Volkswagen Reviews

2014 Volkswagen CC Is A Steal

I’m a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz CLS63, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, and Audi RS7 — all super-sexy, four-door German super-coupes. Packing muscles of the gods, they romp from 0-60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds and touch 190 mph with their 560 horsepower V8 engines. The only downside is, these fabulous show ponies cost around $130,000. Thankfully, there’s a way to get all the style of these Autobahn blitzers with the sticker price of a loaded Honda Accord. [...]

First Drive Comparison: 2013 VW Golf TDI Vs. 2015 VW Golf TDI

Volkswagen lovers with an eye on a Golf TDI hatchback are no doubt asking themselves if they should hold out until model year 2015 for the update or snap up a sixth-generation version like the 2013 model. (FWIW, there will be a shortened 2014 model year for the Golf made up of leftover stock of the current version.) To address such dilemmas, we thought we’d pit the two against one another. [...]

2013 Volkswagen Tiguan Explains Itself

How do I explain the Volkswagen Tiguan? First, that’s a made-up name that supposedly conjures an image of a snarling tiger mixed with a slithering iguana. Is it meant to be a menacing meat-eater or an aquarium pet for the reptile-obsessed? Maybe you put the tiger in the tank and an iguana in the boot? It’s all so confusing. Fortunately, it’s easier to get a fix on the machine itself. [...]

2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Solves The Riddle

At your local VW dealer, you can get a Passat with a 170 horsepower, 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine or a 280 horsepower, 3.6-liter VR6, but that’s so common. The real auto enthusiasts and tree-clingers among us will opt for the 2.0-liter four-cylinder Clean Diesel that grunts out 140 horsepower and 236 ft-lbs of torque. And why not choose the six-speed manual transmission to achieve 31/43 mpg city/hwy.? As loony as it sounds, a TDI with a manual transmission is a pretty sporty ride. My partner is rarely one to fight for driving rights on long trips, but he refused to hand over the helm. Diesel driving is intoxicating [...]

2013 VW Beetle Convertible: Not Just Another Retro Drop-Top

Although Volkswagen kicked off the whole retro thing in 1998 with the “New Beetle”, it doesn’t want you to think of the current third-generation Bug in those terms. To be honest, the New Beetle was anything but retro. Like the latest iteration, it rode on the most-advanced Golf architecture, driven by an engine over the front-driven wheels. It looked almost futuristic. With a new design that bridges the future-bubble with its iconic ancestor, the 2013 Beetle Convertible evolves. [...]

2013 Volkswagen Golf R Is A Po’ ‘Mo’s Porsche

My former boss, who is still afflicted with a Saab 900 Turbo he purchased new in ’87, came to my office looking for the keys to the Golf R I was driving. Apparently, it’s on his short list of new cars. He’s also a fan of the Audi A5, BMW 3-Series coupe, and various Porsches. The fact that somebody who understands serious German pedigree puts the R on his list tells you a lot about the R. Think of it as a po’ ‘mo’s Porsche. [...]