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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  Perfect small car - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By ilikegermancars - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Luckily for me, my mother loved the car just as much as i did and she was willing to part with her money in order for me to have a car. Ive had the car for about a month now and i really enjoy it. It blows a civic and any ford out of the water. The sound system is immaculate, and the cabin is much better designed than my fathers civic and siblings fords. I look foward to see how it will perform five years from now. For the meantime though, im gonna enjoy my vw.

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  Best Value for Money - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By carnut - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I shopped them all FX35 and 45 ,ML500 too old a design, BMW 4.4 doesnt compare, the only one in the same league was the Land Rover Range Rover at 75 large. For 33k less Ive got an equally good on and off road car. Gas mileage is about as I expected am averaging 16 mpg. but I wanted the grunt of the big V8 and I loveit. By the way it runs well on regular. Its a great car and my hats oiff to VW for creating it. It fills a huge void in the SUV fdield, fit finish and build quality are as good as it gets. It drives and handles great as well, and off road its in a league of its own. Cant say enough good things about it.

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  Great car, burns some oil - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By uhermes - June 28 - 10:00 am

  The Jetta 2002 Wagon is my first new car that I bought. I really like it (handling, gas consumption, design). The only problem that I ran into is its consumption of oil on my 2.0l engine. The dealership tells me it is okay to burn up to a quart every 1000miles. My car burns about half of that. This sounds more like these old two stroke East German engines. No new car should burn oil (after the first 1000miles), this is ridiculous! As a native German, I cant believe that VW is telling this to its customers here. After completing my offical oil consumption test, I will get the "1qt/1000miles" statement in writing and call Wolfsburg!

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  I love this car - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Corder - June 27 - 1:13 am

  I had a VW Jetta before I bought my Passat, I loved both but the passat has a lot more room and lots of power. It is also a very stylish car.

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  2006 Jetta TDI 5 speed Manual - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bob Jetta - June 26 - 2:30 pm

  The is car is great for commuting. It gets 40 to 50 mpg depending on how you drive it. It has excellent air conditioning. I am 6 2" and the driver seat adjusts very low and goes very far back so I can easily look out of the windshield without ducking. If you are tall, you now what I mean. It has an excellent turning radius, great torque on hills, and fast acceleration. I am very happy with the stereo system, package #2 with heated seats and leather etc... The stereo is not quite as nice as the Bose in my wifes Nissan Maxima but it is good quality and plays MP3s with a 6 disc CD changer. I have no complaints since I got what I wanted, a comfortable 4 door sedan with a stick that has good set of options and will get 50 mpg. I drove 200 miles home from dealer getting 47.7 mpg.

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  Funnest car Ive owned - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By not all bad reviews - June 26 - 12:03 pm

  Bought it in 04 with 20,000 miles and now have 145,000 miles on it. Had to replace the coils and brake light switch. Had my own mechanic do the work and got reimbursed most$ because of recalls. Fun to drive. Had a water issue but fixed it myself. If I had mechanic fix it would have gotten reimbursed due to recall. Only issue I have is the headlights are wired backwards so the main lights are on all the time. Also have a heated seat issue but beyond that I love the car. Parts are pricey and the dealers dont have a clue. But have not had the issues these posters have had. Anyone whos borrowed my car liked driving it.

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  Love It! - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By VW - June 26 - 10:03 am

  I have over 3000 kms. on it and love it more every day. This is my 6th car (4th VW) and is my favorite by far. I love the handling, acceleration, looks, interior, and especially how quiet it is. It has tons of room inside and I really like how everything is laid out inside. I actually like the cruise on the stick and it is very easy to use (unlike previous Jetta models). It makes for a cleaner looking steering wheel. I have had absolutely no problems so far. It is built like a tank.

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  The Seats are TERRIBLE - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Scott - June 25 - 1:40 pm

  I bought this car for a commuter vehicle and it serves this purpose wonderfully as far as an economical and fun car to drive. However, it is the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever sat in. I am 63", 210 pounds. The seats are designed for someone in the 50" 120 pound frame size. I am so displeased with the seat comfort that I am taking the vehicle to a custom seat builder for relief.

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  06 Jetti TDI Pkg.1 - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bernard - June 25 - 6:13 am

  So far so good with my 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. I had a few minor issues after 5,000 miles The vehicle was poorly aligned from factory and the speedometer reads 4.5 mph faster than my GPS. this car has nice linear power and a decent road feel, though it has slighty higher interior noise from road than I would have expected. I travel long distances, mostly on the highway at 80 mph and have been getting 40+ mpg. The interior fit and finish are superb. It has a very Teutonic in look and feel (have owned Audi, BMW, Porche). The body panel fit and finish is first class. I was surprised at how little the dealer was willing to negotiate. I only received a $200 discount (as a matter of principal)! Still, I had a very positive dealer experience.

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  Worth Every Penny! - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By lefter13 - June 25 - 4:00 am

  I enjoy my car very much. Its a lot of fun to drive.