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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  Too Much for too Little - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By JHK - May 16 - 6:53 am

  This truck is supposedly built on the Porsche Cayenne platform. It is okay, but it came from the factory with alignment problems that VW knew about, ignored, and refused to pay for. This ate up the crappy tires it came equipped with. It also has crappy brakes with poor stopping power despite ABS - Ive had many near misses. Buy a car the manufacturer stays behind. There are better options out there for the money.

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  Caveat Emptor- VW Passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By splittie - May 16 - 4:23 am

  I am not a first time VW owner. I have owned 7 VW’s over the years (’68 Karmann Ghia, ‘84 Scirocco, ‘82 Rabbit (petrol), ‘88, Camper, ‘93 Jetta GLX, ‘97 Passat, and my current 2006 Passat 2.0T). I have been a loyal VW customer through the good, bad, and the ugly. My VW opinion changed forever after my recent VW purchase : 2006 Passat 2.0t with a 6 speed manual. The car not only left me stranded on the 101 at 3 am in the middle of nowhere California but it caught fire minutes after the car shut off

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  VW Eos Executive........comfortable in its own skin - 2014 Volkswagen EOS
  By jbeloff - May 15 - 10:02 pm

  It is a beautiful understated car that gets it all done. Some say it lacks character and does not hold up to the competition. Havent really figured out what those folks are talking about. It has top shelf quality, modern tech and is a blast to drive. All convertibles lack something. The criticism I read is it not one of the cool kids in its class. Funny though, us owners are having a great time without drawing attention. We enjoy a ride that caters to our needs and not those on the outside. I will own for a very long time. Its a great car.

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  Quirky at first, but great! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Redhead - May 15 - 6:53 pm

  I am a first time Jetta owner. I bought the 4dr wagon, and my husband owns a GTI. We love our VWs. We had some minor electrical problems at first, but the dealer fixed them in a timely fashion. Great ride, safe, and lots of room!

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  More diesel, please! - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ray_j - May 15 - 5:00 pm

  I decided to give up the commuter/family mover (Prius) in favor of the inspired driving characteristics, superior cargo room, and better looks of the JSW. Not wanting to give up on the efficiency, however, made the decision for the TDI flavor much more of a "need" than a "want". Well worth the premium price. I often find myself forgetting when the last time I refueled. The interior treatment is far superior to the JSWs competition, with excellent audio/entertainment accompaniments and vastly superior quality of materials/workmanship. Cargo hauling is also a big plus; after moving our household, I can attest to the versatility of having a wagon vice a sedan, or an mpg nightmare (SUVs).

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  Great Performer;Construction needs help - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By Andrew Brader - May 14 - 2:53 pm

  Absolutely love the car. Small fit and finish items are not quite on par with the care of in designing the rest of the vehicle. E-brake button fell off, Cover for seat mechanism fell off. Lever for moving seat forward unhinged, but surprisingly went back in place with minor ease. I consider all of this minor as the car is still under warranty and this items are non-mechanical. All of the special options for the car work like a dream. Heated seats, heated mirrors, climate control, 4Motion, self-dimming rear-view mirror has all been used extensively and no failures noted to date. This is a powerful car and is dangerous to the unexperienced driver.

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  Lemon Alert! - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By MYREDGOLF - May 14 - 10:00 am

  My Golf is a fun car BUT maintenance is a big problem. So far over $4,000.00 dollars has been spent on warranty work! I am lucky it has all been covered by VW, even after the warrenty has expired. This is a fun car, but plan to spend a lot of time at the dealer getting things fixed.

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  Great Car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Stephie - May 14 - 10:00 am

  Overall I am pleased with the car.

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  Fun to drive, but poor reliability - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Rad97 - May 14 - 10:00 am

  Positives: Fun to drive, handles rain & snow well, excellent interior design, good brakes, 18 mpg city/24 mpg hwy, steering is responsive and right on. Negatives: Unreliable! this car has been in the shop many times! Dead battery, malfunctioning fuel gauge, check engine light too many times to count, broken sunroof cable etc. The gearing of the transmission needs to be adjusted to improve acceleration from a stopped position. Midrange acceleration is excellent, however. Stereo sound is very average, middle armrest is a joke, suspension is too soft for aggressive driving, tires too small.

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  DO NOT BUY - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jason Meigs - May 14 - 10:00 am

  DO not buy this car, they have had several recalled parts and they take NO responsibility if the car breaks even with a bumper to bumper waranty i had the car for 9 months and the transmission broke they made me pay 3000.00 for it then the eslectrical system went out and they covered it but it took 5 weeks to get it finished and do not even try to get a rental car from these people..PLEASE do not make the same mistake i did. once you drive off the dealership VW has no concern for you. I rate this car as horrible. there are several websites dedicated to VW lemons., they are hurting MANY people do not let them betray you...