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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  Rudolph Would be Proud - 2004 Volkswagen Golf
  By Dragofan - January 15 - 8:23 pm

  Diesels are notorious for being hard to start, but my Golf has been flawless in -20ºF temps. Sure, it lets you know that its a diesel when it starts in cold weather, but it has never refused to start. The car is fun to drive for the most part and Ive seen up to 52 mpg. For those looking for an economy car with a manual transmission, dont pass up a test drive of the Golf!

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  7 year review - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By bjss - January 13 - 9:26 am

  Bought new (3/02), have approx 72K miles, no major problems. Several recalls, but dealership tended to quickly/efficiently. Had the Timing Belt job completed at 65K, did not want to risk going to 95-105K as VW suggests in manual. Very fun car to drive. Based on some posts, I guess I have been lucky. But I do follow the maintenance schedule religiously and use Synthetic oil!

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  So Far, Love this Car - 2012 Volkswagen GTI
  By caseydog3 - January 11 - 8:45 pm

  After buying a new 2012 VW passat in July 2012, I decided to trade it in for a new 2012 GTI. While the passat was a nice BIG family sedan, I wanted to drive something fun and sporty. Also, I was having alot of trouble seeing at night with the Passat. Anyway, I got the new GTI over the weekend. It is so entirely different than the passat. I can understand why people say they look forward to driving it everyday. I feel the same way. The visibility, comfort and feel of the car is so great. Its smaller, but still has plenty of room. I find that Im playing the stereo less now because I like listening to the sound of the engine and the turbo.

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  Second Passat in 1 year - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DanaRich - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Originally owned a 2001.5 passat V6 FWD. Was totaled in accident and, due to the excellent safety features engineered into it having saved my hide I bought a new 2003 GLX V6 4motion. The 2001.5 V6 FWD had great acceleration, good gas mileage (22/25). The 2003 V6 AWD has poorer acceleration and much poorer gas mileage (19/23). I understand that the AWD is 400 lbs. heavier than the FWD, but this difference is way more than I expected or can write off to weight. Love the tiptronic. Love the interior lighting.The suspension on the 2003 seems mushier than the 2001.5.

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  6 months and 5,000 miles - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By thurston3 - January 10 - 9:43 pm

  I think I have a firm grasp on this car now... Great computer features, headlights are awesome, bluetooth and other techs are top notch. I have found SOME build quality problems: loose door bolt, some auto start issues on occasion and window squeaking when the weather stripping is met my the glass. Overall a great car with great mpg and gadgets. Be warned however, this is not a "drivers" car. It is comfortable and smooth but it IS NOT a fast car and it does not corner really well either. Finally, because of the soft suspension and low ride height, take it easy over speed tables... you CAN bottom out. Would I recommend this car to anyone, YES! Does it have SOME faults... yes.

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  Live from Lemonville - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rnery - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Three transmissions replaced, under warranty! Listen for what sounds like Curly, from the Stooges, at 40 mph. Cat converter, master airflow & coil pack DEAD before 90K - NOT under warranty. Whats up with the occasional dimming of the headlights? Ive never had a VW do less that 150K. This one wont make it. Ran great, when it ran! Got to go Japanese now, unfortunately. I have too much uncertainty in my life.

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  Fun to drive - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Lars Pedersen - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This is a strong entry into the SUV segment for VW. I have my concerns about the long term quality considering the amount and complexity of the deployed electronics. Very fun to drive. Previously owned BMW X5 and the VW beats it in appeal both on-road and off-road

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  If I listened to what they told me - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Roni - January 5 - 7:53 pm

  Everyone said dont buy one..."Theyre unreliable... Read consumer ratings"...etc. I was overwhelmed with the specifications, styling and detail, appearance and ride. I have owned 3 Jeep Grand Cherokees, a Land Rover Discovery, and few Mazdas. Other choices were BMW X3, Acura MDX, Volvo XC. This car has well exceeded any of them in engineering and detail. I havent owned it long, so I cant vouch for the long-term reliability factor, but I have never liked a car this much. The car is loaded with standard features -- I only opted for the power seat upgrade. There are so many electronic features and controls that I am having to do my homework and read the manual / watch the video.

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  love mpg, hate electronic issues - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By CAgirl - January 5 - 2:33 am

  I have had this car for 4 years and I have had some issues with the dash mpg display, when the car is hot its half faded, the light doesnt come on when I open the door - I have to wack it to get it on and the lights for the temp controls dont come on anymore. I have taken it in to complain about it but each time the techs tell me it was working fine for them,fog lights and headlights burnout fast. I do love the fuel efficiency, I average 37 mpg on the freeway which is great on the wallet. Leather seats little uncomfortable during a long drive. My daughter kicked off the ashtray and elec plug cover with her legs due to center carseat position. I think this will be my last passat.

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  Problems After Warranty Expired! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JaimeJ - January 4 - 9:23 pm

  The first four years that I owned my 2002 VW Jetta I didnt have any major mechanical problems. I havent been super happy with the car in general. I drive a lot for work, and its annoying that the car is loud on the highway. The main issue is that my warranty JUST ran out about two weeks ago and all of a sudden the driver seat adjustments stopped working and my power steering went out last night. I was driving downtown San Francisco and I heard "pop" and then all of a sudden it was like I was driving a dumptruck. I am sure that VW is going to kill me with the charges for this repair. I had planned on keeping this car until it stopped working, but now I may buy something else and never return to VW.