Frequent flyer.(News)

Byline: BOB GRITZINGER

With nearly 20,000 miles on the odometer in only six months of service, it's obvious our long-term Volkswagen Passat W8 is no short-haul special. On the contrary, we've found that our pretty aqua blue flyer performs at its peak when pushed into service for a long road trip. There, our testers agree, is where the engine unwinds, the chassis takes control, the interior comfort shines and, at night, the razor-sharp headlights slash their way into the darkness of the highway ahead.

True to its Germanic heritage, our W8 takes to long expanses of interstate like a Benz to the 'bahn. More than one staffer appreciated the comfort of the heated black-leather front buckets, the soft cabin lighting, the quiet ride and the powerful Monsoon sound system for making the miles whiz by. While we'd like a few more places to tuck our stuff, and more than a single slot for our CDs, these are but minor annoyances on the long road of life.

Slightly more than a mere annoyance is the irregular and unexplained appearance of the ``check engine'' warning light, which seems to appear for no apparent reason and then shuts off again a few days later for no apparent reason. Our dealer first said ...