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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  Nice, but doesnt pull 7,700 pds.!!!!!!! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By August Richter - March 23 - 2:00 am

  It is truley a german made and crafted, you feel so safe. The ride is priceless and handles like a sports car. The price you cant beat with all you get. The porshe is based on the toureg and it is 14 grand more! It was awarded 2004 suv off the year my Motor Trend! I have wattage trouble with powering my trailor!

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  Troubles in Germany? - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Genosite - March 23 - 2:00 am

  We have the nav system, air-suspension, premium 2 pkg- essentially every option. PROBLEMS: The nav/CD system went out-we are having the third one installed. 1 of the headlights quit working twice-now fixed. One of the speakers went out-now fixed. The remote has abismal range. There was a whistling in the rear door- fixed after 3 trips to the dealer. Problem with the rear window latch causes the interior lights to remain on- being fixed as well. Our dealer has been very responsive, but in the three months we have had the car, it has been in the shop 7 times. Wondering if we got a lemon.

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  My Jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Betina James - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Overall I enjoy the car, in a market that seems to be geared towards SUVs. The car is fun too drive and performs great. The only thing about the car that I dont like is that it doesnt have a spoiler. But thats just me. It gets excellent gas mileage, and handles well around corners. And even though I just got the 4 its got some fight in it out of the pocket.

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  Best small car ever! - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By vntgdave - March 22 - 2:53 pm

  This is by far the best small car Ive ever driven. Im 61" and 200 lbs. and I fit in it perfectly. It drives like a full size sedan and gets great gas mileage for the horsepower that it has. Ive put 60K on her in 2 years and Ive had no problems. I have long commutes for work (3-6 hours) and I rarely ever feel the fatigue from sitting in my car that long. When I have to drive compact to midsize rentals for my job (I hate most of them) I cant wait to get home to my rabbit. It feels safe too...especially with all of the airbags.

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  GTi 1.8 Fun Car to own - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By Danan - March 22 - 1:43 am

  It is a very fun car to drive, I have had it for more than 8 years, and 145,000 miles, still on original clutch. Never take the car to dealers, always work with local VW mechanic. Maintenance is a little bit high, but it is worth it. I have changed the ECU to after market, the car goes 20% faster and save more gas.

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  Safest reasonably priced convertible - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By SFBeagler - March 21 - 10:00 am

  After evaluating several convertibles, we chose the VW Cabrio because of its standard safety features (ABS, Front/Side Airbags, Roll Bar, & Seatbelt pretensioners) and real rear seat. The 2 year free maintenance in the 2001 model has been a plus - warranty repairs (replacement of a window seal, peeling door handle, and dash button) have all been easily covered. Ever passenger loves the dash at night, and the quality of the car is apparent every time you drive. On a sunny day with the top down it is a real antidepressant!

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  2013 VW GTI Autobahn - 4DR - 2013 Volkswagen GTI
  By nuttnhoney - March 20 - 8:34 am

  I bought this car because it is sporty, has nice styling and has nice, quick, responsive performance. My previous car was a 2003 Nissan 350z. I really like the handling, design, power and looks out of the box. I also added a software upgrade from the dealer that boosted my HP considerably making it even quicker. The car has been on 3 5k road trips and for the most part performed well. One thing I like about it on road trips is that it has nice performance but is not flashy...I drive into diverse areas and the last thing I want to do is draw attention that you would get with an Audi, MB, BMW, etc Beware of signature water pump and intake manifold issues with the 2.0 liter engine.

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  I Still Love It - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By TwoPassats - March 19 - 2:43 pm

  The only other vehicles I considered were the BMW 325i and Audi A4 2.0T (the 330 and A4 3.2 were slightly out of my range). Even after driving the 325, the Passat remained the clear winner for me. I purchased my new Passat 3.6 with Sport Package #1 (I feel this is the best deal in the 3.6 range) in order to provide a stable mate for my 1999 Passat 1.8T (which I will keep until it dies). As far as driving enjoyment goes, the car is great. The cars power, build quality, and Teutonic feel are amazing for a car in this price range. I have had a couple of electrical problems involving the fuel gauge and fuel pump, but both were quickly fixed under warranty. Despite these problems, I still love it.

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  2007 passat is a horrible product! - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By passatsucks - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had several VW all new. The last one was a brand new 2007 passat I bought. Chck engine is constantly on! The inetrior (back) is peeling off even though no one ever sits there. I am in and out of the shop every month! If you get it all fixed then at least I would wake up with a flat tire! This is worst than my first used car which was a beat up saturn!! I will never go near VW again!! Its a cheap product and I puke when I see it. Its paid off and I am looking for a new car but I would rather ride the train than to buy another cheap behind german product. My husband bought a used BMW at the same time that I bought mine and he has had no problems at all..I am totally done with VW!!

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  An amazing value - 2013 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By unearthed - March 19 - 12:14 am

  I am really very impressed by the features and value of the base model Sportwagen S. If you are looking for an upscale interior and a large cargo area, there really isnt another vehicle that compares. It is comfortable to sit in, drives very well, and comes equipped with virtually all the features one would look for in a daily driver.