We review the VW Passat from price to economy and all its features

I GREW up in Passats. Not literally - we had a house - but it was the only car my dad would ever buy.

Puking up rusks in the baby seat, telling my mum I'd forgotten my PE kit 30 seconds from the school gates — it was all done in the back seat of the tank-like VW.

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And when I grew up and passed my test I would take it for a spin when my parents were on holiday.

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As a car-mad kid, the old man's brand loyalty drove me nuts. Every time we were due a new car, me and my brothers would shove BMW and Mercedes brochures under his nose.

We didn't have the money for a Merc or a Beemer but even if we had, he wouldn't have budged.

But now, having driven the new Passat for a week, I can see my dad was on to something — this car is superb.

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OK, the exterior isn't mind-blowing, but I love the tougher-looking front grill.

But this is a car which starts at £22k and once you're inside it has all the class of its rivals. This is the first car I've driven over a long period using the lane assist technology and, I'm ashamed to say it, but I'm becoming a convert.

There's something addictive about feeling the wheel nudge you back to the centre — not that I'm suggesting you test it repeatedly on the drive home or anything.

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As with most modern cars, the Passat's obsession is safety — it will also brake for you if you get too close to the car in front — but it isn't without fun.

I drove the GT 2.0 TDI and the thing can shift. A range of driving modes pop up in the touchscreen console. Ping it in sport and you're in for a ride.

It comes with satnav, heated seats and steering wheel, three-zone climate control ... it goes on.

So what don't I like? Well, as I say, it's not a head-turner, I don't think the VW design boys will ever come up with something to shake the older gent image.

But that's about it.

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The German motoring mafia have achieved the ultimate goal of every manufacturer — unbreakable brand loyalty. When was the last time you heard some bloke down the pub say "buy German mate"? Probably not long ago.

But while it used to annoy me, today I just doff my cap to them.

Chances are, if you buy a Passat, it will be the only car you buy for the rest of your life.

Just ask my old man.

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