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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  2003 GLS 1.8T Triptronic - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Cards28 - December 30 - 10:00 am

  Lucky me, I bought a 2003 Jetta in Jan 2003 after all the problems in previous years were ironed out. Just over 6,000 miles and havent had one problem yet. Sometimes I feel like the other shoe is going to drop, though. I just dont like the turbo lag with the Triptronic. I understand that you can go back and forth with it but sometimes I dont have the feel of what gear Im in. At the time of purchase my wife didnt want another manual trans in the garage. I think the manual would be easier to drive because I would always know what gear Im in. Other than that, Im happy soooo far.

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  My First Car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 1.8T Jettar - December 30 - 10:00 am

  Honestly, I like it much. But i dont feel the power of my 1.8T Engine yet :( need some mileage for brake-in. Overall, it is a nice car but I would like to have it to lower its price a bit. One more think I wanna tell, my front windshield get foggy easily.. :(

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  As Expected - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Babbo - December 28 - 6:26 pm

  This is not a sexy car, but it offers good service and comfort at a very favorable value. "The Peoples Car"

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  Not as good as I expected - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By tacalin - December 28 - 5:13 am

  Bad points that I found up until now: Seats too rigid. In a trip Montreal – Toronto (about 500 Km) it is really difficult to be comfortable. Auto-volume control makes the lower frequency go very high if I brake. Making this option OFF solve the problem. Too much gas consumption in town, about 18.1 miles for a gallon, or 13 liters for 100 Km. On the highway, it was about 23.52 miles for a gallon, or 10 liters for 100 Km. - A constant difference of 5 Km/h between the speedometer and a GPS (at 55 real, it shows 50, at 125 it shows 120). The same GPS gadget was used on several Americans and Japanese cars and the error was about 1 Km/h, more or less.

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  Great car after 1 year - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeff - December 27 - 4:06 pm

  No problems to report after 1 year of ownership. Highly recommend this vehicle, particularly if you want to get combination of good fuel economy and performance.

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  It sacrificed its life for my sons - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By tednugent - December 26 - 4:13 pm

  On May 6 my 2000 VW Golf GLS ended its life suddenly in a 60 mph headon crash with a guardrail. On a positive note, my son and his prom date were uninjured. I had bought that car in 2000 because it was one of the few small cars that had top crash test ratings and all the features of larger cars, such as ABS, sunroof, adjustable steering wheel, fully adjustable seats, etc. So what did I think of the car? Overall, very good. Will I buy another Golf? Maybe. Either that or a Civic. I like the Golf better in most ways, but since I want to buy a used car the reliability history of the Civic may trump. I fear getting one of those few Golfs-from-hell that seem to have all the problems.

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  Not what I expected - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By maciosaig - December 25 - 3:20 am

  I bought this car for my wife and after buying an 07 Passat and being extremely satisfied with that car I figured Id be just as pleased with the bug. Was I in for a shock Ive owned convs in the past so I was away of frame/body flex but this car takes it to new extremes. The handling sucks, power is poor and comfort is great for the driver and front passenger, and my small 3 year just about fits in the back seat. Now there is a rattle in the front end somewhere and the thing is noisy on the highway. For the money they charge these cars should be much more powerful and handle better. Im not sure how the fit and finish will stand up over the next few years, but Im not confident

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  Pretty much as advertized -- fun to drive hybrid! - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
  By nareautogo - December 24 - 9:42 pm

  Im 3000 miles on the premium model (no xenon fender or camera) but still quite nice. Gets 45 mpg if you drive 60-65 also nice is that in traffic (where cant accelerate too much) youll still get 40 mpg or so. Drive like a sports car though -- 35ish. But, moreso, Ive been driving hybrids since 2003 and love how this car handles, accelerates and has comfortable drive. VW did really well this car. Quiet ride to boot. I know people will say the "diesel" gives you more bang for your buck...BUT DIESEL IS NOT AS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AS UNLEADED, even "clean" diesel" -- its just cleaner than previous diesel. This one gets ZERO emissions about 25% and can be more. Much better epa.gov ratings.

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  A happy bee outside but mad bug inside - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Billy Tam - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I own it for 2.5 years now. I wanna say so far most of the things are ran fine. I mean new car doesnt means no problems, but old car should be have some problems. So for my bug, while under warranty, it replaced fog beam light bulg, replaced rear brake pads at the 20k factory service, fixed the error on driver side window, and this is it. For the commute of 15 miles one way, it gets 24 miles a gallon city and freeway.

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  great car except for the window problems - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jomama68 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  car is nice and fast, im a big guy (64", 235) and i am pretty comfortable in it. the only problem was the multiple window clip failures but i havent had that happen for at least a year now. the only reason im considering getting rid of is for something bigger-family man now. now im spoiled the next car has to be able to go at least 125 also.