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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  Fun car - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By my1stVW - May 9 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car! Unfortunately, I hit an ugly pothole. The hole was so deep that my entire right wheel was destroyed. Took it back to the dealership, they had to order the rim from Germany. Its going to take 2 weeks to see the wheel since they dont have any stateside. Other than that, its fun little car and I drive it everyday to and from work.

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  Good Car - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JasonM23 - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I really like this car. It has a good mix of features, fuel mileage, and handling for a low price. You do have rattles from time to time but the engine runs very well. My check engine light comes on, but it is only an emmisions indication. Dont worry too much about it, it will go off in a few days after in recalibrates. The windows are not the greatest,, but the car is really fun to drive and I love the fuel economy

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  A typical experience - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By debug - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I love this car, its so fun. Use it as a 3rd car -about to sell it since its hard to get a car seat into the back. Window switch problem, peeling door handles (no lotion here!), badly designed cup holders, had MANY headlights and harnesses, plus electrical problem I had to go to war over...defective killed the battery within 48 hours. They told me I should "drive it more!" (how, since it was always dead?) After calling VW and causing a scene at the dealer they finally diagnosed the problem. It is cute, fun, very good pickup. I still love it after all that. Good design, German-style steering. And it fits my 64" spouse.

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  Piece o crap! - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By NOT happy in LA, CA - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle brand new with 16 miles on it in November 2001. It is now July 2002. So far, it has had the wheel hub, wheel bearings, brakes, ABS sensor, gasoline cable switch inside the car and clutch readjusted. NOW Im waiting for new parts for the bad power windows that all the Beetles have. I should have stuck with Toyota. I owned them for 20 years. Im super bummed. What a terrible purchase!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Steer Away If You Want a Safe Car - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Hayley - May 5 - 5:25 pm

  I am 19 years old and received this car as a birthday present less than 2 years ago, the car seemed great at first running fantastically until small little headaches started happening. First it was my keys getting stuck in the ignition when trying to turn the car off, i couldnt even go to class that day because i couldnt turn the car off. Then it was the multiple windows breaking in the car that would go down but then not come up (driver, passenger side, and drivers back window). The car did fairly well in the snow, coming from Connecticut we get our fair share- the car has good control but theres absolutely no weight to the car so i found myself skidding and struggling to get up hills. My last experience with this car was the accident i got in it about a week ago. I rear ended the back of a pick up truck on the highway going 40 miles per hour, easy to say my car was totaled. It was a horrifying experience because i felt no security in the car whatsoever when getting into the accident, theres so little to the car if i hit any harder the entire front of my car wouldve been gone probably. Its a cute, fun summer car thats nice to drive around if you live in the right conditions. But please take this from me, if youre considering buying your child this car, PLEASE look into better safety features. This car has absolutely no protection to it if you were to get in a serious accident.

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  A ride above the rest! - 2012 Volkswagen GTI
  By cjcanada - May 2 - 7:40 pm

  This is my first VW and its been great! I bought my fully loaded 2012 gti in July 2012 and now have almost 12K on it (7400 Miles) and have had no issues. I have even taken it on a road trip from Alberta Canada to California and back (5600 km) and no issues whatsoever. This is a great car and fun to drive. I have no rattles or issues with this car so far. Love this car! Very few dislikes. I would recommend this car as a daily fun commuter car. I have the DSG and love it! Sport mode revs too high though. The car is a little light on the front end. Spin the tires often.

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  Good for the long haul - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By miles and smiles - May 2 - 4:46 am

  After three years and 108,000 miles, I still like it. Short commutes to long trips, its comfortable (and Im 66") and reliable. Squeaks and rattles have always been from stuff in the car, not the car itself. Nice torquey engine is great in the mountains -- only one hill in Colorado ever made me shift out of 5th to maintain 60 mph (US highway). Average of 42 mpg for that trip -- lots of moutains plus keeping up with traffic on the plains. Can drive for 5 hours straight without getting a sore backside. Great brakes, excellent ride, decent handling, plenty of room (except in the back seat) -- this ones a keeper.

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  Pocket Rocket - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Franklinh - May 2 - 1:43 am

  This is my second Volkswagen GTI and I must say they get a bad rap on the speed and handling sides. With a straight (no cat) exhaust system and a set of TEIN coils Im able to hustle Nissan 350Zs and stock Honda S2000s to the point of spin in the moutians. All while being able to clock repeatable 14.4s @ 94 mph at the local drag strip. Try to find that elsewhere with heated seats and 150 mph stability in other cars for $350 a month.

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  Lots of Pep - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Volkswagen Girl - April 30 - 5:56 pm

  Very comfortable car that takes off when you need power. The only major problem I had was the transmission had to be rebuilt.

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  Smells of rubber - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By nomoorevws - April 29 - 9:53 am

  I loved this car. Told everyone to get one. Some did. Now I feel bad because it is a NIGHTMARE to have repaired. I feel like I am playing chance. Maybe they will find the problem, maybe they wont. There is always a HUGE labor bill and a car returned to me that still smells and misfires. There is a FEAR about taking the car to a non dealer, yet I feel that the dealer service is equally befuddled by the prolific problems with this car. Have a Sienna with 125k mi that has never needed anything except routine service. So far Passat - O 2 sensor, valve cover gaskets, check engine problems,pervasive oil leaks,broken seat, lame bumper, door sensor broke which triggered fuel pump/spark plug prob