Regardless of engine, the Passat was quite simply one of the best mid-sizers in terms of ride and handling that we’d experienced in some time. The damping walked a perfect line between sportiness and comfort, with very little lateral movement, even under hard cornering. Aggressive brake and throttle inputs didn’t do much to disturb the car either. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the most communicative of vehicles. It was difficult to feel out things like grip levels and cornering loads due to the lack of movement through the suspension.