Quick Drive: 2016 Volkswagen Passat V6 SEL Premium

She looks like a fake plastic surgery disaster bimbo...no substance there. Just a wannabe Kardashian...

What I was really going to say: Just based on what is being fed to me on my phone and the photos they pose for, it doesn't look like Jeff Bezos is too happy with this trophy wife he bagged. Once you study her more, it looks like most of her existence is about being a poseur. I'm not so sure I like her.

$45k for an appliance FWD CUV w/ a 4cyl in white w/ a gray interior is pretty depressing to imagine. My Jeep was in that price range 12 years ago, much nicer design inside and out and well equipped w/ a V6 and AWD...and with inflation, the equivalent spec to that on a 2025 is about $53k..same engine and transmission, AWD, same color scheme, trim level and options. My sister's '23 Chevy Equinox LT was $34k out the door new at the end of 2022. She got $15k in trade on her 2015 Trax and paid cash for the difference.

Just for "fun," I priced a GMC Acadia base model (Elevation) with only front wheel drive. I am surprised that most of the colors are extra charge. That's not good. I selected the standard Summit White. Interior colors are either black or gray. I selected gray. I didn't bother to add any flooring or cargo packages. You can always think about those later. Most of the power gizmos on the car come standard. The MSRP with freight was $45,595! Are they even discounting them at the dealer level? How much? Is GM giving any incentives? I'm guessing that the 2.5 L4 is the same one that we've known for years but has a turbo bolted onto it. It comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The landscape sure is different on so many levels.

Good morning ...

Yeah, given Stellantis' quality/reliability issues, a 5000lb SUV w/ a 2.0 turbo 4 just seems like asking for trouble. I just find the current market pretty boring and uninspired. The only vehicles I have any interest in are $75k to over $100k. Which I can afford but really can't justify the spend.. Better to invest in upgrades to my house and maybe purchase a winter home as I approach retirement in the next decade (which I'm having a hard time admitting to myself), keep my current vehicles going indefinitely...

Thanks. I did not know that they were at a 4 cylinder. On a GM, 1.5 liters is 90 c.i., so they have to append a turbo to it. In looking at the Nissan Sentra, they use a 2.0 L4, for example ... 120 cubes is a displacement that has been standard lingo across many car brands for years. Once the Charger, which had been continuously revised to become such a nice car, left the fold, my interest in Stellantis it is all but gone.

For the smaller crossovers, I've found the Chevy Equinox quite pleasant to drive. Comfortable seats, smooth ride, even w/ the 1.5 turbo 4, decent power for freeway driving. I've driven my sister's '23 LT quite a bit around town and on short road trips the last few years. Good ergonomics and layout, Car Play and Android Auto work fine. More back seat room than my Grand Cherokee. Easy to get in and out of. I haven't looked at the new generation model that came out of '25, though. My sister looked at the 25 when had her 23 in for service, thought the new one was ugly. As for myself, if I were shopping for a new car, don't know what I would get. My Jeep and Cadillac are both in excellent condition and paid for..and working from home, no real need for a new vehicle. I don't think I'd get another Grand Cherokee given Stellantis' quality problems in recent years and that the '26 GC comes with a 4 cyl standard.

Since I haven't yet decided which side of the pond and if I wanted to throw out a little bit more money and it didn't have to be a car, I could choose a GMC Acadia. Of the vehicles which were not sedans that I've rented, this one might be the most pleasing in terms of looks, comfort, and ride. I am almost sure I've reviewed it in the knot too distant past. It has a slightly bigger engine ... since the number 1.5, as in liters, gives me heartburn.

If I've deleted some from the list, it's because they're not in my price point. No thank you to expensive German iron. I don't like spending a lot of money on cars. Some comments: I've rented the K4 and they work just fine, but it has a lot of nasty angles, especially the long tear drop tail lights and even the side of the greenhouse I do like the Toyota Camry ... at last they got it right The Honda Civic used to be an ugly duckling and now it's actually a decent looking car with a good amount of room. I had a rented Honda Accord in South Florida, which I reviewed here and, better yet, it was a hybrid. These Hyundais are not very attractive and the jellybean one (Sonata) looks cheap when you get up close to it. I like the Nissan Sentra. I can't believe I'm saying that. The Cadillac is the only one on this list that is a GM car ... and which I like. If not optioned up, the price point isn't that bad. The Charger is electric, so no. But hybrid is fine. But where this leaves me is that there isn't much choice at all for those wanting to redeem what they've accumulated on their GM Card. It wasn't like throwing money to the wind because you still make use of the credit card, but I would have not continued having a car card if I knew the market would be changing like this. I would have fared better with another airline card.