“Aw, nuts,” I said to myself when I stepped out of the Volkswagen R32.  “Now I’ve got to add another parking spot to my dream garage.”

Even though construction materials for dream garages are cheap, I don’t say that as frequently as you might think.  This time I had a good reason to because the unassuming Volkswagen Golf you see here is a very special car indeed.  The 2004-only R32 is the hottest Golf ever to grace U.S. shores.  It’s also the first North American Golf with 4Motion all-wheel drive (which …

Yes, it looks like a giant Passat.  But it isn’t.

Volkswagen’s new ultra-luxury sedan, the Phaeton, has been criticized for its anonymous face, but we had a moment that belied this.  We found ourselves cruising through upscale Farmington Hills, Michigan, on I-696, and a Mercedes S-Class raced up alongside, braving triple digits to catch up, and then paced us.  Within moments, there was another S-Class on our right, also matching our speed.  The affluent couples in both cars were looking at the Phaeton and talking excitedly to each other.  Even if …

The Jetta TDI’s 30/41 fuel economy rivals that of the diminutive Smart coupe, and the Jetta clearly provides a great deal more performance and utility than any microcar.

For some reason, it seems like every time I get a Volkswagen GTI, I end up at a car show.  My drive in the 2003 GTI VR6 was no exception; within hours of picking the car up, I was hanging out in a parking lot with a bunch of Subaru WRX owners, talking shop.  It’s a testament to the GTI’s name and ability that this unassuming hatchback was able to draw nods of favor from guys who were used to 300-plus horsepower super-sedans.

Volkswagen’s GTI has been around for a long …

Are you looking for a decent sedan that will make your Car Guy friends nod in appreciation without costing an arm and a leg?  Look no farther than the Volkswagen Jetta.

The Jetta may not have grabbed your eye lately, because the design hasn’t changed much for a while.  But that doesn’t mean it’s out of fashion by a long shot.  Volkswagen’s compact sedan stands out from the crowd with exceptional build quality and long list of standard equipment.  For 2003, the Jetta gains additional standard and optional features for the …

There’s no doubt that the somewhat plebian Volkswagen Passat can be transformed into a credible luxury sedan; with acres of leather, 4MOTION all-wheel drive and an all-new, innovative W8 engine under the hood, it’s the equal of any similarly-priced Infiniti or Acura. The question is, is there room in the pool for another $37,000 sedan, especially one with a Volkswagen badge?

The folks at VW certainly think there is.  The Passat has been quietly diversifying since its redesign in 2001, with affordable, family-oriented models at one end of the spectrum and …

Volkswagen’s latest step in its steady march away from the bare-bones, low-budget cars that made its reputation forty years ago takes it into the realm of sport-utility vehicles.  You might be surprised to find that the Volkswagen of SUVs is actually a luxury truck that competes more closely with BMW and Lincoln than with mass-market best-sellers like Ford and Chevy.

Then again, you might not.  After all, the new-for-2003 Volkswagen Touareg (say “tour-egg” and you’ve got it about right) is directly related to another SUV newcomer; the Porsche Cayenne.  It’s a …

During my week with the Volkswagen EuroVan, more than one person expressed surprise to hear that Volkswagen still builds a minivan.  For anyone else out there who didn’t realize, I’ll clear this up right now: yes, Volkswagen still builds vans.  They’ve been making them all along.  And, all of that experience shows, because the 2003 EuroVan is one heck of a vehicle.  Even if you never noticed it before.

Most minivans suffer from an identity crisis.  It’s so uncool to be a minivan that they work hard at not being vans.  …

So, before you ask: no, Volkswagen’s new minivan isn’t a Microbus. It doesn’t look like a Microbus, and it doesn’t have the same attitude. Yes, I know it would have been awesome if they re-created the Microbus. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let me introduce you to the Volkswagen Routan.

Don’t panic.  Someone hasn’t gone and installed one of those horrible aftermarket vinyl tops on a Volkswagen New Beetle!  This is the real deal.  After five years on the market, the New Beetle finally gets the inevitable convertible version for 2003.  Even though winter is already in full swing, Volkswagen has sent us a reminder of more pleasant seasons to come.

The original Beetle convertible was almost as iconic as the Beetle itself.  Introduced in 1953, its compact shape and big, ungainly folded top became hallmarks of all future Volkswagen convertibles, …