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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  Jetta TDI - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By PJL - July 6 - 10:00 am

  Great car if you drive a lot and dont want to pay a lot for fuel. Still performs well and is fun to drive.

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  new beetle electronic problems - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bcliffelec - July 6 - 10:00 am

  constant check engine light immediatley after purchase. Multiple dealerships were unable to ever find the problem. Volswagen ended up having to buy the car back under the "Lemon Law" but it was a real hassle!

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  Nice vehicle, but consumes OIL - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Serg - July 6 - 6:03 am

  I purchased this car a year ago. First, I was very satisfied. This car looks and performs well for the money I paid. Since the purchase, IÂ’ve been in the service at least 8 times; mostly minor things like lights and radio, but I also had a bigger concern: the oil level goes from max to min in 3K miles. At dealership, they changed some parts including turbo. Still, the problem was not resolved. It took me a year back and forth. Year later, they took a test after 645 miles and determine that 200 grams of oil are gone. They call to VW and after that called me and said that VW says that it is normal. I thought they were joking. They were not.

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  Great VW - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Top Dollar - July 5 - 9:06 pm

  Just traded in my VW Jetta GLX VR-6 with 254,000 miles on it. I hated to get rid of it but I was getting bored with it. You ask why? Well for one, I was the original owner. With all those mile it kept its good looks, Leather seat were still beautiful, and engine still ran like new. I always hated one thing about the car and it was the 91 octane. Let me tell you this was the best VW I ever owned, but I had to stay on top of the maintenance! I miss here already!

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  Good mileage, my foot! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DanTheMan2007 - July 3 - 8:46 am

  This is my 2nd Jetta, 3rd VW in all. My 98 Jetta got well over 30 mpg. My 07 averages 18 mpg! Ive been back to my dealership 4 times and they basically tell me too bad. I contact VW Corporate and they told me I have to work with the dealership, and that Corporate has nothing to do with it. Overall, I love the car, except the gas mileage and the lack of power (feels like 4 cylinders, not 5). Im very disappointed in VW on the way they handled this issue.

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  Great SUV...BUT - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jrthomas6565 - July 2 - 8:43 pm

  I really love my Touareg, but have a few issues with it. One, the NAV system is cd based, and my salesman told me DVD based. It cannot locate a lot of places I want to go, and cannot go to a specific address, just in the general "block" of that address. The other thing...no XM or Sirrus radio options. I wanted that option too, and was told it can be done, but NOT. I would not have purchased the vehcile if know about those two items, they were important to me, because of traveling for business a lot! Fuel mil is good, 22 mpg avg, and power is great. Hopefully they will upgrade the NAV and stereo and offer that to previous owners!

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  98 GLX - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vdubn98 - July 2 - 3:20 pm

  The mkIII vr6s are amazing cars. They have lots of power out of the box are fun to drive. The hp isnt that great but the weight of the car makes up for that. the suspension system is flawless, it handles like a sports car. and with the extra back weight of the Jetta, it out performs the GTI, IMO.

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  Never a boring car to drive... - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By marusik - June 29 - 9:50 am

  Although I dont drive as much as I used to, its always fun to drive the Rabbit under any driving conditions, rain or shine, either city or highway for long trips or short ones, but especially on twisty roads. The ride is always quite and comfortable... After reading some of the negative reviews about reliability issues on this model, Ive got a little bit concern, especially about the life of the brake pads, so I decided to check them out at 20000 miles and I was told that will probably last another 20K miles. Of course brakes life as well as gas mileage are subjective to every drivers attitude and driving styles...

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  Great Car - Especially for Women - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By acacia1602 - June 29 - 7:20 am

  My wife loves this car, and I have to say, it has really grown on me too. The interior is perfectly proportioned for a women, but is a little tight for larger men. Im 511" and 190 lbs, and its just large enough not to be a problem. The diesel mileage is great, and I love the heavy rumble of the engine. It has tons of torque. Aside from the size, the things to look out for are the front bumper partially popping off (you will learn how to pop it back on again) when you park too close to a curb in front. Also the seat adjustment is annoying. All that aside, this is a rock-solid reliable car with great fuel efficiency and a fun drive. I highly recommend it.

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  07 passat, 2.0t auto - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brian Corkery - June 27 - 9:46 pm

  Build quality is simply bad, drivers foot pedals are off set to the right of center, this means your right leg rest against the panel in the right side of the foot well. Tons of squeaks and rattles with 10,900 miles on it now. Seat warmers have no easy to see LEDs to see at a glance if they are on. Seats are extremely comfortable though. I was skeptical initially but the performance and economy are great with the automatic. Headlights are wimpy I had a 95 VR6 that had 206,000 miles on it. Theres no way on earth this 07 will last that long