The problem with the Passat, and with all the Audi quattros I've owned before (same architecture), is the engine weight fully hanging over, longitudinally (that is North-South), in front of the front axle. Makes them understeer badly in the twisties.
Also, it forces AWD and FWD Audis (and VWs) to create a rather unconfortable ride by stiffening the front supsension (and the rear too to keep the balance right) in order to deliver a car that has handling characteristics in a par with the direct competition (BMW!). I hate my wife's Audi A4 Avant quattro for this crashy ride (and for its diesel engine a bit too...).
Proof of all this : Audi A4 will be RWD by 2009 and Passat 2005 will be based on a VW's own tranversally engined FWD platform.
For the rest, indeed it's great and increases your confidence on the road.

 

When i read this, i kinda felt like rotary nut was alittle ignorent. To add 300lbs to a car with already low torque would kill the acceleration. In addition, the added weight in front of the engine (for the gearbox, driveshaft, any aditional required mechanics) would not be good for this cars famous handling. It would just cause more understeer because of the aditional weight on the front wheels.
AWD would not give more of a "neck snaping" accelearation, but rather the snap would be more subdued because of the greater powertrain loss.

 

I agree...AWD is for rally guys or the geeks that have to have big numbers. I don't appreciate the small gain in performance for the gain in weight and complexity that it has. That and the fact that most AWD cars on the market are based on
FWD cars...I don't like them.....