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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  Knockout at 18900 - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By coastie - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Wow! Having driven Japanese econo boxes for the last 7 years, I am quite impressed with the Bug 1.8T. I was on a shake down cruise to Reno and paced an Audi A4 all the way over the mountains on I80. It seemed that this car was not going to unwind or unstick from the road!

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  Having Fun Yet? You Bet! - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By valynda - December 6 - 8:26 am

  We purchased the V8 Touareg as a replacement vehicle. I had previously owned a 2003 Pathfinder LE and found it to be a nice balance of sport and luxury. At first glance, I thought the Touareg was a little over the top, with all its fancy bells and whistles, but my husband convinced me to give it a try and I have been more than pleased. I have already taken it on two lengthy road trips and found it surprisingly pleasant to drive long distances. Its fuel economy is severely lacking, but the driving experience is worth it if youre not hung up on the high price of gas these days. I highly recommend the air suspension, if only to make your kids go "Oooooh!" and "Aaaaaah!!" Its great off road, too!

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  Great - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By tennoi - December 5 - 4:33 am

  It is a fun car to drive. Beautiful lights on the dashboard, especiallly the blue color. Great sport suspension. Great gas mileage and performance. Almost 200 hp with an 2.8l engine. Have had the car since 2005 and never broke down. Perfect interior and perfect exterior.

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  All around awesome. - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By illimk4 - December 4 - 1:32 am

  When going for a different vehicle I was searching for something stock turbocharged that had potential as far as tuning goes. Originally I set out to find an srt-4 but found a 1.8T GLI first. Im glad I decided to purchase that instead. The car is fun to drive and fairly quick stock, but with apr stage 1 software It definitely kicks it up a notch. I love my VW and I doubt I will ever drive anything else. They are well built and very reliable. The only downfall is VW vehicles are expensive to maintain. Other than that the car is well worth what I paid for it.

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  Audi for VW price - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By epic_sandwich - December 3 - 10:18 pm

  This car is incredible. A true sleeper, the turbo motor responds well to simple mods (intake, downpipe, tune) but has plenty of power stock. The 6-spd is one of the best Ive rowed thru. The interior just oozes luxury like a high-end Audi. The steering feel (and the wheel) is phenomenal. Brakes are great. The handling is the best- fling this family sedan into a corner and it will throw the apex into a headlock, its incredible. Comes standard with all the luxury options but you cant option extra like phone Bluetooth, pwr seats, etc. Still an awesome deal and a true sleeper!

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  Volswagen Passat - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Fred - December 3 - 5:36 pm

  Fairly quick pickup, one of the faster vehicles available if top speed is your desire. Handles the road very well. Fuel ecomomy is good, at speeds of 130 km per hour approximately 42 miles per gallon.

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  New Jetta Rocks! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By NRH - December 3 - 10:33 am

  I love this car! Ive had my “New Jetta” for 3 months now, and I couldnt be more pleased with it. The handling is outstanding, and the interior wouldnt be out of place in a luxury car. I used to have a Ford Explorer, and was looking for a fun car to have; something nice but affordable. This is it. Anyone looking for a luxury car without the price; this car is for you. The build quality is amazing. Just feeling the texture of the materials, and the way the car handles and rides on rough roads is amazing.

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  Diesels Rule Hybrids Drool - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Frank D - December 1 - 5:26 am

  Ok, not a long range review, I only have 1200 miles on it, but so far love it. I have been averaging 42 mpg on my 27 mile one way commute, mostly country highway miles. Heated seats are great on the cold mornings, I dont mind the long time for heat to come out the vents, but after 3-4 miles the interior begins to heat up nicely. Inside layout is very good, but it is a smaller car so not that much room to store things. I like the panoramic roof and the radio system. The computer display is functional and I love to play the game of mpg. Ive wanted a TDI for 10 years and finally talked the wife into it. From a green standpoint of "oil well to wheels" a diesel is more efficient than a hybrid.

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  Third VW, this time TDI! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Thewinechik - November 30 - 5:43 am

  This is my third Volkswagen. My first a 1971 Super Bettle, my second a 1997 Jetta that I drove for 147K and 10 days ago a North See Green 2006 Jetta TDI. I am impressed and happy with all the changes, large and small that this vehicle has undergone. Impressive. It is spacier that my old one, it rides like a jewel and you must watch yourself from not speeding since it feels like you are going slow but you are flying. My stick shift TDI is giving me great mileage too and diesel is cheaper than gas. I could not be happier. The car is eye catcher, in fact wherever I go people want to see it, they peek in or they ask about it. GO the test drive it. I love it, only neg: keeping it clean.

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  I love my car!!! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jaime - November 30 - 2:00 am

  I love my car! Its amazingly fun to drive, and people are always amazed at how much storage the car has. I recommend this car to anyone who is even considering buying a compact sedan!