Still looks like an old Passat on steroids, if you ask me... but its hard to argue it isn't a decent choice. Especially when it is showing to have the same ballpark # of days in the shop as the new Honda Civic (see truedelta.com). And that is WITH the CVT in there. Get rid of that troublemaker.... :)
(BTW, if you don't agree with the steroids comment, wait until you see them side-by-side - the Five Hundred dwarfs the Passat.)
I saw a clean and shiny black 500 the other day with a good looking blond (female) driving it, black 500's are classy (especially when clean).