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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  Clean Lines Inside and Out - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Justin - August 26 - 1:10 pm

  I just bought my GTI two months ago. This is my first VW. The GTI is a pretty fun car to drive, it accelerates and shifts very smoothly. I love the design of the cars interior and the exterior. The lines are very clean and simple. It is a little too heavy and its handling is a bit iffy. Its not as fast as I thought it was going to be. It has a bad placement for the cup holder.

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  VW Jetta GLX - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tim53217 - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Great car. Much more fun than the 4 cylinder models.

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  Hot...But Sometimes Too Hot! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By GrayBatts - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Volkswagon has really designed a winner. I compared with the Volvo XC90, Lexus RX 330, MB ML430 and the VW knocked them out. Great on-road manners and a demon in the sand and mud. Excellent fit and finish. One major complain...the air conditioner went out twice. First time within the first 100 miles and again two weeks later, both times on road trips. VERY HOT AND VERY FRUSTRATING!

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  Not Worth the Premium $$$ - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By luvmytsx - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 1.8T 5M sedan after reading extensively about the quality of the vehicles build, and its performance and features. I was unilaterally dissatisfied with the quality of this vehicle and it is not worth the "premium" price compared to other compacts. The 2 front doors rattled excessively, the rear right passenger door also rattled and the rear of the car creaked around tight turns. The dealer couldnt fix the problems and referred me to the manufacturer. The manufacturer rep. was unfriendly at best and declared that the car was within specifications although he did not disclose what they were. A letter to VWs president yielded no result.

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  Too many problems to mention - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jasonspen - August 23 - 11:53 am

  The car is really fun to drive and looks great, but build quality is terrible. The A/C went out the first week I bought the car and still doesnt cool properly. Heater smells like its burning something. Door locks rattle (only when locked). Power windows "pinch protection" makes the window reverse and go down when you try and roll it up (and nothing is is the way). Engine cuts out when started cold. Floor mat retentions broke off. Center console latch broke off. If you rub the plastic inside it will rub off too.

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  Could have been a contender. - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bing - August 21 - 10:36 pm

  I like the way she drives.. I bought the car with 106k miles on it. Salvaged the ailing (automatic)transmission with transmission conditioner. The window regulators are garbage. They break often and run you over $350 a pop to put in. Dont let a substandard shop work on the car. They will cause you more problems. The car has broken motor mounts, they cause a shimmy when accelerating and cause the CV joints to wear quickly. The engine and Transmission still run really strong with 170,000 miles. Just dont think the rest of the car will last. With TLC early in the life of the car I think it would be running and looking great in every facet.

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  Third VW - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By VW Owner - August 21 - 9:13 pm

  This is my third Volkswagen and I love the little things you get with a VW. these nice touches include the spring loaded grab handles, soft to the touch dash boards, turn signal side indicators, sunroofs with a dial, 8 speaker sound systems, upscale dash lighting, heated seats, cool key, etc etc..

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  I love this car - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Mr Bill - August 20 - 10:03 pm

  My dad had a Rabbit diesel and that car provided about a million miles and years of service so I had my eye on this Golf when I first saw it. I got it with 60k miles and it now has 100k miles. It is 6 years old but still looks great, and the brake pads have never been changed! It gets about 36 mpg which is right with what the window sticker says. This is a low maintenance car, all I do is change the oil around 5k miles and drive it.

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  Thousands spent for New transmission @ 79K - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By milkman128 - August 20 - 9:49 pm

  The fuel economy and quality of the drive train are the biggest downer for me. It has good pep to its step and handles incredibly well. Although with my Transmission failing so early I worry about the power train quality. It looks pretty inside and out, handles very well but doesnt appear to have the longevity dynamic.

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  Faster Than Average Panze Tank - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By eduright - August 20 - 11:06 am

  Well, I have test driven about 6 manuals and automatics. It is tricky to shift the manual, perhaps with several weeks practice it will get better/easier? I am not real happy with the clutch action. The ride is OK at lower speeds in town, but its too noisy and a bit hard/rough at highway speeds on rough and bumpy pavement. It has good acceleration. The steering lacks fluidity. This car is not lithe, it handles OK for a biggish car. It has nice workmanship, looks, and an easy to use stereo with fair sound (but its covered by road noise too easily). There was a good review of the Passat in Motor Trends latest new car mag, which is out now. "Excessive" road/tire noise that covers stereo etc. is not good! This is a better car than most in its class though.