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:

• 

  Touareg is a greast all around vehicle - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ukchap - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I have owned the vehicle for one month now, and the only problem I have experienced is the Coil pack which was not supposed to be a problem on this model VR6. My vehicle was taken to Roseville VW and prompt attention to the problem was given.

• 

  Great ride and suspension - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By riverdance - July 31 - 2:00 am

  A nice car all around. Had a Maxima before. Not quite the performane of a Maxima but more refined on the road with good suspension travel and ver quite ride. Nice sound system. Great paint and interior refinement.

• 

  Great Car! - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Gabe - July 30 - 6:16 am

  Tremendous value. I put in an InMotion stage 2 kit with chip remapping and injectors .216. I had to put in a VR6 clutch because of all the extra power. I had a few electronic problems (instrument cluster replacement, a few recalls). Best car Ive ever had!

• 

  02 Passat GLS Auto - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ericm - July 26 - 2:00 am

  So far, after having it for 26K miles I have not had any major problems. A few ninor things fixed (Back rear window would not roll down, Chrome trim was coming off). I think the car is still fun to drive. I like the detail of the interior and look of exterior. The black on black combo still looks as good as day one. My only concern is the average MPG (25mpg according to the trip computer). Not 31 as on the sticker...

• 

  New Jetta TDI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Pat - July 25 - 1:20 pm

  I have less than 1,000 miles on my Jetta TDI so far. I got 35 mpg on my first tank of gas. Everything seems to work.

• 

  What a LEMON! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Disappointed!!! - July 24 - 10:00 am

  I loved this car when I first got it! Then the problems kicked in. By now Ive learned to live with most of them. It began with the windows and radio/cassette player having minds of their own. They did what they wanted when they wanted. I had the windows looked at and the radio replaced three times. Speaking of three, the starter was replaced three times. I replaced the tires, brakes, rotors, windshield wiper motor. The cupholder is a joke, can anything fit in there besides change? Electrical problems.

• 

  Hope you live close to the dealer - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By NancyM - July 24 - 10:00 am

  I have had to take my Jetta to the dealership 3 times in the last 8 months to get the windows fixed. The lift mechanisms keep breaking. So unless you live within 10 miles of the dealership, and even then it is a pain, the problems override the fun in driving.

• 

  2004 VW Jetta 2.0 - 5 Speed Manual - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By roman_empire - July 20 - 4:49 am

  I bout my Jetta in 2007 as a project with front end damage. When I was considering this car I was told that they have many problems and I should not bother. I went and bought it any ways. It had 59,xxx miles on it when it came to me. Today, April 20, 2013, it has 130,xxx miles. In general it is a very reliable car. Through out the history I have had to replace the water pump 2 time and a third time when the timing belt was changed. I have been changing the oil about every 3,000 miles. I traveled to Eastern WA about 4 times from Seattle. One trip I took to California a little over 1,500 miles round trip. I usually get about 28 miles/per gallon with about even mix of city+freeway commuting.

• 

  I like my Wolfsburg Sedan! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By anya - July 19 - 10:00 am

  I have been very happy with the reliability of my car. Excellent paint & tires all the way to the handling, and performance. Will definitely buy VW again.

• 

  Great Car to Drive - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By JpL322 - July 18 - 11:20 am

  This is the first VW I have owned and my previous car was a 91 Honda Accord. I love the preformance of the 2.5L engine paired with the manual transmission. The interior is deceptively roomy to me (62"). The quality of construction is the best that I have seen from all of the car companies I have shopped (Dodge, Chevy, Honda, Toyota). This car is by far exceptional in quality, options, and preformance for the price.