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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  Beetle Juice!! - 2018 Volkswagen Beetle
  By Mary - May 17 - 12:10 am

  My new bottle green bug is eye catching, everybody who sees it loves the colour. I am a tall woman, 511" and have lots of leg room..The technology is great, easy for me to get used to..this is my second Beetle..my last one was a 2006 and had it for ten years...even though I have a beautiful Jaguar FPace-S SUV, I just love this little car for tooting around town....

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  Love my rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By DBLASVEGAS - May 13 - 2:03 pm

  The first thing you need to understand about this car is. Its not the most fuel efficient hatchback out there. However it is fun fun fun to drive. If youre like me and performance is important to you, for the price you cant beat it. Drove the Civic lx, ex and Nissan Sentra. Boring by comparison. Nice cars but no power. Suspension is a little soft for me (it rides well though) but what do you want for 16,800 dollars? I have alloy wheels and iPod adapter built in the armrest (with rear seat air vents) trip computer 10 speaker stereo. The 4 door jumps in price to around 20,000 dollars. The Honda dealership wanted around 20,000 out the door for an lx Civic coupe. Rabbit was 18.

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  What a Car! - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By jpn - May 13 - 11:46 am

  I drove my Thunder Blue/Biege leather 2.0T out of showroom 12/31 and have already driven 1,000 miles. I use any excuse to drive a little more. Warm weather in NY has made it possible to drive with top down and it is awesome. With luxury package, I find more features than I had with my Audi A6. This car is beautiful, has a quality interior, and it has comfortable seats for a big guy. My teenage daughters actually think their dad is cool.

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  I love my Beetle - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Kristina - May 12 - 10:33 pm

  I love my car. I previously owned an Explorer, and the two are difficult to compare. The only thing I miss about my Explorer is the storage space, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much can fit in a Beetle. I dont understand why people complain about the gas mileage, I think its great but then my Explorer did have a V8 engine. Beetles are fun cars to drive, the sound system is great, and it works perfectly as a commuter car.

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  Why consider anything else? - 2011 Volkswagen Golf
  By audivin - May 12 - 7:06 am

  I purchased my 11 Golf 3 door Manual transmission straight out of college. Prior to making this decision, I tested many similarly priced compact cars like the Dodge Caliber, Various Hondas, and even some subarus. While I really liked the Subarus and had a hard time deciding between the two, the VW Golf was simply in another league. This is probably the best compact car on the us market for the price. The interior and exterior build quality and craftsmanship are excellent and there are no rattling noises. I have put 17,000 miles since I purchased the car in June of 2011. Thats right, 17000 already. This car handles/performs exceptionally well. At all speeds it feels secure/ planted.

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  Best car Ive ever had - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Donna Landrum - May 12 - 2:16 am

  I consider this to be the best overall car Ive ever owned. In town I am getting 42 MPG and on the highway I am coaxing 55 MPG. The performance on the road is more than adequate for my driving style. The interior suits my needs very well. For the money, this is a fabulous automobile.

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  Mk3 jetta / alot Of miles Per gallón - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John Gianni - May 11 - 10:23 pm

  I got this Car for 800$ and put On it Around 2300$ But is a great invesment. Paint , socks,breaks, radiator,hoses ,housing hose, Water pump,timing belt,custom rims & tires michelline/ rims and tires same size like original recomend , front windshield,interior small parts , and clips, Many i got On eBay , junk yards ,México, vw parts - this Car is very economical To use San Diego To los Ángeles Around Trip 25$ On gas I fix it With my friends Looks Good - restored was The best desicion 1998 jetta manual Gl No words To describe is a old car But give me All i Need We have 5 cars and VW jetta MK3 family We love it !!

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  Beautiful Luxury without the Luxury Price - 2016 Volkswagen Passat
  By H.Sly - May 11 - 9:26 am

  It has a much smaller trunk than I anticipated, but will do the job for daily use. The motion-sensor trunk open is a little hit or miss, but perhaps I just need to acclimate to exactly where I am to shake my foot underneath for it to open. The voice command says that my USB device (iPod) is not supported in order to find an artist/track, so that was a bummer. Everything else is so intuitive and fluid. Rear blind spot lights are an interesting feature, though I am afraid one may place too much reliance on it. The final feature that surprised me is that the backup camera does not have sensors to alert you if youre too close to an object. Otherwise, the 1.8T holds up well and I look forward to driving it up I-70 into the mountains this spring.

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  Awesome Sports Car - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Lovin it - May 11 - 5:13 am

  This car is great, comfortable, reliable, and FAST! I have done high speeds 6th gear and still had room to go fasterand still felt absolutely solid, and responsive. You can also very frequently bypass gears. Thr leather seats are comfortable and I have not stuck to them which was one reason I was hesatent about buying leather. Overall the GTI is an awesome car, who else puts 10 airbags in there cars for front and REAR passengers? Standard? Not many! VW has thought of everything with this car. Thank you VW!

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  Still smiling...... - 2010 Volkswagen EOS
  By ryanfl - May 10 - 6:33 pm

  Wanted a convertible. Had shopped these earlier but ended up testing other soft tops. A few months passed and I was able to get an excellent year-end deal. Ive had the car 8 months and 5K miles. No issues. Blast to drive and the size is great for my needs. Still dont see that many around and I like that. I didnt know anyone that had one, so had to rely on owner input to decide to buy one. Thats what I am hoping this will do for those who are shopping. Im very happy with the car and hope to keep it for a long while. My insurance co. offers a great extended warranty so Im covered for 7 years, 100,000 miles.