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:

• 

  WOW - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By mfx1001 - November 18 - 12:04 am

  While visiting my sister, we went to a Mercedes dealer and looked at a C300 that she was interested in. She was trading in her old Mercedes and felt that theres nothing like a Mercedes. There was a VW dealer down the block from Mercedes, and since Ive always wanted to look at a VW CC, we went down the street to check it out. Our first impression was "wow"! We took one out for a test drive and that was it. She got a new CC Sport and I bought a used 2009 Lux ltd. We both couldnt be happier. The cars ride and handling are well controlled and very comfortable. Interior and exterior are beautifully done. Yahoo, its fun to drive again!!!

• 

  Not happy with reliability - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By evohog99 - November 17 - 11:10 pm

  I bought a 2010 model Sportwagon TDI in January 2011. Last model available on clearance sale. It is the fully loaded one with the huge sunroof and all the goodies. DSG transmission. Had it 3 and half years it has 70K on in and this is the list of problems I have had. Sun roof problem Injector failure Injector wire harness failure Transmission cap broke and leaked tranny fluid out. Now the AC went out this weekend The transmission is extremely expensive to do regular maintenance on. I would only recommend a stick shift to anyone buying a VW TDI.

• 

  Had the car for about 2 years and some change. - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jesse Vail - November 17 - 4:03 pm

  I get a lot of complements on the look of the car and passengers love the heated leather seats here in upstate NY. Only have had 1 issue so far and that was a bad crank position sensor which caused the car to jolt and stall while driving with no check engine light, went to dealer and was told "Unfortunately youre going to have to drive it until a light comes on" which kind of sucked considering my pregnant girlfriend rides in the car and it stalls leaving is short handed as far as power steering and hydrolic brakes. Other than that I LOVE the Fender Sound System, it sounds amazing. Tons of trunk space. Fun to drive and navigation has yet to leave me stranded! Thats a plus.

• 

  DONT BUY AB EOS - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By jws6 - November 17 - 12:43 pm

  I bought the eos for my wife for mothers day! What a mistake! My wife likes the concept but the car burns a ton of oil. They have been doing the weight test and claims its within vw specs but we have to add oil every week its crazy and a very common problem with all of these cars! The other MAJOR issue is water. The car leaks water badly and smells like MOLD all the time. I have brought it back 3 times now and they have replaced all the carpet and it is still a problem. last weekend my wife took her sneakers out of the trunk and they were soaked and her gym shorts we could ring the water out of them and the car smells like mold AGAIN. Ive contacted my lawyer!

• 

  Worlds better than last gen - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JD - November 17 - 8:40 am

  The new Jetta is soo much better than the 2004 model that I test drove. The new car has more standard features roomier, faster, and handles much better. The little touches are what makes a car better than its competition and VW has loads of them, from the rain sensing wipers to the turn signal mirrors with the courtesy lights in them, and the blue gauges are a nice touch as well. I went to the dealer looking to buy a diesel but Im glad I didnt this car gets better mileage than its rated 30 hwy I averaged 32 mpg and have heard stories of 37 mpg if you drive at the speed limit. If your looking for a lot of car for not too much money give the new jetta a try you will be surprised.

• 

  Fun, Practical, Unique - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Pete3106 - November 17 - 8:10 am

  Have had this Cabrio since new and only had problems with window regulators - fixed under warranty. Really enjoy the solid top in all kinds of weather. Have had two of these and both have been great.

• 

  Lots of Fun - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Alin I. - November 17 - 3:16 am

  Ive already put 5,000 miles on my 2006 Jetta GLI, package 2. The only problem so far happened at 1000 miles when it wouldnt start after a heavy rain. The dealer could not find anything wrong, they just replugged the battery. I previously owned an 03 Passat 1.8T and I have to say the Jetta is much faster and fun to drive. At the beginning I was reluctant about the DSG tranny as I had only manual tranny cars in the past. DSG is more than manual and automatic transmissions combined! It is faster than a manual, with no torque converter, commodity of auto in traffic jams. The fuel consumption for a 35 miles/day commute city and highway combined is 24-25 mpg - not bad for performance, just a bit more than my old Passat. Price $27,300.

• 

  My Putt Putt car - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Cabrio Enthusiast - November 16 - 10:00 am

  I really do love this car. I cant help but smile when the top is down! I call it my putt-putt car because this is the kind of car you just want to cruise around in.

• 

  Love it, better than Civic, but......... - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mykaelp - November 16 - 10:00 am

  Great looking car, a little expensive, have had problems with it. Mainly it would die starting it in the morning when it was cold outside. Dealer fixed it after several days, lousy service from them, and they broke my cruise control and had to go back to them to fix that. I have a lot of squeaks and rattles that would never happen in a Japanese car, dont get me wrong I love it, but VW needs some quality improvement to make me loyal.

• 

  Passat W8 - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW-Newbie - November 16 - 10:00 am

  When I began searching for a new vehicle I wasnt even aware that an "upscale" Passat was available. I had made a list of vehicles to test drive - the Audi A6 2.7T, Volvo S60 T5, Acura TL Type S, BMW 3 series and the Lincoln LS. Thankfully some people online informed me that an all-new VW was available with 8 cylinders AND all wheel drive. After one test drive I was sold! I still went out and test drove other vehicles, but none felt as "complete" as the W8. If you are looking for a car that combines performance, safety and a fun-to-drive spirit for under $40k then you owe it to yourself to test drive the VW Passat W8.