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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  2003 Passat Wagon - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Al - September 9 - 1:50 pm

  This car looks good and drives well but it lacks in reliability. It burns oil and is plagued with recalls. This is the second VW I own and again to be disappointed.

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  Best Buy! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TommyBoy - September 9 - 1:43 pm

  I love this car. I have put 85,000 miles on it in about two years. I change the oil, rotate the tires and it keeps on running. Ive had ZERO problems out of this baby. I routinely get 50 mpg! With gas prices at $3.00/gallon, why wouldnt you want this car. Its fun to drive, peppy and has great fuel economy.

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  Anybody Want to Buy My Passat Wagon? - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By poskarp - September 9 - 9:10 am

  Although purchased used, this car was great until it reached its fifth birthday. Over the last five years this car has nickeled and dimed (or more accurately $500 and $1,000) us to death, especially with the pesky check engine light that has been diagnosed at least three times. Ive put more into this wagon over the last five years than I did for my last two Toyotas which had double the mileage. So much for my European love affair, Im going back to the orient where my cars have been reliable to over 150,000 miles

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  8 year review - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By bjss - September 8 - 1:37 pm

  Still going strong at 80K and 8 years. Recent issue with front motor mounts replaced (leaking) and valve cover gasket. But all-in-all it has been a reliable car. See other reviews (7 year, 6 year , etc..) for more info.

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  Great Ride - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ray - September 8 - 8:58 am

  Great Ride all round

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  Rapid Rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Galileo - September 7 - 7:20 am

  I am a grandmother of five. Drive for pleasure and business. This car is precise, concise and fun. Great turning radii and very responsive. Extremely comfortable seats and easy on the eyes dashboard. I drive a lot of back country roads. The tiptronic offers the fun of a manual transmission and the flexibility of an automatic. I handed my Honda Fit over to one of my kids. The comfort of the Rabbit was impossible to resist. Heated seats and partially electronic, they are easy to adjust precisely. The car feels solid and centered and leaves me fatigue free. I am averaging 26-28 mph and the car is not broken in yet. Sound system is solid and satellite radio subscription is free for a tryout.

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  Love my Jetta TDI - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By AUJettaTDI - September 7 - 4:00 am

  Car likes to drive the interstates, and I love driving it. Runs easily at 85 and still wants to go faster. Very perky car too. Handles very well.

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  The Swiss Army Knife / Machintosh of Cars - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nelson - September 6 - 7:13 pm

  My New 2005 Jetta is great. It has every gadget I could want, except GPS. It is definitely a car made to bond with the driver. This car hugs the road on curves. It never feels unstable. Its as spacious as a midsize sedan. I bought the Pkg. 2 and have everything I ever thought Id need in a car and more. It has too many clever standard options to mention. Im 35 years old, and the new body style suits my taste just fine. Its sporty without appearing that Im trying to hold on too tightly to age 19. Im so glad I got out of my gas-guzzling SUV for something smarter. Some say its pricey, but you really get what you pay for. After all, its a German VW!

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  The first ten days - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Gerald Ober - September 6 - 3:59 am

  It is slightly under powered as compared to the previous editions. On the plus side it is larger, has a greater storage and cargo area. The styling is straight forward with clean lines no crazy gegaws or nonsense just straight forward Germanic clean lines.

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  No longer status - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By David - September 6 - 2:40 am

  Guys dont buy any VW. I had two (jetta 16 and this junk). A few days ago I was lucky to trade it for Mitsubishi. I dont know where to start... These cars are good for 20-30,000 miles only. Last German engineer died in 1982 and VW brand is dead.