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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  Bang for the buck - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By kevbelz - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely the BEST bang for your buck. I bargained the price down to 21000 (maybe could of done better?) based on the fact that the 2002s would have 180HP stock. Well for a little more than $500 I added a Garrett chip and a K&N filter, and the cars horsepower jumped to 195 from 150. There are some reliability issues that seem to come up for MANY owners. (coilpacks need replacing, window regulators, and brakes and clutch seem to wear out too quickly) but luckily I havent seen any of this. Just treat her good, and shell take care of you.

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  2001 VW Jetta Wlfbrg - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By shell110909 - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Sure, my car is fun to drive and during the cold midwest winters, I love the heated seats! But I have found this car to be fairly unreliable....and true to German manufacturing, everything from the windsheild wipers to the bumper, it is way overpriced.

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  Best Vehicle ever Conceived - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By HL - Newton, MA - November 21 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Touareg for 2 week and put app 2,000 miles on including a vaction trip. I am simply speechless. Its an SUV when you want it be. Its a performance sportscar when you want it to be. Its a highway cruiser when you want it to be. And all of this without compromising. I have had several dozen people wave at me (or the car) and even more stangers begging me for a test- drive. This car beats my three previous Jeep Gr. Ch. and my wifes Audi Allroad

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  Made a believer out of me! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By auntsue - November 21 - 10:00 am

  I had previously driven an American 6 cylinder, and was afraid to go back down to a 4, when a friend told me about the 1.8T. After test driving the Sentra, Altima and Camry, I tested the Jetta. I knew I loved it immediately! After being bored with my last two cars, I was afraid I would never again find a car I loved -- but the 1.8T has restored my faith. My buying experience was my best ever (Burlington VW), and their service is excellent, too. The car has great pick-up, purrs nicely at highway speeds, and has lots of standard equipment. All around, a great car.

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  I Still Love My Jetta GLI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike Mc - November 21 - 7:10 am

  This is a GREAT car. I have owned many different vehicles. It is reliable, fast, and fun. VW has built an Audi in VW skin. It gets 30 MPG on the highway, while accelerating to 60 in 6.4 seconds. How it is not on everybodys 10 best list is amazing to me.

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  Almost Bought the Porshe! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mumbo - November 21 - 6:36 am

  I would never believe a VW could be this nice without driving it. We drove all of the models in this price range. The Benz was a true let down. The Japanese cars are too plastic and too dated looking two years later. The VW Touareg is truly amazing. I have been a Benz owner for 20 year, this reminds me of when Benz was a true high end vehicle builder.

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  flawed - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By flawed - November 21 - 3:16 am

  after 3900 miles, my EPC warning light appeared on the dash. Acceleration was lost and the car sporadically regained power, only to lose it again. A few days later the Engine Malfunction icon also appeared. The car is now destined for a few days in the shop.

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  Midlife crisis car - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By arnold - November 18 - 10:53 pm

  We bought two 2001 cabrios basically for convertible fun and best heat and traction in our 30 below winters. Cars are a lot of fun but tons of problems, would not recommend them even with extended warranty; only for summer fun, service from dealership is great but next cars will not be unreliable vws. Will miss the small size convert.

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  good car so far - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By FF - November 17 - 5:56 pm

  bought the car new initially had a problem with the windshield wiper relay (wipers quit working in hard rain) which was poorly handled by the dealership. Had to threaten with lawsuit to get them to properly diagnose and replace. few other problems so far. The "home link" controller broke out of the sunshade and was fixed under warranty. starter motor gave up at 45000 miles and VW would not pay for replacement (very disappointed as this is a highway vehicle with very few starts per day). handle of glove compartment broke off (did not fix yet). multi-function display is getting very dim. one new CV joint @ 84Kmiles. car has been great otherwise pleasure and fun to drive (see below)

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  Recurring Emissions Problem - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John - November 17 - 4:23 am

  In theory, I absolutely LOVE this car - - its sleek & maneuverable, with refined interior, great features package, excellent power and mileage (45+), BUT...the "Check Engine" light has come on for the THIRD time, and it only has 620 miles on it. VW has tried fixing it twice, but they now acknowledge there is no known fix at this time. Unless they iron it out this time, Im invoking Lemon Law and taking my money back.