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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  Like it or leave it! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ry1987 - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I find that most people have a like it or leave it attitude with jettas, they either like the styling or dont. Like the build quality or dont. Build quality is something that these cars have problems with and volkswagen knows about it so 95% of the things that are going to go wrong do so under warranty and its not a problem. The car is a blast to drive although the 180hp engines in the newer cars would have been nice to have there are times when I feel underpowered. The clutch on all volkswagens lets out(grabs/catches) extremely high which is another thing that I am not too fond of. The suspension and chassis are awsome the car handles extremely well.

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  2001 VW Garbage - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Kalacokid - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems ever since I purchased this vehicle new. The anti-lock brake motor went out within three monthe, the mass air flow sensor has had to be replaced three times, the timing belt broke taking the head and valves along with it. The dealer fixed at a cost of $2700.00 and within 20,000 miles something else has broken and the way it acts it seems to be in the valve train again. Interior latches on glove box and center console have broken and the CD player play only when it wants to. Im not hard on cars at all as my last two GM vehicles had 259000 and 242000 miles sold. These problems are unacceptable.

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  Love My Touareg! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By mghartman - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my V6 Touareg in Nov 2003 and have around 12,000 miles on it at this time. This is a wonderful vehicle for long road trips in a variety of conditions -- dry, rain or ice. It is also a nice ride in town or on freeways. If I had it to do over again, I would purchase this very same vehicle. I absolutely love it!

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  Excellent Driving Experience - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By DonCarson - February 11 - 10:00 am

  The 2004 Passat TDI is a well built, fun car to drive with excellent torque for a diesel and power to spare on both highway and urban driving.

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  I love my Jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By BeeMyBabi - February 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd Jetta and I am an avid fan. It comfortably fits my family of 3 and this car is mainly used for commuting. Great fuel economy. I would purchase another again. Outstanding that most upgraded features in other cars comes standard with this VW such as air, upgraded stereo, power windows/locks, and alarm. Handles very well and pick up is great on the manual.

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  GREAT CAR! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jean M - February 11 - 10:00 am

  My VW Jetta is great. I get great gas mileage and love driving the car. It has good pick up and drives great. The one thing I would change about the interior is the color. I have black and it is so HOT in the summer. Other than that, I have no complaints about the car. Volkswagon is wonderful company to deal with. I highly recommend the car to everyone.

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  Fun to Drive - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By gptiguan - February 11 - 5:11 am

  Living on a mountain, I needed a SUV with four wheel drive but didnt need a big vehicle. I test drove the gamut of small SUVs. The Tiguan was the right size and out performed most of the cars out there I looked at. The Tiguan is so much smoother over the bumps and quieter than my last car that it has really become a joy to drive. I like the firm but comfortable feel of the suspension and steering. Its a great car for traversing a mountain with its bends and curves. Once the turbo kicks in, the car has plenty of power and has lots of low-end torque. This gives it plenty of power to get up and down the hill. I understand now why people who own VWs love driving them now. Theyre fun!

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  Soooo cute but sooo stupid - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Rebecca Myrtle - February 11 - 2:36 am

  I love the look of the jetta. Fun to Drive but at 40,000 miles my transmission went and took the computer with it. 3 trips to the mechanics fixed but it still does this clunk when accelerating. The interior has peeled, something up front rattles, airbag cover on passanger side shrank and fell off and you cannot charge your cell phone if you want to listen to the radio. The radio is all static until you pull the charger out.But they are so cute! But what happened to quality VW! Im not sure I would buy on again. I dont like the new ones anyway, they look like a nissan!

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  Great MPG, cant believe the savings - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By peanut - February 10 - 7:43 am

  I picked it up in Tampa and drove 800 miles home. I got 42 mpg on average and the engine is not even broken in yet. The storage is great and will be perfect for my sales job. The savings on gas even with Diesel being higher is really great. Fun to drive, just as peppy and fun as the BMW X3 I drove. I would recommend to the person who wants to be environmental but needs a functional engine. I was able to pass trucks and get out of the way when needed which was my only concern initially. Did get the extended warranty being a new engine and style.

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  Volkswagen Touareg V6 - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Kadri - February 9 - 12:03 pm

  The Volkswagen Touareg is a great SUV, an example of this is when I went off-roading with this bad boy. Another great feature that I like is the Tire Pressure Monitior since you can actually check out the pressure of all 4 tires. Also I recently got a trialer hitch attached to my Touareg which can tow up 7,500 pounds. In my opinion I shouldve gotten the V8 since it gives the brawny power of the German cars today, even though the fuel economy would deterioate