 After owning a 2006 Honda Accord V6 EXL with NAV for the past 5 years I was a little nervous about going with a VW with a 4 cylinder Engine; especially after having my mind set on getting a 14 Accord EXL V6. After about 4 months of research and 1 step in the Passat I knew this was the car for me. The VW Passat, in my opinion, is a totally different experience than what you expect with other brands. The VW Passat is classy, solid and a true drivers car. The 1.8 tsi is peppy and an absolute blast to drive engine; I find myself having a lot more fun than I did driving with my V6. I even got 40 MPG on the freeway going 65 mph with the AC on. The controls are simple to use and everything feels like it's in the right place. The steering wheel is comfortable and doesn't take a long time getting used to. I opted for the lighting package, which takes this car to an Audi level. I get lots of looks during the day thanks to the DRL LED strip. The 3 stage seat warmers are awesome and the seats are pretty comfortable. I am a tall guy and I absolutely love the room in this car, I just turned 26 and wanted to get an "adults" car since I will be owning this car in my 30's. I feel very happy and confident in my decision to buy a new VW Passat. This car is surely to give me many years of reliability and fun. I know VW may have had some issues and people have a bad taste in thier mouth about VW, but I have owned 3 Hondas and it wasn't always as reliable as the  perception would lead you to believe. I take great care of my cars and only use dealers. I put shell v power in my cars and do scheduled maintenance on time and still had issues with my accord's. I believe with maintaing my VW as I should it will prove to be just as dependable. If your considering Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc.. put the Passat SE with lighting on your list. One step in the VW will show you how a car should be built. Plus I got a $28,010 dollar car for $22,500!!! It was a no branienr.