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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  Delighted with the performance, not the interior - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By tedmontreal - October 11 - 7:49 am

  Overall I am extremely happy with this purchase, and the engine in particular has exceeded my expectations. I drove it brand-new (TDI) from Montreal to Chicago, with mostly highway driving and got a total _average_ of 49 + miles per gallon (4.7 litres / 100km), with peak segments getting 57 mpg. This was mostly at ~70 mph, and without cruise control. I took a little detour for curves and hills while on the trip and yes, the torque and the suspension is impressive. My only quibbles are the interior: my elderly (extremely skinny) dad said that after an hour of sitting the seats were uncomfortable for him, easily solved with a thick extra cushion. However, see my suggested improvements below.

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  dont buy one - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By lkennedy - October 8 - 4:26 pm

  2002 jetta. 1) calaber went bad 384.00 each 2) engine light twice 3) sensor switch twice 4) radio stopped working 5) tail lights burning out 6) head lights shut off while driving had to use hi beams to see. Its like non stop problems. Im trading it in. Never again with VW. Wish I listened.

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  Love it,but!! - 2000 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By nanny - October 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my VW Eurovan, but after 37000 miles I started experiencing major and minor breakdowns, quite expensive. No help or support from Volkswagen. Might have to go back to American made. Too bad because it is a great family van.

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  2012 VW CC (Comfort Coupe)? NO, Beautiful Beast... LOL! - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By bonedatt - October 8 - 2:34 am

  Oh snap, what type of car is that?!? After answering that question for the 10,000,000th time, it has become the norm. From the beautiful exterior to the luxurious interior, the CC is a show stopper. DVD Navigation that plays movies too, climatronic ventilation, heated front power seats, ambient lightning, fuel efficient, and lots of other standard feature makes this a best buy. I have the LUX Plus trim with two tone interior and if you think the exterior is beautiful, wait till you see how finely knitted the two tone front and rear bucket seats are....absolutely gorgeous!! the interior screams luxury all the way. Overall, the 2012 VW Passat CC is one "beautiful beast"

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  Second Passat 4Motion - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By JMV - October 3 - 6:50 am

  Was sold on the 4Motion after taking a 2004 Passat 4Motion through 20 miles of twisting and turning snow covered roads in Northern Michigan. The 06 with the larger 3.6L V6 has a lot more punch than the 04s 2.8L engine. The six-speed transmission provides surprisingly good gas mileage, bumping up to 30 mpg at better-than-posted highway speeds.

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  Satisfied owner - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By gesfour - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall this is a well designed and well executed car. I am very pleased with the quality of the interior materials and the placement of the controls. Unlike many other cars, all of the switchgear is where it should be (or at least where I think it should be). Power is adequate with the turbo four but I do wish that power delivery was more linear. That said, however, I drove the four cylinder and the V6 and couldnt justify the $3000 price premium for the V6 GLS.

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  W8 6M What Fun! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By zedbyers - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Just picked up my new W8 6M last weekend, and put 2500 miles on it already. What a fun car to drive!! Only complaints, no where to put CDs, seats should be a bit more comfortable, Recaro would be nice. This engine/tranny is a blast to drive. Cant wait to see a few mods come out for the car, and can only imagine what the Phaeton with a manual tranny would be like! Excellent experience with dealer. Will be back to by another VW when I get bored with this one (if that can happen). Cant beat the quality and amount of car you get for price paid when compared to MB, BMW, and Audi.

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  Born to commute - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By J Ozero - October 2 - 10:00 am

  I drive my TDI around 250km a day and have had not a single problem in my first 55000km. Also took a long road trip down the westcoast camping and was pleasantly surprised that the car held all our camping gear and then some. Have and will continue to recommend this car to everyone!!

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  Coil Packs, Coil Packs, Coil Packs. - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dozier450 - October 1 - 5:46 am

  Purchased this 2003 Beetle with 39k on 12-31-08 for daughter. Ive had to replace three coil packs, the 4th was already replaced when the car was purchased. VW had a problem with issue, but told me this car was not covered under the recall back during 2003. I was also told that I could take this car to the dealer and pay $100.00 to get the codes read and if I keep the receipts and if they ever do recall this issue, then I could send in for a refund. I decided to use the $100.00 code fee and purchase new coil packs. I did buy a code scanner off of eBay for less than $30.00, it reads and clears the Check Engine Light after you make the repair. This car has the 1.8T engine.

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  Disappointed Owner - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Tommy - September 30 - 6:50 pm

  My wife owned a 2001 Jetta & we traded in and bought a new Toureg (V8). Radio didnt work & one problem after another. Toureg has been in & out of the shop for repairs & some repeats. We asked VW to replace the car with a new one. Even the Service Mgr asked. They said NO, they will fix the problems. So our hands are tied, if we sell we lose thousands of dollars on this piece of junk. I NEVER wanted to buy a VW and but my wife liked the it. Now my wife regrets buying this. Im sure other auto makers would have replaced this vehicle if it had so many issues.