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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  First few weeks with the 08 R32 - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By Mark L - April 23 - 1:56 am

  First off, I am a 43 year old fun car junkie with a family. The Corvette has to wait till the kids leave. This is one cool car in the meantime. Looks different, lots of fun to drive. Not as fast as an EVO or STI, but so much more upscale and solid, still plenty fast enough though. My first AWD car, I have had both FWD and RWD, dont like FWD, like RWD, and now I also really like AWD. I have always owned a standard manual transmission so the DSG was an experiment, very very cool, I may never go back. Extremely linear power delivery, sounds cool while doing it to. Only have a few tanks on it so far, gas mileage is about 19 in mixed driving and no abuse since its still not broken in.

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  Great real car - 2012 Volkswagen GTI
  By dingol - April 22 - 6:50 pm

  I drive sports cars. I frequently end up selling them due to not being able to use all their power and features on the road. The GTI Gives real world performance. You can utilize all the gears without committing a felony. Well balanced. Powerful but not too much. Power comes on smoothly from about 2000 rpm (when boost is entered) all the way up. No need to keep it up at redline all day. I finally have a car that is comfortable enough to commute in yet still sporty enough to take the twisty way home. If youre a number racer, buy a Ferrari. If you love to drive pick up the gti. Easy real 4 passenger commuter near mini s performance. Corners near red territory.

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  good, but coud be so much better - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By gary warren - April 22 - 2:46 pm

  As a salesman with bulky samples to lug around it is perfect, small outside, huge inside. "removable" seats arent very sophisticated, the driving position is very awkward, needs the Passat tilt wheel ( why DIDNT THEY!)also needs a REAL overdrive to help improve mileage. The handling is quite good, feels solid, it IS a little noisy at speed . I have over 58,000 now and dealer says the A/C compressor might need replaced ?(choke) overall, it took awhile to "get used to" but it suits my needs quite well.

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  A waste of money - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By bluebenz - April 22 - 11:41 am

  Paid big bucks for this car, problems from day one. Check engine lights, water leaks, rattles, rattles and more rattles, interior parts that break, horrible build quality.

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  WOW - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Paul - April 22 - 9:56 am

  This is our third Volkswagen, and our second new Beetle. We decided to go with the TDI on this sunflower yellow purchase. Overall the interior and exterior are pretty much the same as our 2002 turbo GLX Beetle, with the exception of the diesel engine. So far the Beetle has lived up to everything that Volkswagen has promised from it. The fit and finish are excellent. For a diesel it is amazingly quiet and is responsive to acceleration. It has surpassed our expectations on mile to the gallon. My fun meter is always pegged whenever I drive either Beetle. I cant say enough good things about the new beetle. Suspension, handling, economy, acceleration, features, fun, it is peerless in its class.

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  Happy Owner - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By logdoc - April 22 - 12:46 am

  With 97,000 miles on this car I still get 35 mpg on the highway. The sound system is great. The only aspect that is weak is the AC which takes a while to get into high gear. This is a 4banger turbo and it will still hit 100 mph when passing. I used to drive a 79 Mercedes 450SEL, but this Passat has so much more going for it.

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  A Week into it, I love my 2013 CC LUX - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By lasubeguy - April 21 - 2:42 pm

  I just took delivery of my new 2013 CC LUX in black oak brown with the two-tone tan/black interior and I LOVE this car! It is elegant, sporty, plenty quick enough for me and beautifully designed both inside and out. I still am astonished at how much people have complained about the grille redesign of the CC. It is relatively minor, and the car still reeks of German style and engineering (and, by the way, unlike the Passat and Jetta, is still made in Germany). It has the tight, "hard" Teutonic ride of a German car, but is also comfortable. The electronics, controls in the cabin and knobs and buttons all feel high quality and operate smoothly. The overall feeling of the car is quite Audi-like.

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  Dont buy - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By steponme274 - April 21 - 9:43 am

  Ive had my car for two years. At first I loved it, it was cute and trendy. Well now every time I pull out of a parking space my front bumper falls off. Ive had to replace two batteries. My electric windows died. The interior is shot ( leaks, falling headliner, parts breaking.) Ive spent thousands in repairs. Today Im going to the auto shop to replace the reference sensor $233 and the oxygen sensor $247. Non stop repairs

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  Really Durable with V6 and manual. - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By VWall the time - April 20 - 9:56 pm

  This is my 2nd Passat; 1999 V6 5-speed Sedan was amazing for 10 years and 140k miles. Despite hard use, reliability was excellent(6,000+ revs common; 50/50 highway/backroads; fast cornering; some rough roads; stored for long periods). The timing belt was expensive, replaced radiator at the same time since front of the car has to be dismantled. Also had to replace control arms/bushings and CV joints. Valve cover gasket prone to leaking. Cracked oil pan 2x on steep driveways/bumps (likely somewhat my fault due to 1/2-inch lower European suspension springs). AC conked out in year 9. Still has original clutch. My other cars are BMW M3s which I race - but cant sell VW, I like it too much!

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  7K miles in 3 months - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By ct_to_nc - April 20 - 9:21 pm

  My top 2 criteria for buying this car: 1. fuel economy, 2. performance. I average around 39 miles / gallon with mostly highway driving. As far as performance, it feels more like a sports car. In fact, it has a sport suspension. Acceleration is quick, whether looking to spontaneously pass on the highway or off the line from a stop. It is a solidly built quality vehicle. As of now, I have no regrets for spending the money to purchase this vehicle. It is truly a joy to drive.