the chassis tuning was a bit stiffer).

Brakes haul down the car as expected. While some testers at other publications complained of wind noise (maybe they were driving pre-production models not fully sorted out), my Passat TDI SE was commendably quiet even at higher r.p.m. Climbing hills in spirited driving up Ortega Highway from San Juan Capistrano gave me the impression I was driving a more expensive--dare I say, German-built?--luxury sedan. This is high praise indeed.

Diesels are wildly popular in Europe, accounting for more than one in two new cars sold. In the U.S.-built Passat lineup coming from Chattanooga (this larger, Americanized Passat is sold only in North America and China), Volkswagen has crafted a highly competitive sedan that meets the needs of many families in these challenging times.

Its fuel economy is the envy of any crossover. Combine a spacious interior that borders on full-size with a cavernous trunk that holds 15.9 cubic feet of stuff, and you have a compelling value story that promises to save that same family more than $3,000 in fuel costs over five years of ownership.

A drive from Los Angles to New York covers 2,500 miles. Starting with a full tank of gas, is it possible to drive from coast to coast with just two stops for fuel, pulling into Times Square with a two-gallon reserve? After driving last year from California to New York in the smaller Chevy Cruze, averaging 40 m.p.g., it sounds like an interesting challenge to me. Volkswagen, is the 2013 Passat up to the task?