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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  My GLX, 5 speed - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By George A. - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! It has everything I want in a vehicle. Excellent handling, good power, smooth ride, quiet inside, sporty feel, fine sound system, great features and an overall feeling of excellent quality. I tested the Audi A4 V6 and could not see why I should pay an additional 6K for essentially the same car. The Stohlhman dealership was perfect in the handling of the sale. This car is a steal at under 28K.

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  Wow - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By trillium - November 7 - 10:00 am

  The new VR-6 and the six speed manual is a dream combo. The Golf body makes it just dorky enough to have the cops ignore it.

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  Dont Do It!!!!!! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ryan - November 7 - 6:16 am

  I had heard what reliable cars VWs were, at the time I was employed at a Buick dealership and a Jetta came in on trade. I bought it, HUGE MISTAKE. Car is expensive to maintain. Emission control problems, Interior parts I.E. Glove box door, lamps, cup holders, all complete junk. Car uses excessive amounts of oil, window regulators break, replaced catalytic converter twice. Parts are way overpriced..a new ignition key is 200 dollars. Customer service and support are as unreliable as the car.

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  Nearly 80k miles, and a new issue everyday. - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By wscott1 - November 7 - 5:21 am

  I bought the car about 2 years ago as a commuter vehicle, and after putting over 50k miles on this car, I can confidently say this is one of the worst cars Ive ever owned. The speedometer is 5 mph off (something VW told me was acceptable in their vehicles), the trunk opens when putting the car into gear unless you lock the doors before hand, the car idles incredibly rough when first started, the small engine paired with a turbo makes pulling out into any sort of traffic a game of roulette (due to the lag before the engine responds to the gas pedal), and the air conditioner sensors have gone out twice. The list continues, but the point is this is my first and last VW.

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  windshield cracks - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By maj - November 6 - 11:30 pm

  This vehicle has had 3 cracked windshields in less than 2 years, and we cant see where anything hit it causing the crack. What we have seen is the crack occurs in an unusual pattern each time, in a 90 degree angle, looking like an "L" shape. The dealership says its a coincidence. We disagree. Even the dealership says they havent seen this pattern of crack before but they deny it has to do with the window shield frame or the installation pattern. We are sick of dealing with this and are worried that this is going to affect our premium for insurance.

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  Best GTI Yet - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Eli - November 5 - 6:36 pm

  The new Volkswagen 2.0T GTI is the best hatchback and the best sports car in its class. The features that are standard are luxurious compared to other coupes / hatches. Its s DSG gearbox is faster than any manual transmission in the world, and the torque is amazing. The GTI is very quick and handles superbly. This car is absolutely amazing for its price.

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  2002 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Sedan - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By r. davis - November 5 - 3:16 pm

  This car has good pick-up, but it experiences hesitation at low speeds and starts. The dual transmission system is excellent. Over the road, the suspension on curves and incline is excellent. Slow driving with breaks in the payment show the car as stiff and weak on absorbing breaks in the road way. The car needs more insulation to block external noise.

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  Great Car, Great Fuel Economy - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sail - November 4 - 3:50 pm

  The new TDI diesel engines are extremely powerful, very reliable and quiet! This is a fantastic mid-size car that is solidly built. It handles like a sports car and has the comfort of a luxury sedan. I have no idea why anyone concerned with fuel economy would bother with hybrids (what do you do with the old batteries?). Gas cars with this kind of fuel economy are small, lightweight and underpowered. This car is solid. I feel very safe in it should I have an accident.

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  awsome - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By 54654 - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Fun tuner. Cant lose to the competetors. Major torque. land missle if you ask me

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  The best ever SUV - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By cccc - November 4 - 10:00 am

  I love my new VW, the dealer Foreste & Brown VW, Noblesville, Fishers, Anderson, Muncie, Indiana was wonderful! They even delivered my Touareg to my home, they took care of everything, all I had to do was enjoy my new SUV!!!