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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  6.5 years, 85,600 miles - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vw2audi - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Just traded in my VW and wanted to share a little from my use. Overall the engine and mechanics worked fine, except for the loud rattle and the oil leakage. All the issues I faced were on the interior; broken hinge on glove box, arm rest broke twice, interior film peeled in several areas, stereo and speakers cut in and out occasionally and the cloth as many stated is absolutely horrible. Good gas mileage and nice to drive.

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  Everyone should own a beetle - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Animalia26 - June 6 - 11:10 pm

  The VW Beetle is a great little car. It combines fuel economy with performance & legendary VW handling. The crash test data speaks for itself. (One of the safest small cars I could find) All you need to do is go test drive one and you will be hooked. I drove mine and I fell in love. Good things come in small packages :)

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  WORTH EVERY PENNY!! - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By LUKE - June 6 - 2:33 am

  Great car for the money. Only problem I had was horn going bad (cost $30.00 did it myself) other than that just oil change and filters. Change original tires ( Hankook ) at 50,000 miles they were terrible just put in a set of Michelin defenders (they handle way better than Hankok). People who complain about materials use in a interior should buy a BMW or Lexus you can not except to much from a midsize car under 20k. Sharp looking car for the money.

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  Quick, Solid, and Fun - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By P.G. - June 5 - 3:00 pm

  The VW Jetta has a r responsive and refined engine with little turbo lag. I love the smooth shifting 6-speed DSG transmission. This car is very steady at high speeds. It has a high quality, quiet interior. I like how all of the buttons are illuminated. It has a very thoughtful design. Mine is white with Pkg. 1 and 2.

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  Poor Customer Service - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disappointed - June 5 - 5:00 am

  My 02 Passat not only breaks down regularly, demonstrating poor quality, the customer service and responsiveness of the company was extremely disappointing. They refuse to acknowledge the issue in any way. My car has had over twenty repairs in eighteen visits to the shop in only three years and only 16,000 miles. I will never deal with VW again.

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  Love this car - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Shawn - June 5 - 3:26 am

  Everything about this car is just awesome. But the most important thing is the turbocharged 2.0 engine, boy it really flies without any turbo lag. Love the ride!

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  Great commuter car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Phlonet - June 5 - 2:00 am

  In the first year I was driving 120 miles per day and was getting between 50-55 mpg. My commute lessened considerably, and now Im only getting mid 40s, though on longer trips its back up around 50. While the TDI doesnt have quite as much pep as a 1.8T or a V6, its still sportier than many other "economy" commuter vehicles. Takes a little bit longer to start when its below zero, but have never had it fail to start. Only one mechanical issue related the glowplugs that was misdiagnosed at first, but then fixed properly on a subsequent visit. I wholeheartedly recommend this car to anyone who has to drive any sort of distance.

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  I vowed I would not take the plunge - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By JHGSaratoga - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned 5 new VWs in the last 5 years (1999 Jetta GLX - the best by far, 2000 Jetta GLX, 2001 Cabrio GLX, 2002 Passat GLX 4-motion Wagon, and 2003 Passat W8 4-motion Wagon). The best performing car was - hands down - the 1999 GLX. Do not take the plunge on the W8 for the extra $7K. The GLX Passat Wagon is just as good a performer as the W8! Im considering switching to Audi Allroad 2.7.

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  Great Substiute for BMW 3 Series - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jonathan D - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Being a former BMW 3 series Driver when it came to buying another one costs on BMWs have just skyrocketed. So being a german car owner I turned to Volkswagon for a hopefully good escape of paying over 30,000 for a comfortable and powerful sedan. So I test drove the Jetta GLI. I was very impressed by the performance and comfort. The only complant I have is that it dosent have the Multi- Funtional Computer.

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  My First Jetta - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bruce - June 4 - 4:46 pm

  I was somewhat hesitant to purchase a VW because of everything I had read regarding the quality of the car, but I was pretty much sold after a test drive. The 2.0T has much better performance, exterior styling, in addition to what I believe is higher quality interior materials than the other cars I was considering (e.g. Accord, Camry, Altima). The only weakness I can see so far is the fuel mileage and the cars requirement for premium gas. The car has been averaging about 22-23 mpg in mostly city driving. While this is in line with the EPA ratings I had expected better. I havenÂ’t done any long distance highway driving with the car yet so I canÂ’t comment on the highway performance.