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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  Test drive before you buy a competitor - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By Aexcorp - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This car, even with its not so impressive specs (115hp and not an amazing amount of torque) is quite amazing to drive. I have the 5 speed manual, and I can tell you, its sportive if you drive it right (downshifts...). The build quality is excellent, all comes standard, its near perfection. I have read the reviews on this site, and most people say its not powerful enough, but most (editor and users) have an auto box. What in Gods name do you expect from that... Take a spin in a 5speed manual and you will realize the hidden potential.

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  Go for it. - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Machilles - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This car has grown on me everyday that Ive had it for the first week. Even with just the base model v6, its more vehicle than you could ask for. Quite the nice ride... inside and out! VW has put its mark on this one.

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  AWESOME - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By LARRY - May 6 - 10:00 am

  BEST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED

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  a hard-to-beat combo - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By socalscribe - May 6 - 10:00 am

  this car, despite a 115-hp base engine, is a lot of fun to drive. it is comfortable, roomy, as safe as anything in its class. sleek styling. fuel economy is consistently 24-26 mpg, even in the city. ride is smooth; handling is great. the car does not accelerate quickly through lower gears, unless pushed, but once in third moves fast. cruises well at high speeds. the 2.0 base engine is said to be more reliable than the turbo, and with a stick its still fun to drive. leather interior and sunroof give this car the feel of others costing more; it compares favorably to the volvo v40. overall, its a sleek, safe, reliable, well priced, fun to drive car.

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  06 MKV GTI is Terrific - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Mike Harmon - May 6 - 9:16 am

  I love the MKV GTI. After driving Hondas for twenty years I feel like Ive really gotten lucky. I commute about 60 miles a day at typical California speeds and get about 30 MPG. I havent had any serious problems with this car either. The turbo on the GTI is really amazing and gets it going fast with the DSG transmission.

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  No test drive needed - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sixiron - May 5 - 6:40 pm

  I dont know how they can improve on this car wagon rocket...The 1.8L turbo puts it in a class by itself...The tiptronic automatic gives the feeling of zoom when there is nobody around...Mine is kept outdoors and the reflex silver hides the dust real well...No rattles, the interior reeks of quality not found in $20k cars...Ill keep it forever...God loves you,Volkswagen...

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  Meets all my requirements - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By Peter - May 5 - 1:17 pm

  Car meets all my needs for roominess, safety technology, straightforward design and controls, comfort and quietness. However, at 4500 miles needed a front strut replaced. Carplay is buggy trying to listen to radio and navigate at same time. It wont run Waze. The turn signal light and blind spot warning are very close together on mirror and same color -hard to tell apart- not safe that way. Back up camera not bright enough when dark and rainy. Audible warning in backup should be standard with tech package. Overall its still the best choice for me after looking at all its competitors.

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  Im Happy - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike Sachs - May 4 - 10:53 pm

  Great Value for money. MPG: Best-52.1, Worst-42.3, AVG-47.4; maintenance costs acceptable.

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  Dont buy this car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By aeg - May 4 - 4:36 pm

  I just traded my Volkswagen Passat in for a Honda Accord. After 3 years and thousands of dollars, I rather have a car that runs than one that looks good. I have had a wide range of problems, from expensive repairs such as having the entire engine rebuilt due to oil sludge issues, having my radiator disintegrate at 67000 miles, replacing the instrument panel which runs most of the electrical system, cv boots busted, vacuum hose replaced, and a number of blown sensors and small repairs such as glove box and window controls breaking. This car was towed in 3 times in 6 months. I feel bad for whoever buys it next.

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  Its a Lime! - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By stowbound - May 4 - 4:36 am

  If it were yellow, it would be a lemon...instead I bought my wife a lime (green) for her 40th birthday. I believed that German engineering would provide us a good quality car that we could keep for 10+ years. Instead, I have had to sue under the lemon law for our horrible experience. The transmission still not fixed, the sound system rattles, marker lights fall out and dangle from the cords, gaskets come loose and the plastic parts break with ease. It is fun to drive with the top down, but is uncomfortable, gets poor mileage (24 mph, not 30 as advertised) is noisy and just feels cheap. There is also no storage anywhere in the car. This is not a car that will last. What a disappointment!