2017 VW Passat (US) vs. 2002 Passat Comparison Includes a Race

While 15 separate these two cars, they are not miles apart regarding the engines, both offering up 1.8-liter turbos with 170 horsepower for the sake of this review, done by The Fast Lane Car.

Obviously, the newer model is much more technologically advanced, but it's also more expensive, even if you consider the inflation. Which is not to say that the current model year isn't impressive, with its bigger yet lighter body.

As far as drag races go, this has to be the least entertaining one we've seen all year. I mean, we expect a lot more from the newer model, since it has all that torque and the DSG gearbox. But it gets bogged down off the line.

Still, its victory is extremely convincing. So the next time some guy comes up to you with a 2000-something Audi TT, saying his 1.8T has more valves and is thus faster than your new Golf, you should race him because we think even the 1.4 TSI has what it takes.

Regarding the headroom issue, it's getting a little old. You're buying a mid-size sedan, not a living room, so having to move your head while getting in the back shouldn't be such a huge deal.

Ever felt that cars were getting bigger and bigger with every generation? It turns out they really are, as the 2017 model year, Passat is 6.5 inches longer and 3.5 inches wider than the one from 15 years ago. Most of that has gone into the cabin space.

The guy also makes an excellent point about how the Passat has changed over the years. We think of it as a non-important sedan, white goods, if you will. But the German sedan has been fitted with a W8 engine, a VR6, four-cylinder and five-cylinder engines. Some have even used Audi tech, mounting the transmission longitudinally instead of transversely. The gearboxes have also changed a lot these past four and a bit decades.