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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  Ill Buy Another - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By La Bomba - August 30 - 7:40 am

  Purchased used from Ford lot during yr 2000. Upgrade options include sun/moon roof and remote key access. Weak on acceleration and tops for cross-country touring/hwy driving. Solid feel with matching reliability. 1.8L fuel injected gets about 33/44 mpg road/hwy, a must in todays economy. Tight in the back for big folk; however, far roomier than the VW Bug. The battery linked factory VW radio was a mess, so I upgraded it with a Pioneer system. Wide wheel base with FWD a plus in weather. Roomy trunk. Lots of elbow room up front. Stout frame is a snap to parallel park in urban places. Nasty tacky exterior rubber door guards fall off too much. Overall: very good touring sedan (A-).

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  Exactly What I Expected and Thought I Wanted. - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By bwschubert - August 28 - 3:02 pm

  I feel this car has delivered exactly what was promised based on reputation and car magazine reviews. It is fun to drive, especially with the sweet shifting manual and quickly spooling engine, the ergonomics are exactly aligned to how I think, and the hatchback practicality is obviously a big plus. I have had absolutely zero reliability issues over 16,000 miles and 13 months and have not experienced any poor customer service when I have been to the dealership. After a over a year though, I cannot stand the leather seats as they are not perforated and are always disgustingly hot, and the exterior styling looks cheap from some angles.

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  Solid Performance, Superior Styling - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By tim in princeton - August 27 - 6:36 am

  I formerly owned a Honda CRV, but I wanted something more comfortable, more stylish and more upscale for the commute to work. I test drove all of the available models, with price being basically no object, and this was by far the best bet in balancing price and comfort. Its truly high-end on the interior, with great exterior styling, too.

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  Miss My Smaller Cars - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By appraiser - August 25 - 9:10 pm

  I bought the VW Passat 4-Motion because I drive 35,000 - 45,000 miles per year, at times in poor weather conditions. The 1.8T engine has adequate power, and accelerates well after a brief turbo lag. The ride is relatively sedate. The car does not repsond quickly in turns, and is less fun than expected on twisty roads. In a recent ice storm that paralyzed Raleigh the 4-Motion worked perfectly. I was even able to stop and start on a steep, ice-covered street without incident. It performs as intended-a comfortable work car that is safe and gets 27 mpg combined. Other vehicles that I considered were the Volkswagen GTI or Acura RSX. I chose the bigger car for the better ride quality. I should have gotten a car that is more fun to drive.

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  Quirky but a blast to drive - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By morndew - August 25 - 12:43 am

  This car is VERY fun to drive. There are a couple spots in the power curve in which it accelerates like it has a nitrous tank. Floor it while doing 20 mph or 60 mph and youll feel the giddyup. I have had to take the car back to the dealership twice, once to replace the window lifts, which left the window open on a cold November night miles from home. Not fun! There was also a recall on the ignition coil. On cold wet mornings I occasionally experience a reluctance from the motor to get going. This may be more ignition coil problems or something else, I dont know. But when you can drive twisty roads like youre in a go-kart, its easy to forget the periodic trips to the shop.

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  Great Drive - Fairly Reliable - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jimmycricket - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive put 35K on this since buying it and they have been a great 35K. Driven long distances, cities, twisty coastal roads are the best! Most fun Ive had in a car. Just started having some electrical problems, but until this not one single issue (other than molding coming off and having to be glued back). I am debating selling at 65K miles because of what could come. Want another VW - been a pleasure.

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  Never Again - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Jason Reid - August 22 - 9:23 pm

  This is my second VW. Now after I sold my first Golf I missed that car for over 5 years so it was apparent that i would buy another VW when I could. The car rides and handles great but my buddy gets better fuel mileage in his 2002 Toyota 4Runner. My Rabbit has stalled 9 times since ownership after a cold start in the middle of a busy highway, tell me thats safe. VW says that its not throwing any codes and it seems to be working fine. Oh yeah it also has an automatic transmission, go figure. Yesterday I test drove a Nissan Versa which had more interior space but 28 less horsepower which I didnt even notice and better gas mileage. Just stay away from this car.

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  2001 2.0 Golf-4 Euro Spec - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Palinor - August 21 - 3:33 pm

  Maybe I got lucky, but bought my Golf for about $13k. 1-owner, highly maintained. It had 60500 kilometers on it (bought 2-yr warranty). Standard 5- sp, winter package, full climate control, ESP, powered sunroof, front/rear foglights, AM/FM/CD/Tape* (*removed radio/CD player and installed premium integrated system), bought deep housing to replace CD player-slot so I can drink coffee now and still play CDs I have driven from Bavaria to Sweden and all over Germany. Avg speed 190kph on autobahn, 100kph secondary roads and 50kph city. Avg 16km/L or about 37mpg hwy, 19-20km/L city Front wheel drive makes winter travel easy (snow/sleet/rain) Great visibility, sweet suspension/handling

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  08 Jetta Manual trans - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tom in Las Vegas - August 21 - 6:20 am

  The 08 Jetta has very good, solid build quality, good power, excellent interior, and a huge trunk at this size of car. Mileage is so so, mine is right on the EPA estimate of 21-22 city, and 29 highway. Ride is smooth, and steering precise. Just enought road feed back to be useful to the driver. Driver seat should be wider, it is a little narrow in the seat, and I am not fat, just average size. Radio could be a bit stronger, and the ipod connector should be on the dash. If the Jetta just got slightly over 30 MPG, and slightly higher mileage in town it would be one of the best small to mid size cars. Plenty of interior space for 4 persons, 5 is a reach. The trunk is longer than my Camry.

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  Exploding sunroof? - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By aaronnandi - August 20 - 3:05 am

  Up until now I have loved my Passat. Unfortunately the events of the last week have changed my view. I was driving down the freeway with three children in the back seat and the sunroof completely exploded and rained down small sharp glass pieces all over my head and face. The Dealership will not stand by the warranty and is trying to charge me for this repair! I called VW directly and they are taking the same stance. This is absolutely a manufacturing defect as I have found reports all over the internet of other cars having the same issue. Great car, but next time I will not give my business to a company that doesnt take care of its customers and honor their warranties.