Back in grade school when a teacher made a test harder, everyone groaned. Today, the National Highway and Safety Administration (NHTSA) cracked down on its testing as well...but we at Boston Volkswagen couldn't be more pleased. That's because when it comes to safety, you can never raise the standards too high. What's more, like a straight-A student, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat passed with flying colors.

As one of the few 2012 models to earn a five-star composite score from the NHTSA, the new Passat provides ultimate peace of mind for its drivers. In order to achieve such a high safety ranking, vehicles were required to perform well throughout frontal, rollover and combined side pole and barrier testing. No surprise to us, the VW Passat wowed test administrators and won two five-star ratings and one four-star. Here are some of the advanced features that make the VW model so safe:

-          Electronic Stability Control
-          Crash-optimized front end
-          Tire Pressure Monitoring
-          Intelligent Crash Response System
-          Anti-lock brakes with Hydraulic Brake Assist

What's hard to believe, even for a VW fan like Boston Volkswagen, is that all the aforementioned safety comes in a sedan that is also incredibly fun to drive. Ranked high on the U.S. News "Best Cars" list, the mid-sized model boasts a 3.6-liter V6 that pumps out 280 ponies. Drivers can also opt to couple the engine with a DSG automatic transmission to increase acceleration and gear change time.

Well-positioned to meet the needs of families and performance-hungry drivers alike, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is available to test drive at Boston Volkswagen, 43 North Beacon Street Watertown, MA 02472. Our team members are ready to get you behind the wheel of the Passat or any other new Passat vehicle so be sure to contact us with a time that works for you.