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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  So Far So good - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By VWDriver - December 8 - 8:03 pm

  My Routan now has 9,500 miles, but so far so good. I recently traveled 156 miles (according to MapQuest) with a full tank. During our travel I stopped at a gas station at the destination and filled up the tank again out of curiosity--exactly 3 gallons was consumed for the 78-mile (one-way) trip. My Routan has averaged 26 MPG on HWY. Im not sure whether it improved because of my mild driving habit or the expensive gas from Chevron. Still, it is awesome to know it has better MPG than Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey, even w/ its VCM Feature. This van has also been very comfortable--a typical asset of VWs.

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  06 TDI manual with pkg 2 - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ernie - December 8 - 6:53 pm

  I have 40000 miles on my 06 TDI now and have been averaging 42 miles per gallon. Thus far the vehicle has not had any major breakdowns as did my 04 TDI. The 06 is a major improvement over the 04 in many ways, reliability thus far, and namely the interior room was a vast improvement over the 04. The car is comfortable to drive on trips considering it is a smaller vehicle. It has a solid feel on the road and is quiet considering it is a diesel. I am reluctant about the reliability, due to my experience with the 04 TDI but so far this 06 has stayed out of the shop except for routine maintenance. The 06 is peppy but does not have the snap that the 04 did. Good car.

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  An Excellent Wagon - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gavin 01 - December 8 - 1:36 pm

  I was surprised by how good the DSG transmission is! I normally prefer a manual gearbox on small cars - but the DSG is superb. The interior is very clean and well designed, I like the access panel in the rear seat for carrying long objects. The extra torque from the diesel is also a lot of fun. Im trying to see just how economical I can be on my commute (80% freeway) my best so far is 42 mpg.

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  Just got my Passat TDI SE - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By cracovia - December 8 - 5:29 am

  Two days ago I picked my 2012 Passat TDI SE. Did not fancy more options than those that came with the standard options package. Did not care much for a motorized glass sunroof that one has to take if one wants a 6 speed GSD transmission, but accepted it after trying how it works on a demo car. The car is phenomenal. On the way to work (20 miles one way) twice in the row I got an average of 45 mpg. hitting in some places 50.8 (what the gage said anyway). The inetrior is as roomy as my old 2003 Infiniti I35 that I was parting with. Got as many or more features. Quiet, soft but sensible ride, good road adhesion and styling. If f you have to chose between this car and Camry or Accord buy TDI.

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  VW makes history in bath - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By tinman - December 8 - 2:00 am

  This car is a well handleing, great acceleration, easy and fun to drive car. Its low to the ground so it hughs like no outher, the dash makes it feel like your in a world of your own.

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  Back to Volkswagen - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By James Coombes - December 5 - 12:50 am

  Owned very reliable Camry for years, but decided to try VW again after many years. I couldnt be much more pleased. I love this car. Its fun to drive (Camry was boring) and I average 39 mpg in mostly urban/suburban driving. Yeah, my iPod adapter is a joke, but they updated it on the 2010s. DSG works great for me, though it does feel a bit different than a standard automatics. You can easily adjust to it. My biggest decision was 16" or 17" wheels. 16" ride better over expansion joints. 17" handle better in tight curves. I wish I had both! So far my TDI is a great car. My local dealer is excellent too.

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  My New Passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By dominik - December 4 - 3:53 am

  I wanted to say that I went look at Hondas, Toyotas, Acuras, the Chrysler 300, and the Audi A4 and Passat came out the best. It has the best technology, it is new model for example compared to Audi A4, and it feels really cool when you drive it and do not see that many Passats on the road, I love the halogen lights, they turn blue, almost like the xenon. I am from the Czech Republic and my dad has a Skoda Octavia which is a part of VW. I am not concerned about my cars reliability because he heas had this car for 7 years and did not have to do any major repairs. I hope I will be so lucky with my car too. The car is so solid and the handling so tight, you better go and test drive it before you buy something else and then you start regreting. :)

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  WEEEEEEEE - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Bob Heiner - December 2 - 7:43 am

  My 2006 Volkswagen GTI has been great so far. The DSG transmission is a kick in the butt. Thou it is winter here and I cant get a real chance to let it all out, the car seems to handle great even with the all season tires. Come on summer.

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  Fun German car - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mephistopholes - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this car a few months ago and all Ive really driven with it since then is long trips on the freeway. This car gets very very respectable gas milage for the freeway trips and its gearing is such that it has plenty of passing punch even in top gear at 70 MPH. Also this car is fun, it may be somewhat underpowered but it is certainly a car which wants to be hustled and loves the twisties. A+ German engineering in a resonable car.

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  Fast and Fun - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By T C Jester - December 2 - 2:00 am

  Great room for two passengers. Car is comfortable running at about 90-95 mph.