Overview & Reviews

Volkswagen is an automaker based in Germany. Its products typically command a higher price than those of competing models, but the return is a more upscale driving and ownership experience.

In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned to build a small, inexpensive car at the request of Adolph Hitler. His answer -- a beetle-shaped sedan that was called a Volkswagen (German for "people's car") -- debuted two years later. Hitler had a town built near the plant for factory workers; he named it Kraft durch Freude Stadt (derived from the Nazi party's motto, "Joy through Strength"), and soon decided that Porsche's creation should be named the KdF-wagen (short for the "Joy through Strength" car). This upset Porsche, who was not political.

World War II delayed production of the vehicle; the factory suffered extensive damage during combat, and was ultimately taken over by the British Army. The company was renamed Volkswagen, and the town at the factory was renamed Wolfsburg (after Werner von Schulenberg of Wolfsburg, who had been forced to surrender his land for the construction of the town and factory). By the end of the 1940s, mass production of the Volkswagen Beetle had begun. The model made its first appearance on U.S. shores in 1949.

The 1950s saw Volkswagen broadening its product range, adding the Bus (Type 2) to its lineup. The Bus, especially, proved quite popular due to its versatility. And the Beetle, which went on to become the best-selling car of all time, quickly showed signs of being an enduring favorite, with more than 1 million models produced at the Wolfsburg factory by 1955. This decade also saw the debut of the Karmann Ghia sports car, which featured a sleek, Italian-designed two-seater body atop a Beetle platform.

Volkswagen's star rose during the 1960s, its success fueled largely by the breakout success of the Beetle. The car benefited from an effective advertising campaign and from an appearance in a popular Disney movie. By the close of the decade, Volkswagen's yearly output of Beetles topped the 1 million mark.

In 1972, with more than 15 million units assembled, the Beetle topped the world production record set by Ford's Model T. Mid-decade saw the launch of a new era of Volkswagens that had front-mounted, water-cooled engines driving the front wheels. The Passat (Dasher in the U.S.) was the first of the new breed and was built using standardized components that could be used interchangeably among other models in the manufacturer's lineup. The Passat was soon joined by the Golf (Rabbit in the U.S.), which met with immediate success. By the end of the decade, the manufacturer's lineup had grown to include the Scirocco sport coupe and the performance-oriented Golf/Rabbit GTI. The Beetle, however, was discontinued for the U.S. market.

The Golf grew in popularity during the '80s, becoming Volkswagen's most popular model. When a second generation of the car was built in 1983, it was crafted in a mostly automated process using robots -- marking the first time robots had been used in vehicle manufacture. By the mid-'80s, the U.S. version traded the Rabbit name for "Golf." The higher-performance Golf GTI helped the manufacturer make waves on the rally circuit. In 1986, Volkswagen Motorsport nabbed the title of Group A World Rally Champions.

Volkswagen saw its sales in the North American market tumble during the early '90s, but by the end of the decade, refocused marketing efforts and an increased emphasis on new products had brought about a turnaround in the company's fortunes. The popular New Beetle helped put the company back on the radar in the United States (though it fared less successfully in European markets). The body style was based on the classic Beetle, and it struck a chord with consumers who still had a place in their hearts for the iconic, cheerful-looking "love bug."

The new millennium saw Volkswagen moving into the luxury segment with the launch of the pricey Phaeton sedan and Touareg SUV. Though well-designed and executed, the Phaeton was a disappointment sales-wise, perhaps signaling unwillingness on the part of consumers to shell out premium dollars for a brand that lacks the cachet of established upscale names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Luckily, Volkswagen has seen success with other vehicles in its lineup, which currently includes everything from family-oriented sedans to roomy SUVs. Today, the automaker enjoys a reputation for crafting vehicles that offer refined handling and upscale accommodations.

User Reviews:

• 

  The Best Jetta EVER! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jason - August 31 - 5:36 am

  This car is absolutely the best Jetta ever built. This is my 2nd Jetta owned and it wont be my last. The gas milage is great. 27 in the city and 33 on the highway. The new body style also gives the car the room it needs in the back seat. Plus, probably the best feature, this car just got named the safest car on the road right now. It aced the side impact crash tests! Overall the car fits me and my family perfectly!

