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:

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  Great Car - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By M NINE - April 8 - 6:10 pm

  This is an amazing car if you want an affordable, convenient, all-purpose, luxurious daily driver thats fast enough to have some fun in. I bought it at 42k, have driven it on many road trips as well as LA daily traffic, which has brought me up to 59k in a year and a half.

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  If I knew - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By siren78 - April 7 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car in general, but I would strongly advised you of some major problems. Take the leather interior, the black material seats will leave you spending hours a week tring to remove the dust that will accumulate on it, and it is extremely hard to remove. Also pay the extra for the 1.8 liter or TDI or even better VR6 cause the regular model is slow, slow slow!!! You will be disapointed it has no power. If I would have to do it all over I would much rather spend that money or less on other models, like acura or nissan ... But the comfort, the cheap fuel and the style still makes it worht buying!

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  You Pay for the performance of a VW - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jay - April 6 - 7:23 am

  Bought it used with 40K miles. Have used it for commuting and drive it hard over two mountains every day. The speed, handling and torque is outstanding. Use V or Z rated tires for better handling. Great in snow! I average 36mpg with an automatic driving hard. Body still looks new. Needs extended sun visors!!! Now the negatives....from 92K to 135K was about $4K in maintainence-- exhaust;cat. converter; axle boots; plus the ENIGINE LIGHT at least 2 time per year at a cost of 3-400 each time! Now faced at 145K whether to keep to dump as I can still pass everyone on the road and go uphills at incredible speed and confidence. Plus--an incredible stereo and safety features for a 10 yr car

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  Love My Cabrio - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By hena11 - April 4 - 12:03 am

  I love driving my Cabrio. I have only had a few issues with its brakes and a few parts that have broken. VWs are expensive to repair, but it is a fun car and I wouldnt trade it.

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  Too many trips to the dealership - 2005 Volkswagen GTI
  By Qlueless - April 3 - 10:33 am

  I have taken this car to the dealership more times in 9 months than my toyota has been in 8 years. I think right now there is water leaking on the passanger side floor, and also the trunk. I have had the trunk lock fixed twice, rear washer, drivers door lock, window fell inside door, had to be towed becuase it would not start, car alarm was going off every night at 3am. Had to leave battery disconnected everytime I got out of the car or the alarm would go off. Drivers seat stuck in place. I used to be a VW mechanic years ago, and this will be the LAST VW that I ever buy.

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  Luxury Golf, more practical than a TT - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By vdub69 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Since Ive only had this car for almost a week, reliability and quality is not a question that can be answered yet. For this reason, Im giving it a neutral rating. After 100,000 miles Ill let you know how reliable it was and how it holds together. I bought this car partly because I see it as a more practical(and less costly) version of the Audi TT. All-wheel drive (4-motion), similar engine, similar chassis, great stereo, great interior. This is a luxury car in Golf hatchback clothing. Automatic climate control seems to be working great.

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  Stuck in the Sand - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Diana Zimmer - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Two problems, one do not drive in soft sand, you may have to be towed out and two when folding the back seat down, be sure to move the front seat up. Oops, one more thing, dual air temperature controls should allow for dual air flow not just temperature. Overall,I am very pleased and comfy in my new Toureg.

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  First VW - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Guinco - April 3 - 2:00 am

  A great experience I will surely buy VW again

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  I FELL IN LOVE WITH MINE - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By griffith - April 2 - 4:46 pm

  I absolutely love my jetta, great car, and for 4 cylinders its pretty fast, definitely one of the best handling cars. Safe, and it looks awesome, great first car. Reliability has some issues though, it will go into the shop for a seemingly small repair that can come out to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That was more the dealerships fault though for replacing it with cheap parts and selling it, now that mine is fixed, it runs strong with 130k miles. Me and this car have been through a lot together and I will be sad to see it go, when I sell it in a few months. Definitely prefer this over a Japanese car. Its worth the reliability issues and expensive maintenance.

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  Its a Love/Hate relationship... - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Val - April 2 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a cabrio for years and have truly enjoyed the vehicle. Its been great for both road trips and around town...very comfy, lots of fun, and plenty of zip for me. Performs extremely well at high speeds. However - I am less than satisfied with the A/C, peeling door handles, cup holders, and the locking/security system. Im about to take the car in for the 3rd time to fix the A/C (leaking & blowing white powder), the 5th time for the locks (passenger door wont lock from inside), and the handles peeled within 4 mths of ownership. Very discouraging!! Especially in the Texas heat!!