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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  Germans still havent learned from Japan - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bruiser - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Generally acceptable. Just a commute car, though. No thought given to American life on the road. Lacking in convenience features. Uncomfortable rear seating. No cloth option. Very cramped interior for 6+. Bizarre heating/cooling control. Limited access to interior due to small door angle opening. Excessive trunk liftover height and miniscule trunk entry considering actual cargo space. Not a good value considering price. Typical VW - mostly marketing hype, short on reality.

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  Excellent family car. - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By airplane - February 18 - 9:23 am

  Coming up on three years of ownership - no problems whatsoever! This is my second Passat wagon. Love the 3.0T engine! Power when you need it, otherwise very docile. Mileage since new 27.1. Highway 32.0 (at 70+ mph). Using low-octane regular fuel. Only complaint is dumb cupholder design. My wife doesnt like the looks, but we both love the practicality. I will buy this one when lease ends.

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  The car - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By jocko101 - February 17 - 2:00 am

  When the car is running well, it is a joy to own and drive. When it is not, service is difficult to get and has been often poorly executed and very expensive. VW has tried, at every opportunity, and there have been several, to avoid honoring the warranty. Dealer service has been similarly disappointing.

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  Not a Safe Car! Buy a Volvo! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jessicarigaud - February 16 - 10:00 am

  This car was recalled four times before it was involved in a mojor accident! The car was totaled and non of the four air bags deployed. VW had the nerve to say the car did what it was supposted to do. Half of the hood and its mechanical parts were left on the side of the road, but not the AIR BAGS! My families 6th and last VW / Audi product!

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  2012 Touareg TDI Exec - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By treg23 - February 14 - 2:06 am

  Traded in my beloved "05 V8 Exec on this 2012 TDI Exec in July 2012. Have logged lots of seat time accumulating almost 20,000 Kms. Overall this is a very good and very capable vehicle but this one seems was seemingly built by an Slovakian on a Friday afternoon.

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  Overall, A good buy. - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By jyankus - February 12 - 2:16 am

  Ive owned this car for 7 years. It is, on the whole, a very good car that suffered from periods of erratic reliability. The pluses are that it gets superb mileage. 50 mpg is not a joke, and 45-50 in stop and go commuting traffic around the metro area is really stellar. The car has been very comfortable. The car is also very practical as a hauler. Cargo capacity is great. Supremely reliable diesel engine. The minuses. Questionable reliability in some areas -- the power windows, steering rack (twice!) and the car frequently illuminates the warning lights for extremely minor problems (quite an annoyance). A great commuter car with a few blemishes.

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  Like it or leave it! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ry1987 - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I find that most people have a like it or leave it attitude with jettas, they either like the styling or dont. Like the build quality or dont. Build quality is something that these cars have problems with and volkswagen knows about it so 95% of the things that are going to go wrong do so under warranty and its not a problem. The car is a blast to drive although the 180hp engines in the newer cars would have been nice to have there are times when I feel underpowered. The clutch on all volkswagens lets out(grabs/catches) extremely high which is another thing that I am not too fond of. The suspension and chassis are awsome the car handles extremely well.

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  Soooo cute but sooo stupid - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Rebecca Myrtle - February 11 - 2:36 am

  I love the look of the jetta. Fun to Drive but at 40,000 miles my transmission went and took the computer with it. 3 trips to the mechanics fixed but it still does this clunk when accelerating. The interior has peeled, something up front rattles, airbag cover on passanger side shrank and fell off and you cannot charge your cell phone if you want to listen to the radio. The radio is all static until you pull the charger out.But they are so cute! But what happened to quality VW! Im not sure I would buy on again. I dont like the new ones anyway, they look like a nissan!

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  Volkswagen Touareg V6 - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Kadri - February 9 - 12:03 pm

  The Volkswagen Touareg is a great SUV, an example of this is when I went off-roading with this bad boy. Another great feature that I like is the Tire Pressure Monitior since you can actually check out the pressure of all 4 tires. Also I recently got a trialer hitch attached to my Touareg which can tow up 7,500 pounds. In my opinion I shouldve gotten the V8 since it gives the brawny power of the German cars today, even though the fuel economy would deterioate

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  Bigger - pocket rocket!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By speedricer - February 9 - 2:00 am

  Own a 2003 GLS 1.8T for 3 weeks now. Love the drive. Even more standard features. Just remember its a compact car, not a luxury car. No complains while I still have the new car warranty.