[Hogster]

My previous car to my V60 was a Passat 2.0 TDI 150 SE Business, so exactly the spec you are looking at. The Passat was lovely. It was a company car which I had specced up with matrix LED lights and the digital dash and I completed 76,000 very happy miles in it. I was very tempted to buy it when I moved to a car allowance, but I was rather keen on an automatic (too many hours sat in traffic on the M3 and M25) which made me look elsewhere, and then I test drove the V60.

The V60 won my heart, not only from a looks point of view, but just from the whole package. It's just a bit more "special" that the Passat. Perhaps that sounds snobby, but it's a nicer place to be, and doesn't feel quite as utilitarian as the Passat. The D4 engine is very smooth, and whilst there is a bit of hesitancy in the auto gearbox, you soon adapt your driving style.

The boot capacity on the Passat was a fair amount larger than the V60, but I haven't struggled at all with the smaller boot on the V60. Before the Passat I had an A4 Avant, and I find the V60 much easier to live with than that car. The Passat was almost too big for my every day needs, with me needing to use bungee cords to hold my bags in place! For the few times in the year when I need a really massive boot, the V60 has coped without too many problems. Mainly I've needed to leave the tonneau cover off in the V60, where in the Passat I could still use it.

Spec-wise, if your budget can stretch to it, then look out for a Momentum Pro, rather than the straight Momentum. I think you'll then find a similar spec level to the Passat then. You can always buy the Smartphone integration as an aftermarket if you're desperate for this.

If, after all this, you're still set on the Passat then I'd say go for it. They are lovely cars, and if I couldn't have the V60 then I'd certainly seriously consider getting another one. Just remember that there are thousands of them out there, so they don't hold their value, but it also means you can shop around for a good one.