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:

• 

  Safe, powerful, no mechanical problems, - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Felipe M Pait - August 7 - 10:00 am

  Drives very well, "dynamic safety" is the buzzword. Standard safety features do not tempt buyer to economize in the wrong places. Station wagons trunk spacious for car size. Engine has a lot of power, actually way more than needed. Fuel economy with turbo manual is _better_ than EPA rating; I get 30 mpg in my normal drive. No mechanical problems after 2 years, 25K miles, Boston winters. Quibbles: Windshield wipers noisy. Console in GLS model has to be in the up position, otherwise it interferes with stick shift, better not have one. Car was delivered without proper wheel balancing and alignment: dealer fixed at no cost, but still.

• 

  Noisy Interior - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dashboard noise - August 7 - 10:00 am

  Nice car, but the interior sounds like a "maracas"

• 

  my vw jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By punkstar220 - August 7 - 10:00 am

  The jetta (or any volkswagen) is the best car in the world I love the speed and beauty of the German engineering. I wil never buy another make of car as long as I live!

• 

  Got 53 MPG! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Steve & Vicki - August 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought my new Jetta Wagon in July 03, In August we drove from Indpls,IN to Ocean City MD and averaged 48+ MPG.Its a 5 speed stick and now Im averaging 52 MPG. very pleased with the car the sound system is excellent,(monsoon) Its a very efficient little vehicle. I recomend it highly the best Milage Ive achieved is 57 MPG. I look forward to many years of fun driving ahead!

• 

  Wonderful car for DIYers - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Adam - August 6 - 10:17 pm

  The Passat TDI is an amazing car that returns excellent fuel economy with PLENTY of smiles per gallon to go with it. That is, if youre willing to due your due diligence to take care of it. Use only VW 507.00 approved oil, do your 40k DSG services (YOURSELF to save a lot of money) and dont drive like an idiot. Also, a lot of people neglect the DSG transmission on the TDI and never do the 40k service intervals. If you are willing to 1. Do you own oil changed to be ABSOLUTELY SURE that VW 507.00 oil goes into the car, 2. Do your own DSG service (plenty of guides telling you how to do it, and in idparts.com you can get a complete kit for $130) every 40 (Ive done it and its not all that bad), 3. protect your turbo by not running the car super hard right before shutting it off, then this car is an absolute joy to drive. I dont know why other cars have had turbo failures, but a lot of it could do with the engine oil being used and the way it is driven. If you drive a turbocharged car hard and shut it off not long after that, the engine oil in the turbo will "burn" because of how hot the turbo gets when driven hard. The way to avoid this is to drive the car normally/gently for the last few minutes before shutting it off to allow the circulating oil to cool the turbo to a safe temperature. Anyway, it could be something totally different. All I know is, my car has had NO failures whatsoever in its history, and even though the 40k DSG service was not completed by the previous owner, the car shifted really smooth when I bought it. After doing a DSG service myself soon after the purchase, the shifting improved even further to a buttery smoothness that you dont even notice unless youre looking at the RPM cluster. On long trips I average 45mpg, but my overall average since buying the car is 41mpg.

• 

  ok car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ok car - August 6 - 7:26 pm

  I think everyone has the same problems with these cars. Drove two hours to pick the car up at a dealership. Drove home about a 1hour after I drove it the water pump went out, Took it back they replace it for free. But I should of listen to my girlfriend, she told me not to keep it after that. Wish I would listen .

• 

  Old New Beetle - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By NY VW - August 6 - 4:16 pm

  I just bought an 02 Beetle. It is six years old with 117,000 miles on it. I got it for well under book. It is awesome on gas and so far its a decent car. It is noisy at speed and the cupholders are pretty useless unless you drink small coffees only. Other than that its a cheap ride with a cool feel. Farvegnugen!

• 

  Hope to keep mine for a long time - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By EOS for MEOS - August 6 - 3:06 pm

  I agree with the positive reviews seen below, so Ill just add my 2 cents to their comments :-) Like others, Id never even heard of this car until I started shopping around. Before, I was going to own either a Sky/Solstice. I drove the Solstice and it was quick and throaty but in the bang for your buck category, the EOS has no peer, IMHO. Im getting 26-27 mpg around town, but be warned, heavy footed drivers (like my WIFE!) will get 4-5 less mpg. The shifting in this automatic 6 speed is so smooth that you dont notice unless you watch the tach. There are so many features on the "trip computer" that you may not use half (and Im a geek!). Save yourself some time and test drive this first!

• 

  you gotta get one!!! - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By rnisco - August 6 - 7:46 am

  i have driven my Phaeton over 4500 miles and am convinced it is one of the finest cars made. I have taken it to 128mph and it is composed and quiet. My wife, who is always asking me to slow down, said to keep at 100mph. The suspension and brakes are just wonderful. I have owned 500s and 7501l and this is my favorite. It is the best road car I have ever owned. Gas mileage is great at 80 to 100 mph- but city mpg is poor. They should have their own badge - it would sell better if it had its own division.

• 

  German quality is gone for good - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By sayNOtoVW - August 6 - 2:13 am

  Was fun in the beginning. Now that the sludge problem (well known by VW, but denied - google the internet) has manifested itself the car is only driven when i know someone can come pick me up when it breaks down. After $7000 in engine repairs (all routine maintenance done on schedule by VW dealers) the car is running again but it took three trips back to the dealer to get everything fixed. "Sorry", "out of warranty", "havent seen this problem in the 2005s are just a few of the things said by VW America and dealer. Ill never buy VW and would not recommend to anyone.