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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  100,000 miles later and still a satisfied customer - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By lilred2007 - July 24 - 7:25 pm

  I bought this car new. It now has 110,000 miles on it (more highway than city) and its been 100% reliant. All Ive ever done is maintenance, oil changes, tires around 60K, brakes around 70K, a taillight. I had the a/c compressor just go out (around 95,000) and I just got the timing chain redone for piece of mind. The biggest pain really has been changing the air filter.

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  Made for the road - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tom - July 24 - 4:53 pm

  My 2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is a hoot to drive. My brothers a VW nut going back 20 years. I told him wed never buy one because of the quality problems...but obviously we did. Anyway, he comes down from New Jersey to visit late one Saturday night, wakes up early, cant wait for me so he takes the car out, turns right out of our street onto a country road wheres theres an immediate small rise blocking any long term view. The rise cant be more than 300 yards away. In 3rd when he reachs rise, sees cop dead ahead, looks down shocked to find out hes already doing 90, hits the brakes, but not fast enough, cop pulls him over, turns out hes a VW nut, too, and lets him off. Thats the problem - this car cant resist speed.

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  Fun fun fun, buy it - 2010 Volkswagen EOS
  By Big Dog - July 24 - 4:40 pm

  Missed the German feel of previously owned Audis. TT was too small and expensive and the didnt want a soft top A4. Drove this car at the beginning of the summer and considered the Volvo C70 and a BMW 1 Series. In the end, the EOSs smooth turbo, smooth ride, DSG transmission and tranformer like hard top couldnt be beat. Gas mileage as high as 35 on the highway, averaging 27 mpg while having a lot of fun. Have LUX with 17" wheels, sport suspension and IPOD hookup. Its now my Kids favorite IPOD accessory. Front drive will spin the wheels especially in the sport mode. Touch screen won me over, sometimes is slow to react and hard to see in bright sunlight.

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  Awesome for the money - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By jc_ - July 22 - 4:24 pm

  The MPG is truly spectacular, and the car has the solid ride and handling youd expect from a VW. If it wasnt for the TDI motor, I probably wouldnt think twice about purchasing a sport wagon like this. I love the interior, and the amenities are superior in this price range. Plenty of cargo room for such a "smallish" ride.

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  Love that Vdub! - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Sheila - July 21 - 3:10 pm

  I love this car because the seats, pedals, dash are all the perfect size and adjustability in relation to each other in my opinion. There are many cars that dont adjust to comfortably accomadate shorter people. The headrests are actually usable. The dash and hood are in the perfect spots to maximize visibility. So is the gear shift. I have a bad back, but I could drive this car for hours. I also love how it looks! Its very reliable and runs quietly. Love it!

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  Best car I have ever had - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ralphmitts - July 21 - 3:06 pm

  Although it does not have quite as much pep as some other similar gas powered size cars, the VW TDI diesel is as fuel efficient as any car I have tried. It gives about twice the gas mileage and to think about it, for a given mileage driven, that makes annual fuel costs half that for gasoline powered cars. Its fairly quiet (once warmed up even more so). I like it, its very safe, and built like a tank and very reliable. What more do you need?

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  My Fast - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Dennis - July 21 - 11:40 am

  I traded in a Hummer H2 for this little GTI due to the recent fuel prices. I was only getting 11 mpg city and 15 highway in the H2. Also the H2 only has a 30 gallon tank. It was costing me an additional $300 dollars a month on top of the monthly payment. The GTI gets 24 mpg city and over 30 highway. My fast saves me over $2,000 dollars a year in gas plus I took a loan out for fewer years. My insurance went down as well.

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  Best Car ive ever driven - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Andrew Rival - July 21 - 2:00 am

  this is by far the most spacious fastest nicest car ive ever driven in my life with the INtergrated ac with flip out vents massage chairs interrated hidden cup holders touch unlock doors fin a better car ill buy it

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  Perfect Car - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By I Love This Car! - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I am a new drvier and student and I absolutley LOVE this car. It is very practical for my busy life, and fun to drive! It holds all my sports equipment when I need it to, and when I fold up the seat I can load in my friends and get to where we need to go. I havent had any problems with the car and absolutley love it. And I have been reading other comments and seem to think that maybe it is the user and not the car. I have also noticed that people seem to be having problems with the manual trans. Mine is an auotmatic and it is going just fine.

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  Love it - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By lbeachboyr1 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Could not have bought a better suv in my opinion. The gas milage is no that great but everything else makes up for it. The leg room in the rear seat is quite roomy, I had three big adults sit in the back and they were all comfortable. Highly recommend!