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 but Not Inexpensive to Own - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bob H. - January 11 - 8:16 pm

  I bought my 2002 new in August 2001. It has been a relatively problem free vehicle but repairs and maintenance are not inexpensive. Dealer labor rates make up most of expense which are currently $90.00/hr. The body and trim finish is very good and interior materials excellent. The car is very comfortable on long trips and is fun to drive. Gas mileage is excellent. It rides like a much more expensive car.

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  Will not be beat for the Price - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By Gab4ever - January 11 - 7:03 pm

  Super vehicle especially for the price. Standard features, build quality and performance is something I would expect in a much higher end vehicle, The turbo makes the gas pedal like a hair trigger on a gun, the attention to detail and quality materials is far superior to this cars competition. Something as simple as an umbrella storage compartment built into the drivers door are the small touches that really make the vehicle a standout aside from what Ive mentioned.

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  Long term relationship is working out - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bucky - January 11 - 2:10 pm

  At 160K, my Passat Wagon is proving to be quite the reliable workhorse. I may have lucked out, I realize, but she has been running nearly flawlessly. Annoying stuff along the way but has been limited to mostly quirky VW stuff. The module in the drivers side door was a MAJOR bummer 3 years ago ($1K+). Was rear ended very hard recently and frame didnt budge. The Ford Focus that hit us -- front end was utterly destroyed. Body guys were quite impressed. And so is my mechanic. The 1.8T is one of the best European engines (sad its no longer) -- fun, reliable, fairly efficient. I will drive this car into the 200Ks -- because I can hardly find another Euro wagon in stick! Again, sad.

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  What a bargain ! - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By robert peter - January 10 - 9:40 pm

  I bought the car 5 days ago so I cant yet speak for the reliability and the quality. But so far its a great car to own. I bought the car stripped except for the alloy wheels. But stripped the car has just about all I need. The 8 speaker stereo is great. The car rides very comfortable, it hugs the road, and the 5 speed manual is about the smoothest Ive ever driven! There is some road noise mainly from the 16" tires as at a full stop in traffic the engine is very quiet. Also the AC/heat tends to get loud when cranked up but hey, the car cost $15K. My biggest problem is with the 2.5L engine is avoiding a ticket!

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  I still smile at it - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By VWnutAZ - January 10 - 3:26 pm

  I still love driving my car. The engine sound and the handling are excellent. I have had a lower suspension installed (which also weighs less); love it. Its really nice to have the Golf (GTI) get a great engine and suspension (especially independent rear) that put it back on top of the list of small performance cars. I think Volkswagens efforts to push their products upscale is a success.

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  Couldve been great - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By SyrNY - January 10 - 1:26 pm

  I was initially very pleased with my Touareg, but poor reliability, $99 oil changes, and many many invasive warnings are starting to wear me down. Recalls and expensive maintenance aside, its actually the overengineering thats causing me the most frustration. The warnings are loud and intrusive. Pull into a parking lot and undo your seat belt to prepare for a meeting, and the warning beeps for 5 minutes every 30 seconds or so. Outside temp drops below 40, ding, low fuel, ding, tire pressue drops, ding. The range on the remote is also very poor. Just another nit pick, but all of these collective items make it very difficult to recommend this vehicle

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  Classic and cool - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By wxcruiser - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I often read that this car was pricy when comparing it to the competetors, Focus, MP5, Matrix, Vibe..... but in reality, its a great deal. VW puts so much on the Golf as standard, where the competion will sell a really stripped down model. Put all the features you would want onto the car, and the Golf is very competative, and more refined in my opinion. It drives great, feels classy, and with TDI gets great fuel economy, and lots of pep. Its unfortunate more US car makers do not yet have the diesel option, though that should change once we get the cleaner diesel in the states.

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  LOVE IT!! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By cbridges - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I love everything about my Touareg except for one thing. The gas mileage. It kills me(and my wallet!) every time I fill up. It gives the word "guzzler" a whole new meaning! However, it is so much fun to drive and I love it so much that I have decided to overlook this one flaw. Also, I receive comments, questions and compliments on it everywhere I go. My Touareg receives more attention than any other vehicle Ive ever owned.

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  Disappointed - 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By paul m - January 10 - 9:03 am

  While the Tiguan looks good and is very comfortable to sit in, I do not enjoy driving it. The throttle response when first pushing on the accelerator pedal is non existent, and just never feels normal. VW service says that it is. (Issue addressed in review dated 5/5/10). And changing the vehicles settings or convenience features always requires pulling out the three ring binder that is the owners manual. I am disappointed that we did not buy the Honda CR-V, a much better value for the money. (Though we would then see our car everywhere). Since my wife likes to sit higher, she drives the Tiguan. I much prefer driving our 4 year old Acura TSX.

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  Worst vehicle I have ever own - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By maczya - January 10 - 4:35 am

  You will get a love hate relationship with this SUV. It drives great, great in the snow, has great power. It is fun to drive and looks nice. The SUV has some stupid build designs, like the battery is under the drivers seat. Lets talk about how expensive it is to own this vehicle. Replaced thermostat $1200. that right $1200.00 the front part of the car has to be taken off the thermostat is in the front of the engine, so you might as well replace water pump and belt. Your going to have problems with the airbags, the tire monitoring system. The worst part is the battery drain as I hate a car that wont start. So it gets expensive to own the vehicle. Oh and the brakes that was another $1100.