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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  Crappy Car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Aril86 - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Had to fix numerous times, otherwise good performance and fun to drive.

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  reliability? - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VW user - May 18 - 2:00 am

  This word doesnt exist in VW dictionary, before buying one of these talk to the VW mechanic - take him out to lunch. This vehicle is nothing but problems: windows,C02 sensors, gas fuel leaking, rattling, squeling, check engine light lives its own life on/off,

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  Beetle Madness - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By wlplumb - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Wifey loves it! Clutch went at 8K mi. Dealer wanted to blame me. Roadside service provided damaged car but would not repair. Second clutch OK at 52K. Pieces fall off all the time. Cosmetic engine cover snapped in two in cold weather. Headlights fail frequently and cost $55 to replace due to stupid design of light housing. Front grille fall off all the time due to stupid design of fasteners. Interior: no illumination on half the dash so you cant operate the HVAC at night. Dash protrudes so your hand collides with it when shifting (its a 5-spd.)

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  Cant keep it running - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By rustyII - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Its been in the shop more time (almost) than in my garage. QC saddly lacking. Engine quits unexpectedly. 6-cylinder engine hopelessly underpowered, even going uphill at freeway speeds. The goofy transmission hunts and pecks endlessly to find the right gear and has to rev the engine very high to get where it wants to go. Styling doesnt wear well either. Its looking more like a typical bar-of-soap car every time I look at it. Even the leather is showing wear and tear and is beginning to look cheap. And this is only 6-months old!! VW should concentrate on making cheap bugs and stay out of marked segments where it doesnt belong.

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  Great car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Povvy - May 18 - 2:00 am

  I love driving this car. It is a complete joy, peppy, and reliable, easy to steer with no play in the wheel. Ir turns corners at almost 90 degrees and brakes beautifully.

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  jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By punkstar220 - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The Jetta is the best car out there. I love every thing about it the speed, body style, interior, the quality and preformance, and the price. If you are looking for a great car at a good price the JETTA is the best of the BEST.

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  Fun & economical - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dennis Lancaster - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought it for business mostly freeway driving to max MPG. Getting 46 to 53 MPG with plenty of power. Except for a little puff of blue smoke on cold start up cannot tell it is a diesel. Running great so far. Really neat little car for one person. Not really enough room for passengers. Terrible back seats for passengers but easy to lay down for storage of lugguge. Blue instrument panel lighting takes a little getting use to but looks cool. Been in snow and ice for two weeks now. Manual trans really helps. Have 4000 miles on it now and would buy it again.

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  Handles well while being struck by cows - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Clark - May 17 - 11:43 pm

  If you drive near free range cattle this car handles exceptionally well while being struck by a cow. The sound system is just ok though.

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  An Outstanding Luxury Vehicle - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By RAD - May 17 - 10:30 pm

  This is a great car. I have owned BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lexus etc. Undoubtedly, this is the most luxurious, elegant, unpretentious (which suits me), best riding, quiet car of all. I wanted an all wheel drive luxury car and VW has come through in spades. I am looking to a Bentley but when comparing it to the Phaeton find it difficult to justify the higher price and cant imagine the build quality could be that much superior.

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  Best in its class - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Mohammad Bari - May 17 - 10:00 am

  I have never seen a car in this class to have such stylish interior. It feel like you are in those expensive german cars. The performance is great and driving the car is so much fun and you will never get enough with this car. Once you experience its luxury its hard to go to other types of cars in its class.