10 Best Family Cars of 2012

1. 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI
MSRP: $20,590

Built in Chattanooga, Tenn., and aimed squarely at American families, the midsized Passat hits working moms and dads where they live with a combined 26 miles per gallon. It doesn't get the 37 miles per gallon of the $5,000 more expensive turbodiesel version, but a best-in-class 16 cubic feet of trunk space and a three-year, 36,000-mile maintenance plan aren't exactly consolation prizes.

-- Written by Jason Notte in Boston.

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