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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  Dont Buy the 2.5! - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rgtreste - June 16 - 9:46 pm

  Do NOT buy the 2.5! If you do, you are selling yourself short. I owned one for 8 months before realizing how awful the gas mileage is: 21mpg in the city/hwy. NOT COOL! I traded up for a Wolfsburg 2.0T and absolutely love it, not to mention it gets much better fuel economy. Another thing i didnt like about the 2.5 was the loud engine, especially at start-up, that sound isnt even heard in the new TDI. Another positive note: i drove this car for 12 hours to Fl. and did not feel tired and worn out when i got there. This car is way comfortable.

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  Not the bang for your buck. - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dejaentendu247 - June 16 - 4:16 am

  I bought this car and literally a couple months later everything started going bad. Ive replaced the exhaust system, shocks, cam shaft sensiry, spark plugs, fuel injectors, the whole coolant system, and the list goes on. The style of this car is awesome, and the interior is really cool too, but its been non stop trouble for me. If you want to own any Jetta around this year, you might as well buy a Mercedes Benz b/c youll spend the same amount. Honda and Toyota will never leave you hangin. (The spark plug wires alone were $100.00, which should be $20 bucks)

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  "Wow" - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Fan - June 16 - 3:20 am

  Drove 5 hours to DC area to get color combination 5spd I wanted; traded in 07 Civic, best 5 hour drive back Ive ever had! Power, torque & handling are incredible! This is the way a car is supposed to handle! Getting 25 mpg, just like I anticipated the 5 cyl would. This my 8th VW, but have not had one in the last 5 years; this one is the "best of all the rest!"-- Dont need a GTI!

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  This car is amazing - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By joshall - June 15 - 10:36 pm

  Ive had this car for almost two years now and still walk outside and smile. I will have put almost 70,000 miles on it when I get to two years (I drive from site to site for work) and have had no issues I couldnt handle myself. While parts are expensive for the car, it is amazingly reliable. It may cost $60 to change the oil or $50 if you do it yourself, but you only have to change it every 8,000 - 10,000 miles because it uses fully synthetic oil. I havent sensed any power loss after all this time and hope to keep this car FOREVER.

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  Awesome!! - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By jaime - June 15 - 4:23 pm

  I am happy to write a review on my cc. I needed a car to move around town, I average 120 miles a day commuting. I looked at lexus iseries and bmw 3 series but wanted something different . This car gets so much attention,, everyone says its the prettiest vw they have seen. It is so fun to drive i hardly feel the commute and dont mind getting on the road. It has never given me any mechanical problems and feels as new and exciting to drive even today after over 30k miles. I highly recommend it and plan on keeping it for a very long time. If you enjoy driving a quality car and dont care for flashy brand names and still like to stand out from the rest of the sheep this is the car for you!

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  Great Car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By fincher22 - June 14 - 2:40 pm

  A very good value. Compares very well to higher priced entry level autos such as BMW, Audi, MB, and Volvo.

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  Hitlers revenge - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Shaunt80 - June 14 - 10:00 am

  I had bought this car thinking that it was going to be the greatest thing. Engine is perfect, handling is so so, but the reliability is pathetic. I have had for 1 1/2 years and have had it in service 11 times.

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  2000 VW Passatt is the Worst! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By soozzn - June 13 - 7:53 pm

  What can I say about a car that was built during the Octoberfest? This car is a MONEYPIT. I researched many hours to endup with something that I have rebuilt. It has a new water pump, three new sensors, new ball joints, and a new radiator. We also have replaced three oil pan covers due to their cheap plastic. It aloways needs new tires and alignment. Now it has a short in the ABS sensor that will cost $1,300 to replace and the clutch is slipping. Oops one of the electric mirror knobs broke off. How can you drive without adjusting the mirrors? What else can I say? Its time for another Japanese car. My patience is lost and no one gives a DARN. The dealers just take my money. I have had it! I am afraid of VWs. Does anyone have similar feelings?

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  scary test drive - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By pilo - June 11 - 2:00 am

  I went test driving a used 2000 Jetta with an actual mileage of 27180 last night (February 28). I thought February was the month of "love" but it felt like November 1 to me when I opened the driver side door and sat on the seat. They were creaking. The salesman (who broke the hinges of the glove box when I asked if the manual was still with the car) said that "because it was cold and seating in the lot for almost two weeks". But since I really liked the exterior design, I went for the test drive, made two turns and backed to the dealership.....the cover of the visors mirror broke. Sorry Jetta, it may have to stay longer in the lot.

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  I got stuck with a bad one - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tiffanypatterson4 - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Unfortunately my car had the wiring harness hacked into and was a bad purchase. The dealership never told me this. I had to find it out on my own when my car started having electrical problems a month after purchasing it. It took another VW dealer than where I purchased it to tell me the real problem that the main wiring harness was hacked by someone installing an auto start, I didnt even know the car had an auto start. Created a site at suckerswanted.com