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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  A Great Beginning... - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Gene Steinberg - August 23 - 10:00 am

  After encountering a less-than-favorable experience with my last German-built car (the dreadful Cadillac Catera), I had not thought of buying another. But I was favorably impressed with the VW Passat GLX after two test drives and took home a Brilliant Silver version with the optional stability control. After a trip to Las Vegas, I can tell you that this car is excellent. Rides beautifully, handles well, extremely comfortable, and is very well built. Despite what others have said, there is space for the owners manual, a custom slot on the dashboard beneath the steering wheel. Theres also a tiny compartment at the lower left for sunglasses and other stuff.

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  Never Again - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Jason Reid - August 22 - 9:23 pm

  This is my second VW. Now after I sold my first Golf I missed that car for over 5 years so it was apparent that i would buy another VW when I could. The car rides and handles great but my buddy gets better fuel mileage in his 2002 Toyota 4Runner. My Rabbit has stalled 9 times since ownership after a cold start in the middle of a busy highway, tell me thats safe. VW says that its not throwing any codes and it seems to be working fine. Oh yeah it also has an automatic transmission, go figure. Yesterday I test drove a Nissan Versa which had more interior space but 28 less horsepower which I didnt even notice and better gas mileage. Just stay away from this car.

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  My First VW Purchase - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JettaTDILUVr - August 22 - 4:03 am

  This is the first VW we have ever owned and I am very pleased with it. My family was in a terrible accident with our Avalon, which ended up saving their lives. To replace it, I decided to get a more economical vehicle, but was looking for one with the highest safety rating and comfort in its class. Thus, I went with the Jetta. Historically, we have been loyal Toyota owners (2 Corollas, 2 Camrys, 1 Avalon, and our current Land Cruiser). I am thrilled with the fuel economy - about 46-48 mpg in town and 50-51 on the highway. I have Pkg. 2, and added every possible option to distinguish it from other Jettas. Although it is only fourteen months old, Ive put over 22,000 miles on it with no repairs needed. Just like a Toyota.

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  Best MPG for the Buck - 2006 Volkswagen Golf
  By vegas - August 22 - 1:56 am

  The buzz surrounding hybrid gas / electric vehicles shamefully ignores the major maintenance expence of a replacement battery for the drive train. Forgetting about the maintenance cost of hybrid vehicles, if you take into account the fact that they usually get less than their stated gas mileage consumers should avoid them. Ask anyone if they get the stated MPG from a hybrid, they dont. Then ask a diesel driver, and they all will report at times getting much better than their vehicles stated gas mileage. Dont forget that diesels cost $4-5K less up front than hybrids - that has gotta still mean something. I forgot to mention that CO2 emissions are 25% less from diesel. Regular gasoline is more dirty than diesel fuel.

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  I Love My GTI!! - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By Pejammin - August 22 - 1:30 am

  I loved the heck out of this car. If it werent so small and I didnt have a family now, I would keep it FOREVER. It has been so good to me. It handles really well and feels solid. All the bells and whistles made it really comfortable. The only downside: parts for VWs in general are super expensive. And the engine light comes on for the slightest problems. Oh, and the seats dont recline.

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  2001 2.0 Golf-4 Euro Spec - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Palinor - August 21 - 3:33 pm

  Maybe I got lucky, but bought my Golf for about $13k. 1-owner, highly maintained. It had 60500 kilometers on it (bought 2-yr warranty). Standard 5- sp, winter package, full climate control, ESP, powered sunroof, front/rear foglights, AM/FM/CD/Tape* (*removed radio/CD player and installed premium integrated system), bought deep housing to replace CD player-slot so I can drink coffee now and still play CDs I have driven from Bavaria to Sweden and all over Germany. Avg speed 190kph on autobahn, 100kph secondary roads and 50kph city. Avg 16km/L or about 37mpg hwy, 19-20km/L city Front wheel drive makes winter travel easy (snow/sleet/rain) Great visibility, sweet suspension/handling

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  Beware - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Bill - August 21 - 10:10 am

  Great car for the first 48,000 miles but since then the car has been in the shop every 2,000 miles with check engine lights. The cooling fans, EMC computer, parking brake peddle, several emission controls, radio, windows and sun roof controls have failed and it is in the shop now for new engine coils. My wife will not drive car out of town because we can not trust the car to get her home.

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  08 Jetta Manual trans - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tom in Las Vegas - August 21 - 6:20 am

  The 08 Jetta has very good, solid build quality, good power, excellent interior, and a huge trunk at this size of car. Mileage is so so, mine is right on the EPA estimate of 21-22 city, and 29 highway. Ride is smooth, and steering precise. Just enought road feed back to be useful to the driver. Driver seat should be wider, it is a little narrow in the seat, and I am not fat, just average size. Radio could be a bit stronger, and the ipod connector should be on the dash. If the Jetta just got slightly over 30 MPG, and slightly higher mileage in town it would be one of the best small to mid size cars. Plenty of interior space for 4 persons, 5 is a reach. The trunk is longer than my Camry.

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  Glad Im handy with a wrench - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By ns1915 - August 20 - 5:32 pm

  Why I will never buy another VW. Replaced control arms twice in 80,000 miles. Bad ABS module, bad CCM, bad ECU, all oxygen sensors have been replaced, engine sludge problem, two bad window regulators, Emissions Workshop Errors all the time. Every two winters battery needs to be replaced. Took it to dealer for a check engine and was told I had 2 bad catalytic converters, $2,300. Had it scanned somewhere else and was told that it does have a catalytic error, but the dealer failed to mention several vacuum leak errors. I replaced $20 worth of vac hose, problem solved. Havent had an error in 10,000 miles, this is a record!! Replacing the above parts with non OEM has helped a lot.

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  German Enginerring...HA!! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By jmooney000 - August 20 - 2:36 pm

  I am the original owner a 2002 Passat 1.8 Turbo and while we love the way it drives it has been a money pit! Glove box latch broke, hood strut broke, check engine light comes on at least every 3-4 months and its always a vacuum line or O2 sensor, ignition coils have been replaced twice and now the heater core is clogged and neither the dealer or VWoA will step up and admit its a known problem and fix it. I agree w/ others on this site: do not I repeat, do not by a VW. I also own 2 Hondas and a Toyota and all 3 are very reliable and easy to work on yourself so you dont have to take it to the dealer all the time. Do yourself a favor and stay away from VW!!