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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  Great car, hindered by high price and defective cloth on seats - 2011 Volkswagen Golf
  By a_n1 - January 23 - 7:19 am

  I really want to like this car. It has great mpg, seems to perform OK, however whats killing my endorsement is the vehicles seats and fabric. The seats are highly bolstered sport seats, which is fine, but the waffle-like texture of the cloth has proven to be defective. I have severe fraying and premature wear on the side bolster on the drivers seat as well as the seat back. VW is supposedly ordering me new seat covers and will install at the 10k service. Posts all over the Internet indicate that this is a pretty universal problem with all 2010 and 2011 Golfs. This fabric is a nightmare.

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  Well I buy vw again! Well we well see. - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By billy grover - January 23 - 4:59 am

  Great car fast reliable but vw has shown that they cant be trusted.Hope in up coming months they prove to me they can be trusted

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  One Year Later... - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Aaron Lozano - January 22 - 8:20 pm

  I drive a lot. On average, I spend about 50 minutes in my car daily. Im currently at 25,000 miles on my 06 Jetta. Its been a year since I purchased my spice red Volkswagen Jetta and Im still very pleased with my decision. Although it was not my first choice, I find it to be a beautiful car that is strong and enjoyable. On a separate note, the dealership is not as helpful. It is the only dealership that offers Jettas in my area, so I have no choice. The service department has been very rude to me on one issue. Still, overall I love my car. ;)

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  A stretch A4 Audi for less - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Davehg - January 22 - 5:00 pm

  Bigger than the A4, roomy, great avg gas mileage (27mpg with auto). Turbo is responsive; feels like a V6, no lag.

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  So far so good - 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By JJsBeetle - January 22 - 12:20 pm

  Just picked up my beetle and love it! Quite comfortable. Fun to drive. Quiet (no squeaks or rattles). Still getting the feel for it. My commute is only 2.5 miles to and from work so still have a little time before I really give a proper review. so far- no complaints.

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  fun, but is it reliable??? - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By yesborisgo - January 22 - 2:00 am

  i think for $25,000 thisis the car to get if you looking for somthing good looking inside and out. Lot of fun to drive since you get a lot from it s v6 engine combined with the very luxurious looks inside. Yet its kryptonite is the reliability. Since i bought it i hadit more in service garage than in mine.

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  I love my Jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Lish - January 22 - 2:00 am

  Ive had Hondas, Chryslers, Cadillacs and all three of the big three pickup trucks. I have never had a car as fun to drive as this. I commute 90 miles a day and never get tired of driving this car......Not a single problem in the first 9,000 miles

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  I love it! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rachelandrascal - January 22 - 2:00 am

  This car has numerous standard features (for fun and safety). Take one for a test drive . . . it will sell itself. I got a baseline Jetta (only "options were spoiler and automatic transmission); but compared with other manufacturers I was considering (Honda, especially) Jetta standard features are considered "optional" by most others.

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  A Strange Love Affair - 2005 Volkswagen Golf
  By Ron Campbell - January 21 - 9:53 pm

  While this is perhaps the smallest and least powerful car I have owned since my days as a Triumph driving bachelor in the very early sixties, it is without a doubt the one car I have truly loved. Its stupid to love a car, but there it is. Of course this love does not detract from the love of family or country or home town, but dont anybody ask for my keys. This is MY agile little baby and like Silver and the Lone Ranger nobody drives it but me; my black beauty is a one-rider horse. So this is a fine man/machine love affair, a strange love affair more intense than all the affairs Ive had with high-cost high-powered babes...cheap, too, like a good tart.

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  Check Engine Light: bane of my existence - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By frozen01 - January 21 - 9:36 pm

  Ive had so many issues! Its like theyve gone out of their way to make repairs and maintenance as difficult and expensive as possible. The engine leaks oil, a known VW issue. The worst part is the check engine light. In the 3.5 years Ive owned this car, the CE light has been OFF for a total of 2 months. I have taken it to 5 different mechanics, each one plugs it in to the diagnostics computer and either gets NO codes or codes that make no sense. All they can do is turn it off, but it just comes back on. No one can fix it, no one can even find a cause, but the car cant pass an emissions test, and so now I cant legally drive it. $12K wasted!