According to one financial institution, the average price of a new car sold today is nearly $28,000. According to sales figures, the average car sold today is a midsize sedan of one stripe or another. According to consumers, most midsize sedans are purchased for practical reasons such as comfort, safety, and efficiency. When a company marries those needs in a handsome package that’s priced from the mid-20s and wears a brand name with upscale cachet, it’s a winner. This year, that car is the 2006 Volkswagen Passat.

Our favorite is the 2.0T Value Edition. Equipped with everything you need and more, all that’s necessary post-purchase is a nice set of wheels to swap in for the standard plastic wheel covers. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine whips up 200 horsepower delivered to the front wheels through a five-speed manual, but a six-speed automatic is offered as an option. Equipment packages are available to luxe up the Passat 2.0T, or you can buy a Passat 3.6L for around $30,000 and get a strong 280-horse V6 engine. Add Luxury and Sport packages to this model, along with goodies like navigation and a stunning Dynaudio sound system, and you’re firmly in luxury car territory.

But that’s one of the great things about the 2006 Volkswagen Passat. You can outfit one as an affordable family sedan or as an opulent executive express. In any guise, the Passat’s German engineering makes it a fun car to drive, and a full complement of safety gear includes a tire pressure monitor, ABS with brake assist and brake drying, stability control, eight airbags including front and rear side curtains and front side-impact restraints, and crash-active head restraints. A full-size spare tire is even tucked into the trunk, and the Passat gets a Best Pick – Silver crash-test rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Yes, the 2006 Volkswagen Passat commands a premium over similarly-equipped competitors, but based on our experience, it’s the Best New Midsize Car of 2006. – Christian J. Wardlaw