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:

• 

  VW makes history in bath - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By tinman - December 8 - 2:00 am

  This car is a well handleing, great acceleration, easy and fun to drive car. Its low to the ground so it hughs like no outher, the dash makes it feel like your in a world of your own.

• 

  Great Driving Disapointing Ownership - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jrivard - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Ownership experience: Check airbag light: worked on 3 times before resolution Batteries : 3 (The car has 30,000 miles) Dead electrics on left rear door 2 times in the shop before resolution. CD Changer: dead 2 months after warranty expired. Windshield washer fluid leaking in the tailgate 6 months out of warranty. Interior dome light switch: falling off 6 months out of warranty. Wooden Shifter handle: cracked 6 months out of warranty. All of this is simply inexcusable for a car in this price range.

• 

  Highway hazard - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By raediem - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Headlights burn out very quickly. Brakes replaced at 30K. Alternator replaced at 24500-of course out of warranty. Less than 500 miles later the battery died. At 37K the alternator needs to be replaced again. Door to gas tank is now manual. While driving car will jerk, electrical system dies at any speed then resumes. This is very traumatic on the highway!!!

• 

  Good car if its taken care of. - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By chasecm - December 6 - 10:21 am

  I bought my vw beetle a few months ago, and I have had a few problems. I had to replace the ball joints, and the catalytic converter the first week. However It was my fault because I purchased a vehicle without getting in inspected like I should have. I believe vws are good cars if you take care of them. So when you buy one used, just be careful not to buy one that has not had its scheduled maintenance like it should have.

• 

  Awesome! - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Designs11 - December 6 - 7:36 am

  This car is great! It gets great gas mileage, the CD player doesnt skip, the truck is pretty roomy for a small car, and easy to park/maneuver. I bought this car used, but it only had one owner who had all the routine maintenance preformed on time at a VW dealership, so Im loving it!! There are no mechanical problems and it has almost 70k miles on it now. Great car for the money!! (And its cute!)

• 

  Good pick for its class - 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Paul - December 6 - 3:19 am

  The Tiguan S can be had for a reasonable 24k and you get what you pay for, average all around but a superior driving experience compared to the competition. The CRV and RAV4 are more reliable and get better gas mileage but the VW almost feels like a GTI on stilts. The finishes are fine, the seats are comfortable, the turbo 4 gets you into traffic or into the fast lane if thats where youre headed. The headrests create blind spots but overall visibility is average and far better than American competition. Gas mileage fluctuates at 25-26 mpg using mid grade and commuting around DC. Not luxury but not cheap. Decent little commuter if youre sick of a sedan but dont need the utility of a bigger vehicle.

• 

  Back to Volkswagen - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By James Coombes - December 5 - 12:50 am

  Owned very reliable Camry for years, but decided to try VW again after many years. I couldnt be much more pleased. I love this car. Its fun to drive (Camry was boring) and I average 39 mpg in mostly urban/suburban driving. Yeah, my iPod adapter is a joke, but they updated it on the 2010s. DSG works great for me, though it does feel a bit different than a standard automatics. You can easily adjust to it. My biggest decision was 16" or 17" wheels. 16" ride better over expansion joints. 17" handle better in tight curves. I wish I had both! So far my TDI is a great car. My local dealer is excellent too.

• 

  My New Passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By dominik - December 4 - 3:53 am

  I wanted to say that I went look at Hondas, Toyotas, Acuras, the Chrysler 300, and the Audi A4 and Passat came out the best. It has the best technology, it is new model for example compared to Audi A4, and it feels really cool when you drive it and do not see that many Passats on the road, I love the halogen lights, they turn blue, almost like the xenon. I am from the Czech Republic and my dad has a Skoda Octavia which is a part of VW. I am not concerned about my cars reliability because he heas had this car for 7 years and did not have to do any major repairs. I hope I will be so lucky with my car too. The car is so solid and the handling so tight, you better go and test drive it before you buy something else and then you start regreting. :)

• 

  WEEEEEEEE - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Bob Heiner - December 2 - 7:43 am

  My 2006 Volkswagen GTI has been great so far. The DSG transmission is a kick in the butt. Thou it is winter here and I cant get a real chance to let it all out, the car seems to handle great even with the all season tires. Come on summer.

• 

  Fun German car - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mephistopholes - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this car a few months ago and all Ive really driven with it since then is long trips on the freeway. This car gets very very respectable gas milage for the freeway trips and its gearing is such that it has plenty of passing punch even in top gear at 70 MPH. Also this car is fun, it may be somewhat underpowered but it is certainly a car which wants to be hustled and loves the twisties. A+ German engineering in a resonable car.