Q: Taking into account safety, reliability and ease of parking in that order Sorry I meant Saab 9-3
A: Safety - Saab Reliability - Subaru Ease of parking - Saab Value - Subaru I have owned two Saabs, driven three Passats, two Foresters and a few dozen Saabs (everything from a 900 to a 9000 and too many 9-5s to count and a handful of 9-3s). Parking is definitely the easiest on the Saab. I remember kissing a bumper a few times in the first Passat I drove. There's no way to easily gauge how close you are to the things behind you. Aside from its ease of parking and relatively FAST engine, the Saab comes in second on that list. The Passat is third. The VW isn't quick or particularly reliable. The Saab is going to be completely hassle-free for three years and then things will start getting weird. Electrical things, of course. Nothing serious. But the Passat has a history of being erratic from the start and expensive to keep fixing. The Subaru will most likely be a worry-free vehicle. Excellent, excellent AWD grip on the road and obviously the most cargo space of any of your choices (even if you're talking about wagon versions of the Passat and 9-3). It's not the fastest accelerating car but it serves a very clear purpose and it will do it well for many, many years. The Subaru is definitely the best buy on that list (and when compared to most cars).