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:

• 

  Love The VDUB Jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By SBall0825 - February 23 - 11:53 am

  Haven t had this car too long but long enough to grow so accustomed to it... I have a friend whose a VW enthusiast and he told me how fun the little 1.8t is. Man was he right. Its a quick car with all the luxuries youll ever need. Near flawless interior and of course the exterior is gorgeous.. Beautiful all around. Im loving this car.

• 

  How did they do it at this price???? - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Tony & Charlie - February 23 - 12:03 am

  Just bought the 09 CC. Drove BMW,Mercedes and Audi. Have owned BMW and Audi - But no more! This is an amazing car! The build quality exudes German pride! The interior is phenomenal - the design is unlike anything else we looked at (at any price) and it fits like a glove! The 2.0 turbo is amazingly powerful and smooth... Did not feel it was necessary to go to the VR6... The list of standard features is impressive! The C-Class MBZ doesnt even offer heated seats standard... If you are even considering a MBZ, BMW or Audi - You MUST drive this car! No regrets!!!! Even the buying experience was nice - good job VW!

• 

  So much for German Engineering! - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By M - February 22 - 3:23 pm

  My wife purchased this car a few months before we met. Its been a fun little car to tool about town in. Handles well, gets excellent gas mileage (32 mpg in mixed city driving), and the convertible top is simple to operate. Unfortunately, the car is poorly built: Power windows dont operate properly, interior bits are falling apart, and the final straw: Total transmission failure at under 55,000 miles (5 speed manual.) Google "Self Machining Syndrome" to find out more about how some very important pieces of the drivetrain are held together with rivets! This goes for Golfs and Jettas too.

• 

  2011 Jetta SE 2.5L Manual - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bob449 - February 22 - 12:13 am

  Purchased a 2011 Jetta SE with the 2.5L gas engine and manual transmission. Great car. Have about 9K miles on it and no problems at all so far. Engine is smooth due to the inline 5 cylinder design with great fuel economy...can get about 500 miles per 14.5 gallons on the highway (about 36-37 mpg) but much less on mixed and city driving (20-25 mpg). Good handling and suspension. Overall ride feels very well designed from both a powertrain and suspension/handling perspective. Roomy interior and large trunk space. Great location of interior convenience features (cupholders and storage). With the a/c on, the performance takes a huge hit and mileage suffers quite a bit, but to be expected.

• 

  R32 IS QUALITY AND FAST! - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By R32BULLET - February 21 - 11:10 pm

  THIS CAR IS NOT ONLY FAST BUT IS HAS THE EXTRA THAT THE OTHERS DONT. IT HAS A FEELING OF QUALITY WHEN YOU SIT IN IT AND YOU CAN TELL IT WAS MADE WELL. THE V6 IS SMOOTH WITH NO LAG THAT TURBOS HAVE. ONE DRIVE AND YOU WILL BUY THIS CAR. VW DID A GREAT JOB ON THIS ONE!

• 

  No more VW ANYTHING! for me!! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Peppi - February 21 - 10:48 pm

  I dig my car a lot! I have had my car for about 11 years now and I never used to have ANY issues with my car. However, this will be THE LAST! Volkswagen vehicle of ANY kind for me! They used to make Beetles to where they lasted for decades, but not really anymore. I know that vehicles are machines; therefore, they are going to have some issues, but come on!! One thing after another!! When one thing breaks- here breaks something else. The air bag light came on allegedly having to do with a code, but then I needed a newer battery that I had just bought not even quite 4 years prior! I was told that little things like the air bag will come on so it will bother you to take it do the dealership to get it repaired- they will find something the matter. After so many miles that you drive, little things like the light to something will appear among other things, too. I have also learned that when you buy a vehicle, make sure that you will be able to afford the parts- VW parts are WAAAAAAY to expensive! The car is expensive enough! When I see people driving down the road with a new Beetle, I think to myself that they have no idea what they have just gotten themselves into. The interior can be of better quality and material given fact that the car is very expensive. I have also learned that if you buy a Beetle convertible, keep in mind that the convertible top may be of very poor and of cheap quality; you will most likely need to replace the convertible top eventually and they are NOT cheap. I am done- NO more for me!

• 

  Think Again - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By JOYCE. - February 21 - 4:13 pm

  The first problem I had with this car before I drove it off the lot was the electric parking brake was stuck and I could not get it out of Park. Now at 23000 miles later, it is recurring. Also car idles loud like it was a diesel. They said it was the oil pump and replaced it. IÂ’m wondering now if my car had proper lubrication. From time to time when turning my signals off, the opposite side goes on (confusing for the person behind me). Also the light came on the dash saying tires were low so I put the proper air required but the light would not go off. I found out the spare tire in the trunk was setting the low tire pressure signal off. Now go figure! Besides that ride is smooth, gas is ok.

• 

  Lots of Trouble - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By neveragain - February 21 - 2:56 pm

  I put a lot of work into this car when I bought it used. It only had 65,000 miles miles on it. At 75,000 miles it had a major break down and I had to put $3,000 of work into it. Also, this cars body lean around corners is terrible. I think it contributed to the car spinning out twice. Both times I was going around a corner at less than 10 mph more than the posted limit. Ive never had a car spin out on me before, and I have driven a lot of cars. On the upside, the body is quite sturdy and didnt damage much on impact though the seatbelt injured me. The transmission on the automatic never seemed to want to shift up even though I had it serviced when I bought it. It could have been abused, but still.... This car was a bit of a money pit.

• 

  Reliability - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By aliaso - February 21 - 2:00 am

  Reliability 3 brake repairs now engine malfunctioning (possibly coil pack) trim rattles WJ ABS recall windows regulation intermediate problem avoid VW if need car everyday

• 

  GTI - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By KEE - February 21 - 2:00 am

  Everything is great, fully loaded and features are excellent, only problem Ive had so far ia a defective hood release