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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  Passat - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Napp - September 23 - 1:16 pm

  The Passat diesel has two great qualities and one big poor one. The gas mileage is fantastic, 38 mpg town and 45 mpg or better highway. The performance is fantastic, it feels like a higher end car, more than what you pay for it. The seats are comfortable. However, the interior stinks! The finish on the handles, and all over, flaked in the first month of use. The interior is not just plastic but cheap plastic and things fall apart without much use. Without power seats the hand cranck brings down the appeal of this high perfomance car. The interior easily marks up and cannot be wiped down. The service has been very good, but theres not much they can do to fix the flaking.

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  2009 VOLKSWAGEN TDI - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RODNEY - September 23 - 2:26 am

  The car is great! It handles like a sportscar with good acceleration. It is smooth a high speeds. Lots of cargo space with the rear seats that fold down flat. Decent fuel economy averaging 35-39 mpg depending on speeds.

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  VW Passat - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By cassie8844 - September 22 - 11:26 pm

  I bought this car last year at an auction. The minute I saw it I loved it and after I took it for a drive I knew I had to have it. Well I did expect to have to fix some things considering I bought it from an auction and I got it for a pretty low price. I took it to a mechanic after I got it and he told me the ball joints needed to be replaced,among a few other things. This car has eight ball joints! I got the money for it and have someone to fix it and now I cannot find the parts. I have no idea why it is so difficult to find parts for this car but I would never buy another VW for that reason.

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  Very Pleased - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By CDE - September 22 - 5:00 am

  I am a first time VW buyer and so far I could not be any happier with my purchase. I got a 2006 pk1 for $22,300 and WOW this car is off the chain with performance. I have owned Hondas and Toyotas and they do not come close with anything vs. the Passat.

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  I love my Passat Wagon! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By idelln - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Two things I would add: 1. I loved the Keyless entry that I had on my 95 Taurus. It is a wonderful item to guard against locking your keys in the car but still able to get into the car. 2. I liked the way the Taurus headlights turned off automatically after getting out of the car & walking away.

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  vw passat - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By bgibbon - September 22 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive, looks good , has great performance and gets good gas milage. An attractive car without the gaudy looks of some of the other cars being designed today, classy and understated.

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  Great Car! - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Max_Quebec - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Im very satisfied about my GTI 1.8T 2002! Fun to drive, but too much rattle sound who comes from averywhere!.... I think volks should think to upgrade HP in his 1.8T to 225hp minimum! (in competition with subaru 2.5 RS)... The thing i more like in my GTI 1.8T is high torque when you push item over 5500 RPM!!! Whatta feeling!!

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  Excellent vacation mobile - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By rtt108 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  This is the perfect family van. Useful and fun! The MV seating configuration sold us. Traveling with kids is great. Handling is tight and precise. I did add a european headlight switch to activate the rear fog light circuit, and installed a rear fog light. A lot of technical advise is available in Yahoo Groups, under: "ev_update" My wife gets a big kick out of teenagers stopping her in parking lots to tell her "Thats a really cool van!". NOTE: I find most written reviews on this van to be either wildly inaccurate, or so full of personal bias as to be useless, if not offensive.

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  Passat 4-Motion Sedan is Outstanding! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By jabphd - September 22 - 2:00 am

  The best looking, most comfortable, reliable, all-round drivable car I have owned in 35 years of driving. We were shopping for an Audi A4 when my wife spotted the Passat. One test drive sold us both. Our car has every creature comfort I could desire, including a back seat that really will accommodate 3 fully grown adults comfortably. Its an outstanding road car, as well, with plenty of power, precise handling, and solid feel at high speed. Highway gas mileage is good (26-29 mpg), but city is not (12-15 mpg). Aside from that, I would be happy never to own another car than our Passat.

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  Mixed feelings about this sexy wagon - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By brandobean - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought this wagon (GLX V6) based on the myriads of hyped reviews on this site, the web, magazines and even consumer reports. I have mixed feelings about my purchase. CONCLUSION: Nice looking and driving car. But overall, it rattles more than my my sisters 10 year old honda accord (see below)! I would not buy this car again. I would buy an accord, but I needed the wagon functionality.