The Passat TDI SE (its official model name) I drove was delivered sans any options, with a sticker price of $26,225 (add $750 for destination fees). But this doesn't mean my test car was stripped. The model comes equipped with leather-like seating surfaces, air conditioning with rear-seat air vents, a touchscreen radio/CD player with a limited Sirius satellite radio subscription, cruise control, power windows, and a power driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support.

It does lack one fundamental, a USB input for the audio system. The oversight is partially offset by by an easy-to-use Bluetooth interface allowing you to stream music, Internet radio channels, and voice navigation prompts from a mobile phone.

In addition to its two-liter diesel engine shared with other VW and Audi models, my Passat TDI SE came with one surprising feature, a fully manual six-speed transmission. While Volkswagen offers dual-clutch, automated manual transmission with paddle controls, this transmission option, when mated to the 140-horsepower diesel engine, has gotten mixed reviews since its introduction. Seems to be a love-it, hate-it situation, with few fence-sitters.

The shift linkage will never be mistaken for one found in a Porsche 911. Still, it's a good unit that compares favorably to best-in-class as found in the Honda Accord. And being so well matched to the diesel engine, it must be an important component of the astounding real-world mileage delivered by my test car on the nearly 500-mile round trip to Solvang and back. With little traffic and the cruise control set to a traffic-friendly 65 m.p.h., the 52.5 m.p.g. number I ended up with simply cannot be attained by any similarly sized sedan.

Here's something think about. The Passat holds 18.5 gallons of low-sulfur diesel fuel (which, depending on your location, costs 5 percent more than premium unleaded). With careful driving--staying within the engine's broad torque sweet spot starting at 1,000 r.p.m. and coming within striking distance of the 52.5 m.p.g. I clocked on the trip to Solvang--it is theoretically possible to go 1,000 miles on a tank of fuel. To put this kind of fuel efficiency in perspective, that's the distance from Los Angeles to Denver.

Alongside the price, the window sticker shows those all-important EPA numbers: 31 city, 43 highway, 35 combined. Based on my test drive, the Passat TDI SE handily exceeds those figures. Even around town, on my usual test loop combined with my favorite drive over California's Ortega Highway between San Juan Capistrano and Lake Elsinore, the car delivered 41 m.p.g., more than the smaller Toyota Prius I tested last year, as well as subcompacts like the Fiat 500 and the tiny Scion iQ.

If you're thinking, "But diesels are slow, noisy, and smell bad," you're mistaken. Zero to sixty comes up in 8.5 seconds. Other than having to fuel at the diesel pump (really smelly granted, if you're at a truck stop), the Passat TDI requires no compromises when it comes your driving habits.

On the road, the Passat TDI SE feels as a competent family sedan should. Steering could be a bit more responsive and quick acting but it performs within class expectations. The same holds true for its comfortable ride (although I wouldn't mind if