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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  Used to like it.... - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Gettin_an_Audi... - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I am the original owner of a Blue New Beetle, we have had to Replace the 02 sensor, the windoew controls twice, window regulator, and just yesterday, door latch sensor, air conditioning filter, mass air sensor, etc - most of which were all out of warrenty. The car was decent - I got it as my first car. The safety was definetly a selling factor. But, if we would have known all the issues it was going to have, we never would have bought it. My interior door handles are peeling too, and I dont use lotion... VW sure gives everyone the run around.

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  fun to drive!! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By AlexR - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I have had my GLS 1.8t for r week now, I and I love it. The power from the turbo is great, and the tiptronic tranny is fun to use, and useful. Even though I am still in the break in period, I have tested the power a few times.

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  Should you get a Jetta or a Civic? - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RLuvsVWbuddy - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I was beginnig to think that I had made a mistake by buying this car until I saw my neighbors Civic. She had many more problems than I did... and more serious ones. I know what youre thinking: Hes not objective because he owns a Jetta. My answer to this is: I moved to a new country and again I was faced with the decision of which car to buy. After lots of research through many sources I arrived at the same conclusion: Get the Jetta before the Civic. It may be a little more expensive but you get a whole lot for that small difference.

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  ELECTRIC WINDOWS ... BAD! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JAMIE - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE THIS CARS PERFORMANCE AND AND RIDE. HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD MORE LITTLE PROBLEMS THEN I WANT TO DEAL WITH. THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSAGER WINDOWS HAVE HAD THE "RISER" ARM BREAK 6 TIMES TOTAL IN THE LAST YEAR. IF THE LEMON LAW WASN T SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS I WOULD DO IT, BUT I THINK I LL JUST TRADE IT IN. SORRY TO BUM OUT ALL THE VW HEADS.

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  Guys and Especially Girls Love It - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By batmanlasd - July 27 - 7:56 am

  I love the gas mileage that my Eos gets. I love the style, too. I havent passed the recommend 600 miles to fully step on pedal yet. I get lots of complements about it. I like how it is built in Europe. It has a very smooth ride, I hardly feel the bumps. I love the fact that the horn is not va VW sound.

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  Great So Far! - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Angela Battle - July 27 - 7:00 am

  My husband and I researched and drove every vehicle in this class. In our opinion, the Tiguan is simply the better vehicle all the way around. Build quality, styling, design, interior layout, handling, braking and acceleration (the turbo was smooth and peppy) are all excellent.

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  Disappointed - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Jen - July 27 - 6:50 am

  I thought I was buying a better quality car. I was wrong. The paint is chipping in a few spots and there are lines throughout the paint that wont come out even after washing, waxing and buffing. Also there are three rattles inside that the dealership cant seem to fix. When accelerating you pick up speed until it hits 4000 rpms then it just stops accelerating. My friends say the back seat is very roomy.

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  2008 Jetta Wolfsberg Edition - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ilchqb11 - July 26 - 1:06 pm

  I bought my Jetta brand new at 0 miles and just yesterday I passed 100,000 miles and I have to say this is by far the best car I have ever owned; however, some people dont realize that owning and maintaining a VW takes a little bit of work. In order to make sure your vehicle lasts a long time it is vital that you stay up-to-date with recommended maintenance and NEVER get work done at a location other then a licensed Volkswagen dealership. If you follow those 2 simple rules you will be more than happy. Ive heard horror stories about people buying a Jetta and having terrible experiences with it; yet they never really took the effort to take care of it or take it in for routine maintenance.

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  New Owner - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike - July 25 - 10:13 pm

  We have recently purchased a TDI. After long consideration we went for it. Lookslike a lot of work was done at the dealer. Hopefully we missed the worst. At 110km they did timing and waterpump as we insisted due to previous warnings and info. A lot of fun (5 speed). I am not sure of the mileage quality yet that everyone boasts about. I guess it all depends on the type of driving. We tend to have a heavy foot.

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  Fun, Thrifty, Reliable - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dbenhur - July 25 - 4:00 pm

  I live in the hilly contryside of the Oregon coast and my TDI Jetta is a pleasure to own and drive. It is reliable and gets 45-48 mpg on my daily 90 mile commute. It has plenty of pick up and low-end torque and handles great through hills and in wet and light snow. I have never had a problem with it in two years and 50,000 miles of ownership.