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 Mexican car with plastic fenders. - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By GaryinVT - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Leased my New Beetle new. Ive only had a few problems (gas gauge and oxygen sensor), but the after owning it for a while I can tell everything was built to the minimum standard. If youve ever had a Honda or Toyota you would laugh at this flimsy thing. Thankfully mine is just the 2.0 liter, as the turbos and diesels need a new clutch every 20- 30k miles.

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  Ger. Engnr-good; Mex. assembly-bad - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tulas Mom - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I got in to my first car accident 16 days after I bought my first Jetta in Sept 2000. It was totaled and I am convinced saved my life. On the other hand, my new VW jetta (Oct.2000) drives like a dream but I have been hassled w/ the drivers seat cable breaking, the arm rest lock breaking, the engine light randomly coming on and dealing w/ a service team that thinks you have all day & every day to spend with them by turning what should be one visit into two. Due to these dumb things happening I am about to drop $1350 for the extended warranty (2001 models get the 24000mi or 2yr jippy warranty).

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  Poor - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dawn Fabiano - December 8 - 10:00 am

  At 9000 miles a new transmission had to be put into the car. The service dept at the dealership has done all the maitenance on the vehicle and there is either an oil consumption problem or the service dept never checked the oil when I brought it in so 5 days later there was no oil registering in the engine. I also just received a recall in the mail about the ABS system potential to malfunction and cause a fire. For a 9 month old car this is unacceptable.

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  Awesome Car - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Max - December 7 - 9:10 pm

  This car is great. It has every feature imaginable. For around 25 thousand, you can get an amazing car, around 10 times better than any Nissan. Safety is good. It has 8 airbags, which are depowered and they turn off if very light people are sitting in the front seats. Reinforced metal bars in the doors. Fast and you do not feel the gears changing. GREAATTT CAR!!!!

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  THIS IS A 4? - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By WSK - December 7 - 2:00 am

  When we first test drove this vehicle, i couldnt believe it was a four cylinder. After that, I couldn,t justify the extra $2300 for the six. The car has been fantastic. Why would anyone pay all the extra money for the Audi? The build quality is absolutely first-rate; it gives my CLK cause for alarm. ( just kidding MB )

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  What a Dream.. - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By JNGALT52 - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I looked at the Volvo 60 and the Passet. No contest. I am in sales and am in my car all day long. The car is very comfortble and the 4 cyl. Turbo along with the 5 Speed Tip-Tronic Auto gets my car up to freeway speed in a flash. Fit and finish is excellent. I am very pleased with this car.

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  Great Little Car - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By Lynn, Basking Ridge - December 7 - 2:00 am

  This is car clearly the best one Ive ever owned (even better than my BMW). Its pickup is awesome for a four- cylinder car. The instrumentation is easy to read and the interior is VERY roomy. The Monsoon audio is acoustically pleasing. Great German handling and solid construction.

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  Forget the 2.0L motor - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By 8u6hfd - December 7 - 2:00 am

  The TDI motor is well worth the extra $1000 over the 2.0L motor. It has so much low-end torque, it makes it extremely driveable and fun. It has some features you cannot get for this price, such as Heated mirrors & Heated seats. The plastics has a nice soft touch feel to it, very pleasing to touch. Fuel economy? 54 mpg on the highway. It stretches to fuel bill well.

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  Vroom, vroom, meep, meep, happy, happy! - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By littlefaith - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have really enjoyed driving this car. No matter how practical or luxurious another car may be, I never wish I were driving some other car. I just like the feel of it, I cant put my finger on it, its like magic. The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

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  2001 Volkswagon Beetle - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jen - December 6 - 11:00 pm

  Ive only been driving this vehicle for a couple of weeks. I bought it because of rising fuel costs and I thought I could save some money with this car. I cant complain about. What used to cost me $400 a month in gas is now costing me not even $200! Unfortunately what you save in gas will cost you at the mechanic. This car is EXPENSIVE to work on. As far as interior? Forget it! Chipping door handles, broken sideview mirror knob, broken, good for nothing cup holders, broken arm rest, cheap material easily stained seats, I could go on and on. In fact, just this morning, I went to start my car and the key broke off in the ignition! 2 weeks of driving this car and Im ready to sell it!