• 

  Happy Car! - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Denise in MI - August 30 - 4:36 pm

  I just love my Beetle Conv. This is my second New Beetle and I will probably buy a third. The color is great, it rides great and everywhere I go it makes people smile! Its been a great summer in MI for having the top down! (wind stop purchase recommended) this car even rides great in the snow, I love the ESP feature. The first little slip and sldie and it kickes in. The 6 speed Tiptronic transmission is gonna get me in trouble! Its not the old VW, no charge cards required to scrape the frost off the windshield, it has great heat and air conditioning (People who remember the old VW know what Im talking about.). All these new features blow people away. Once again its a happy car, It makes people smile!

• 

  Good car, very bad reliability - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By sunray - August 30 - 2:23 pm

  In general, a reasonable price/performance ratio. The reliability is bad, automatic windows, brakes, and instrument panel are replaced.

• 

  You Will Love It - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By PC2003 - August 30 - 12:53 pm

  Great car stock or with some mods. Have owned my 20th in Imola Yellow for well over a year now and am happy to say that it is my favorite car to drive. The steering is great the brakes are amazing. I have modded a little, full exhaust, konig wheels, Apr Cold air intake and ECU along with a greddy blowoff valve and stage 3 Clutch and flywheel. My favorite part is that in other cars that I have owned I have had to replace the block to run high boost not so here. Also, the 20th has the recaro seats, which I love and just feels lighter than my camaro and Audi S4, so if it comes to a great driving car with out any abnormal issues and can be used daily, this is the car for you... You will love it

• 

  Great Car! - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Swank - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Great Car, Fun to Drive, Limited Edition, High Tuning Capability, Has all the extras, Very Satisfied Owner!!!

• 

  98 New Beetle - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By vwfarris - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Sturdy, fun to drive and responsive. The NB is a pleasure to encounter amid the overdone body styles. It has fairly serious lack of quality in the electrical components. Switches, coils, fuse blocks and fans are of less than acceptable quality. If you can do these repairs or have a trustworthy technican available you will love it.

• 

  VW not very customer oriented - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dotts - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Overall, my vehicle is excellent. Good engine, great fuel economy (~46 mpg), well-designed. However, on three separate occasions, my window fell into the door and would not go up. This was covered under warranty, but nevertheless, was inconvenient. I called VW customer care to complain, feeling that they owed me an explanation and some special compensation. They were not willing to give me even a cupholder, despite my inconvenience. Buyers beware! VW doesnt stand behind their product!

• 

  Best Darn Car Ever! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Cody - August 30 - 8:00 am

  This car has it all. Comfort and Umph! All gears have something to offer: first and second for zipping around the city, third and fourth for passing / getting out of jams, and fifth and sixth for the long trips and showing off. Yes, 5 and 6 still have plenty of pep. 207 lbs. of torque! Oh... Compare your service plan to the GTI.

• 

  Never again! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ERIK - August 30 - 2:56 am

  I like this car. Great features, good looks, good performance. What i hate is vw service. I do not think that vw was ready for the luxury level clientel. My car has been in the shop for more than a month in the 15 months ive owned it. Although there is full warranty but most items are not paid for. There have been numerous recalls. Going for a service is worse than going to a dentist. In conclusion although i like this car and enjoy driving it, the pains that i have been through with 4 different vw dealerships in los angeles area has made me vow to never again buy another vw, no matter how good the car might be.

• 

  Money pit - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jeff C. - August 29 - 3:53 am

  This car looks great and is fun to drive. Unfortunately, it is also unreliable and lacks quality. I purchased this car in 2001 with only 17k miles on it. Since that time I have had electrical problems, power window problem, steering collumn problem, some recall, had to replace the brakes, headlight out, battery dead, new tires, broken interior vent, and now at 46,000 miles a new water pump, timing belt and gaskets/seals for oil leak. Now, there is some recall for the suspension. Ridiculous. When you combine the lack of reliability with the exorbitant service costs for this vehicle, it is definitely a money pit.