Journey shows why Passat named Motor Trend’s 2012 Car of the Year

In my years of car ownership, I have owned three Volkswagens: a Baja Bug and two sedans.

So when the opportunity came to drive a 2012 VW Passat from Findlay North Volkswagen, my wife, Carmen, and I jumped at it especially considering that the vehicle would be taken to Santa Barbara, Calif., as part of our 40th anniversary celebration.

I quickly learned that a long trip complemented by Motor Trend's 2012 Car of the Year was the ideal combination.

In the same breath, I began to understand why Findlay Automotive Group has four VW dealerships in its umbrella of 26 dealerships in states that include Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Arizona.

The Passat, powered by the 3.6-liter SE 280-horsepower V-6, was driven through the long haul of Interstate 15 to Highway 101 in Southern California and on to Santa Barbara, where even more excursions included sightseeing on winding and twisting roads en route to Ojai and the Dutch community of Solvang northeast of Santa Barbara.

The Passat engine and six-speed automatic transmission are quick; the car reaches 60 mph in 5.7 seconds.

As we discovered, the 2012 Passat is VW's answer to a luxury vehicle with great power, excellent handling, interior comfort and incredible fuel mileage .

En route to Santa Barbara, I noticed that the fuel gauge was slow to drop although I had not checked estimated fuel mileage ratings before leaving Las Vegas. When we got to Santa Barbara , I discovered we had gotten almost 30 miles to the gallon with our gasoline-powered Passat. The car is priced from $19,995-$32,950 .

Findlay North VW, at 7500 W. Azure Drive, is led by General Manager James Cobbs. For more information on the dealership, call 982-4800 or visit www.findlaynorthvw.com.