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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  WOW! Me in an SUV... - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Peter Zimmermann - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Our V8 Touareg is amazing. As an ex SCCA road racer (National Level) I can testify that its brakes are as good as it gets. Handling is great and so is available power. We have covered 7K miles and since a "Check Engine" light issue early on the vehicles been perfect. Ive driven a second Touareg equipped with Dunlop tires (mine has Continentals) and my Touareg is far more well behaved (quieter, more comfortable, etc.)

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  As advertized! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Dr. Rod - November 4 - 10:00 am

  I only had the vehicle for three days when I finally took it off-road. Nothing too extreme, just a bit of a test. It handled "as advetized". And it is a pleasure to drive on payment as well. Looks great and fun to drive.

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  Passat GLS 1.8T Manual - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Travieso - November 4 - 10:00 am

  the car is very elegantly desinged especially with the leather interior. the interrior is very roomy and comfortable. the car has many good features such as the sunroof and esp, it is a very classy car and for under 24,000 it is a steal

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  A week old - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jody - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Have the V6 only a week but I love it Smooth engine, great features, nice styling. cant tell you about reliability yet.

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  2004 Jetta 1.9L. TDI Diesel - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By W.J. Herrington - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Great value for the selling price. Averaging 35 mpg in city and 45 mpg on the highway. More than enough power,superior handling, build quality, comfortable, recommend the leather seating package. Dealers can be difficult to negotiate with since they are selling everyone they can get. I have this Jetta 645 miles on a single tank (14.5 gallons) of diesel fuel.

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  I hate my car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By girl0227 - November 4 - 10:00 am

  I wish someone would have told me the truth about this car. Recent Volkswagens are junk. The interioris peeling, the review mirror casing fell off, and Ive had to replace three tires -- just from normal driving in Los Angeles.

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  nice for entry level german engineering - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By stephen d - November 4 - 10:00 am

  its fun. turbo lags sucks. i wasnt pleased with my car from the start. i got my car in May 2003, i wanted platinum gray with black leather interior. but no black in all of southern california, after getting my 4th choice, i had to get the plat. gray w/ gray velour. yuck! gray is a pain to keep clean. and velour smells after a while. i mean, for $23k, i would have rather paied $7 for a 325i. but hey, im happy with this car for now. ill get a new car next year.

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  I Love my BUG!! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By TXMoose - November 4 - 10:00 am

  The 04 bug conv. is very smooth and quiet. I do wish the conv. were available in the diesel model...I have a diesel bug and love it as well... The conv. trunk is still roomy considering it needs to share space with the top...

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  Mellow Yellow - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By rttinc - November 4 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is so fun to drive and gets lots of attention. Its a happy car and makes people smile. I especially like that you can lock everything so if you want to leave the top down to run in the store, you can have security. It is as fun a car with the top up as down.

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  Not for Cold Weather!!! - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By The Husband - November 3 - 5:50 pm

  The car is beautiful and performs well in the warm weather. It is much better on fuel than my Jeep Wrangler. It really makes my wife happy and I like that. The problem is that the windows have to open (when the handle is pulled) to open the door. If it gets below 20 degrees, the windows wont open. That means that you cant get in, and if you finally do, you cant close the door or the glass will break. Because of the security VW voids the warranty if you install an aftermarket remote starter and they do not offer one.