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 - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By SeansTurboKafer - November 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for 4 years and still love it. I had forgotten how fun driving can be.

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  Nightmare - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By frustratedownr - November 11 - 10:00 am

  Vin # 2,8xx. put over 5,000 miles on loaner vehicles while waiting for parts/repair. VWoA doesnt seem to care about customer satisfaction. Takes 3 seperate visits to the service department for 10,000 mile service & 4 other "electrical" complaints. Service department must me more concerned about billable warranty hours that customer satisfaction.

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  Best value in a car ever - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Lapidsilver - November 11 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love my Jetta. I got the base GL with no options and it still has more standard features than any other cars that I looked at. It comes with 6 air bag standard! It also has the CD player, visor shade, folding seats, etc. and I didnt have to pay extra for them. The sales person that helped me was wonderful, and the service department is wonderful too (I havent had to use it yet, but my friend who owns a passat says its great). I want my entire family to get VWs now, because they are so safe and reliable.

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  Children are not importants... (VW) - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lslaflamme - November 11 - 10:00 am

  Ok, Im a french canadian and I will get to the point about children safety. This car is not legal in Canada for children seat because it doesnt permit the installation of a top (third) point anchor. We learn that after the purchase. VW said that the car is equiped with LATCH system, but it doesnt (the third point is not there at the top.) For that, this car should be 0/10. The children safety is the top priority of any car builder. I plan the get a lawyer until VW find a solution. I will go to the media. For the rest of the the car itself, it is very good.

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  Get the GLI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By annie macpherson - November 11 - 8:10 am

  I bought the new 2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI last month with the 2.0T engine, the same one that is in the Audi A4 without the Audi price. This is my first VW, I have heard great things about the Jettas but I like a lot of horsepower (200 I have now). The gas milage is great. I love the paddle shifters. I am so glad that the resedigned Jetta has more room for people in the back. The GLI is a top-of-the-line car, with leather sport seats all for under $30,000 including all the taxes and fees.

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  The last of a dying breed... - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike - November 10 - 12:10 pm

  Good overall vehicle. Decent gas mileage, plenty of available power, smooth opertation. Its a heavy car that needs more power to compensate.

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  A good and a bad car. - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Tara - November 9 - 11:46 pm

  A week ago I wrote a review for me bug and a couple of days when I wrote the review I have noticed that the transmission is doing some weird noises.

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  2015 Jetta TDI SE 6 Speed Manual - 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 3angelsfly - November 9 - 3:00 am

  I have about 250 miles on the car so far, so this review is my first impressions after owning it for less than a week. My previous car was 2005 Toyota Prius which was super reliable and went well over 200k miles with zero problems. I was hoping for something that still got good fuel mileage but had more power and was more fun to drive. In these respects the Jetta has been excellent. It is super quite on the road and absorbs the bumps better then my Prius. What I miss about the Prius is the full smart key system (available on Jetta SEL). Fuel economy so far according the computer is 45mpg on the first half tank of fuel. Thats about 85% highway at 65-75 mph with some spirited driving.

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  VW - The Rabbit formerly know as "Golf" - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Viper655rt10 - November 9 - 1:36 am

  Well, Ive only had the car for 2 days. But I can tell you that it is great. The quality has gone up to an even higher standard with this car. Volkswagen has clearly decided to make your money worth it. I had a 2003 Golf. It was a love hate relationship. It was weak-sauce when it came to acceleration, as could be expected. But it was rediculously fun when it came to getting through traffic and going through curvy 76 through Escondido in the San Diego mountains to Julian. As for this one, its freaking sweet. It accelerates like no other N/A sub 3.0L car Ive ever driven and handles like Steve Nash...left..right..left...left again..go go go! And thats with the automatic! Imagine if I got the manual!

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  Biggest POJ on the road!!! - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By pflower - November 8 - 8:13 pm

  This is the worst car i have ever owned. i bought it new and have had absolutley nothing but trouble. it was fun to drive when it was running. i have had to replace the battery 5 times, the transmission twice, the entire engine at 60,000. have had at least 15 recalls on it since i bought it. massive electrical failure twice. this has been nothing short of a complete headache. i cringe when i see new ones on the road!!! Dn not let the cute factor sway you, these are absolute pieces of junk!