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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  Nice comuter vehicle - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By scanman11 - September 17 - 9:16 am

  After quite a bit of research-usuall Hondas, Toyotas, Chevrolet, Ford etc we (My wife) decided that the Vdub was for her- I think it was the lightly covered leatherette, the bluetooth and the touchscreen radio (Interfaced well with iphoneSatelite radio etc) It is a comfortable car for her 45min commute-actually more comfortable than my 2009 BMW 335i- very good MPG, she is getting about 32 mpg in mixed traffic conditions, this after about 1800 miles. My only gripe is that after 1750 miles the injecters went and left her stranded. Yes, the dealership fixed the problem- but she had to fight for a "Loaner" or "rental" for the day and a half that it was off the road.

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  35mpg highway - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By 30vpassat - September 16 - 4:10 am

  Bought a 1999 30v manual Passat and it is getting 34mpg+ on crosstown trip. Leather heated seats, heated mirrors, lots of power and still 35mpg at 75mph. Searched hard to find a better deal and am very satisfied. Paid $5150 for one that had $4000 spent on it, glove box had many tales. Water-pump, all timing-belt components, ABS computer, marker lights, oil-stuff. Love it for what it is!!!

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  2.5 Year Evaluation of Manual TDI GLS 01 - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DUG - September 14 - 10:00 am

  I have had the car during 2 St. Louis winters. Both times the fuel has frozen.The first year I didnt use any diesel additive. The 2nd yr I used plenty, but it still failed. The dealer told me that it was bad fuel, luckily I bought the fuel from Quik Trip and the guarantee there fuel. They paid for it. So I am still unsure about the condensate theory. Now (60000) it needs a timing belt, new rear brakes, and it looses power at 2400 RPMs. I inquired at the dealer the cost Timing Belt=500.00, Power problem =300.00 to 1200.00. I am disappointed at the high cost to maintain this $21,000 vehicle. I love the performance, driving, and styling of the Jetta.

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  follow up, not as nice as I thought.. - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By nich617 - September 10 - 7:53 pm

  I wrote a review shortly after purchasing this van. While I still like it, I am very disappointed that we have to get ALL seven seats replaced because they are all tearing at the seam...even on some of the seats we dont sit on! First the passenger seat went and they replaced that seat. We went back to the dealership (not the dealer we purchased from - I am sure we wouldve gotten better service from them but they are much farther away) 2 months ago to show them the rest of our seats. We are still "waiting" for the parts to come in. I hope this doesnt happen to everyone else...

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  good car, short money - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By johnny C - September 8 - 10:00 am

  sporty, fun to drive. quality German engineering for a fraction of the cost of other german motors

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  2001 Passat Manual Tranmission 1.8T - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By cnelson - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Just wanted to toss in a quick note. Purchased a 2001 Passat 1.8 turbo (manual transmission) and the car has served admirably. Currently has 34,000 miles and, aside from the car being a bit noisier (both engine and wind noise) than Id like, and two burned out lights (one headlight, one tail light) Ive not had any problems.

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  quick vw - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jet blk - September 8 - 10:00 am

  This is a fun european auto. I have compared performance, size and features to the Mini Cooper, and I am glad I have the Jetta. As far as "bang for the buck", this car has it all. One question, why has my book value on car this plummeted in such a short time?! This is unacceptable!

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  Transmission problems right off the lot - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Krista - September 6 - 10:00 am

  I am frustrated typing this because I really do love my car, aside from the fact that it very well may be a lemon. Soon after purchasing it started puttering and having trouble shifting gears. When releasing the brake it jumped. I took it in only to find out the computer chip to my transmission was faulty and it needed to be replaced. They replaced it and literally within a few hundered miles of driving it the transmission is acting up again. I tried to take it in to get it fixed and Volkwagen claims there is no issue. I dont know where else to go with this! I am very frustrated. The transmission should not be an inssue for a brand new car! Sensors were off for the hard top too.

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  Touareg is too heavy for V6 - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By fabiola - September 5 - 7:06 pm

  Im dissapointed with the V6 VW Touareg, it has no pickup with the V6 engine. This causes problems when trying to accelerate onto, say, the highway. The fuel economy is also quite poor but perhaps it is better on the V8 since youll be gunning the engine less to get the truck to respond.

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  Gotta love it! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dude - September 3 - 3:40 pm

  I was car shopping for 2 months and couldnt find anything. Until I test drove this car. I never before had an adrenaline rush driving a car. I told myself I would never buy a manual but I had to make an exception. It shifts so smoothly that it feels like an automatic. Its simply awesome. The interior feels like a BMW interior.