As far as car information goes, the Passat owner's manual is 392 pages long. I love to read — I read for a living — and even I'm not slogging through that. Someone at VW very considerately put together a 32-page "2014 Passat Quick Start Guide" to give owners the instant lowdown on how to set up Bluetooth, audio and nav, cruise control, the windshield wipers, the clock, the manual seats, climate control, and the TMPS, plus how to operate the trunk, VW Car-Net (like OnStar, it connects you to an operator when the airbags are deployed, plus you can summon roadside assistance if you're in stranded), and the key fob. The booklet is concisely written with helpful photos and covers everything I've needed to know so far except how to turn off the automatic beep when I lock the car. For that I did have to crack open the manual.

2014 Volkswagen Passat Quick Start Guide

More on our long-term2014 Volkswagen PassatSport:

2014 Volkswagen Passat Sport
BASE PRICE	$28,495
PRICE AS TESTED	$28,730
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	1.8L/170-hp/184-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	6-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT	3309 lb (59/41%)
WHEELBASE	110.0 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	191.6 x 72.2 x 58.5 in
0-60 MPH	7.9 sec
QUARTER MILE	16.0 sec @ 87.3 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	118 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.85 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	27.0 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON	24/34/28 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY	140/99 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS	0.70 lb/mile

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Our Car
Service life	8,048 mi
Average fuel economy	26.6 mpg
CO2 emissions	0.67 lb/mi
EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ	24/34/28 mpg
Real MPG	28.8 mpg
Energy consumption	117 kW-hrs/100mi
Unresolved problems	None
Maintenance cost	$0
Normal-wear cost	$0

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