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 To Drive, Feature Loaded - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike T. - October 1 - 2:50 pm

  Having owned the New Jetta for a month now, Ive had time to learn all the little features packed into this car. I am really impressed with acceleration. Pressing your foot on the gas the car accelerates from 0 to 40 in a heartbeat. Road grip is amazing (as is overall handling). The care easily handles double the speed limit around curves without body roll or protestation from the tires (ie. a local interchange between two highways has a 25 mph limit and the Jetta easily handles it at 50.) Lots of little convenience features have you discovering something new for weeks. Id be surprised if a sales rep covered 25% of them.

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  Here is a new TDI convert! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TDIconvert - October 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had my car for about a week and am very happy with it. My first half-tank of diesel has gotten me 350 miles! Beyond that, its a car with excellent fit-and-finish, great sound, smooth ride, and a classy feel. It feels like I bought a much more expensive car. There is plenty of room for four people, and there is ample hip, shoulder, and leg room. The car is fun to drive, has unbelievable torque and accelerates nicely.

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  I Love It - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By chrisfromnh - October 1 - 5:00 am

  Before I bought my Passat, I test drove almost every competing car: Accord, Altima, S40/S60, Fusion, Charger, Mazda, etc. I also drove a few Certified PreOwned Volvos and Audis. In the end I chose the Passat because I felt for they type of car I was looking for, it was the best value. I have not been disappointed.

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  Fun, Fast, Watch out for the police! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JPnSEA - September 30 - 8:20 pm

  This new Jetta GLI is fun. I always find myself traveling at 80 mph though, so be careful if you already have tickets. It has a smooth ride, with just enough power to keep me interested. I will not be winning any drag races, but with only 200hp I did not expect too, it does have some surprising get up and go though for sure. I have the manual transmission. I get comments on how the car looks all the time, I tinted the windows and picked the metallic black exterior with black leather interior and with the red highlights on the grill and brakes. It looks really nice...if I do say so myself. Overall there is very little to complain about...it does pull just a little when you are going all out but it is manageable.

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  Amazing Car - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By steveditt - September 29 - 4:50 pm

  Purchased 2010 Passat wagon February and could not be happier, excellent workmanship and plenty of power with great gas mileage. The interior design and comfort were two of the original things we liked viewing different cars at a local car show. Our dealer let us drive the car over 70 miles for our test drive and we were sold. So many features are included this car, quiet very little road noise. Our first road trip was about 400 miles and averaged 32 mpg unbelievable for this car.

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  Darwin was Right! - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By Joe - September 28 - 5:33 am

  I owned the original GTI “pocket rocket” in the 80s. It was a revolution in small cars, and created ripples throughout the automotive universe. Today, I own a 2008 r32. It feels like it was forged from a solid chunk of billet, (unlike the “beer can” feel of my former Subaru WRX). Glove soft leather interior, all the latest safety technology, plenty of honest all wheel drive "non boosted" performance, and the practicality and roominess of a hatch. Is it a $30k plus auto? Maybe not for you - especially if you live in the “0-60; quarter mile” universe. But for an old GTI hot hatch man like myself, I can’t think of anything better. Its the natural evolution of what I owned over 20 years ago.

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  Great Car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Martha - September 28 - 3:23 am

  I love my 99 Passat. The V6 engine is like butter, 5 speed manual transmission is fun and we have racked up 57000 miles on it on our long trips across Texas. The only problems I ever had with the car was the CD changer (didnt work after 2 yrs), and most importantly, whenever I turned off the AC and turned on the fan the smell from the vents was bad. We took it in twice for the smell during the very limited 2 yr/24000 mi warranty and all that could be done was to take the oxygen out of the car to kill any possible mold growing in the system. The problem was back after 3 months.

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  Im very glad i bought this car - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By refloyd - September 27 - 2:50 am

  I bought this car new and have mostly used this for city driving. I haul a lot of stuff. Im a paint contractor and I do work in decorative concrete. I can fit my little giant ladders inside the vehicle, and other ladders on my roof rack. It handles a lot of sacks of concrete, with no adverse effects on braking, handling. I can get 8 2x4s in there also. Ive gotten 4 sheets of 3/4 ply on the roof and still an easy drive. Its surprising just how much this can haul. This is a fantastic Urban car. The best, imho. Enough power to hit the highways in the burbs. Short enough to parallel park in tight spots. Amble space for groceries. And great mpg for city.

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  Fergie - 2004 Volkswagen Golf
  By Fergie - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Better looking than most inexpensive cars. Great in the bad weather. Full economy is 24 even though they say 24-30.

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  A Perfect 10 - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Jasper24 - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Need I say more?