

Much has been said about the 2012 Passat: It is the second of Volkswagen’s new “Americanized” cars and the first to come from its all-new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The new plant seems up to snuff in the initial-quality department, with panels all screwed together well and with reasonably tight panel gaps. I say “reasonably” because Fisher Price-grade plastics can fit together only so tightly. While the cabin may be attractively designed, there are few soft-touch plastics to be found and too many that are reminiscent of the little red-and-yellow buggy many of us had as children.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Passat SE – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine