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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  Bye Bye V-70 - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jeff OB - October 24 - 2:50 am

  Leaving my 1999 Volvo V-70 Wagon behind in the lot was very easy to do last week as I stepped into a new stonehenge grey VW TDI wagon. It would have been easy to do, had I felt the desire, despite the direct sunlight above the rear view mirror because the folks from VW decided to put an extra flip down sun visor directly above it. This feature may be trite, yet it demonstrates the amount of thought put into this vehicle. Im looking forward to having a positive experience with this car that is rated at 40 miles to the gallon! This is my first deisel, it sounds normal, it has more engine braking than a gas engine but when the turbo kicks in,it kicks in and you have everything you need.

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  Compared to the VW GTI the Honda Civic Si its a joke! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By makinista - October 23 - 1:56 am

  Hurry up. During this month (7/06) VW is offering 0% financing for 36 months on the GTI. I traded in my previus 2004 Jetta GLS Turbo for it and I got it for invoice price. It is a nice upgrade with its HID lights,DSG transmission, and great steering. Dont believe magacines or websites about comparision with the Honda Si. Honda wastes more gasoline. The GTI DSG gets around 23 mpg in the city, plus it has a lot more torque and the tranny is great. I have noticed that even in automatic mode when you release the gas pedal and switch up to the next gear you can go 1,000 rpm in 6th gear and make 30 mph.

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  expensive to fix fun to drive - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kenneary21 - October 22 - 5:42 pm

  this was my second car only had 66,000 on it with is good for a 10 year old car. fell in love with it at first sight black exterior with black leather interior. i learned how to drive stick with this car and its a blast to drive very fast even for the 2.0l v4 handling awesome I cant say enough how much i love this car it looks so cool and is so comfy to sit in and is fast and handles well Im going to miss this car and so will all my friends. the one thing that sucks about this car and the same goes for all German cars when something breaks its pricey. my alternator went $500,oil pan $475. The other thing i dont like about the car too much is the plastic body. It gets 20-26 mpg. love this car

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  Best SUV on the road 4 the money - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Red2006vwtoureg - October 22 - 10:16 am

  Bought this V6 2006 for $35,000 year end special. Ride is so smooth you can fall asleep. Im 64 there is lots of room. If you drive with a light foot you can get 24 mpg on the highway. Sharp looking, handles the road like a sports car. Anyone I give a ride to says its the nicest SUV they have ever been in. GREAT SMOOTH ride, AWD keeps it on the road in rain or snow.

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  Bought out the lease - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Rickpw - October 22 - 10:00 am

  Ive been driving this 1998 GLX VR6 five-speed Jetta for four years on a lease. I like it so much, I decided to buy the car at lease end. Its still way fun to drive. Every friend whos ever driven it says, "wow, I love driving this car." The pick-up is great and sporty. This GLX is a completely different beast from a regular Jetta, but you probably already knew that. Id recommend the leather seats, which are especially nice heated. My only problems have been an electrical repair. Also, the tires, because of the sport model, I recently found out are quite expensive! I only have slightly over 50,000 miles on the car, so why not keep driving it?

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  Think of it more as a Euro truck - 2003 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By Frank Eurovan - October 22 - 10:00 am

  No, itÂ’s not a "minivan", where that term is currently defined as an overgrown passenger sedan. It is almost the size of a full size van on the outside and inside, but it is so much more driveable than any other full size van. The driving position is the popular "very high" - I can see over all other minivans and even most SUVs on the road. On separate occasions, Ive hauled 1) 7 adults very comfortably, 2) a large roll-top desk, and 3) several pieces of 12-foot long 2x6 lumber. It all fits. We also used it on our family vacation last summer with great success. Too bad 2002 is the last production year.

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  Volkswagen Jetta Sucks - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By parker - October 22 - 10:00 am

  In one year, I have brought in my VW over 10 times to have it fixed.It is never a good sign when you know everyone by their first name in the service department. The customer service is horrible. No matter the problem, drivable or not, they could not work me into their schedule unless it was atleast a week away. My car is under warranty and they will not give me a loaner. I have currently been a week and 4 days without a car. If youre thinking of buying a VW, think again. Just go to your local service department at the vw near you and youll see how many people are waiting.

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  I LOVE IT - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Stacey13 - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I had a Ford Escort with virtually no features, so when looking for a new car, features didnt matter to me. I went out car shopping, not even intending on going to Volkswagen, and test drove a few cars. The dealer is what sold me on the car. I love everything about it! I love having powersteering, didnt have it before...but with getting all the benefits of a loaded car (although it was the base GL model) I didnt lose the benefits of getting excellent gas mileage. I was worried that I would get horrible gas mileage. The car drives smooth, has lots of room.

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  Smart car for Power lovers!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Atee - October 22 - 10:00 am

  Nice car with nice stable handling and smooth ride . The interior well designed and color schemes great! Engine no problems at all ....

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  Nice change from Japanese - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Goatlocker - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Jetta for almost a year and have not experienced any problems. I previously owned 94, 98 Camry and a 2000 Honda CRV. I paid about the same for all these vehicles. The difference is the Jetta gives you about 10 times the bells and whistles for the same price. The Jetta handles so much better and has a quality feel. So far no problems. I have the 1.8T and it will go 135 mph before an electronic regulator kicks in at about 5400 rpm. My Japanese cars were dogs compared to this baby. This is definitely a drivers car. I was so happy with the German engineering that I bought the wife a new Beetle that she loves.