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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  nice but troubled - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By peterdh2000 - March 13 - 10:00 am

  beautiful car, unreliable at best. replaced instrument panel 2x, headlight switch 2x, dimmer switch, climatronic, radio didnt work for 1 month, died after sitting for 1 week from bad battery, both headlights burned out at the same time, broken ashtray, bad mpg on 91 octane. great in snow, classy and smart looking, but with serious issues. thought a german- built would be better, but sorely mistaken. plus, dealer bordered on incompetent, took at least 2x to fix any problem, then tried to tell us 3 weeks before loaner car available. nice try, we got an enterprise that same day. after 20+ visits, service advisor acted like it was first problem.

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  wifes truck - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jburns - March 13 - 10:00 am

  My wife had to have this car,over my objections, as I could have gotten a better equipped Explorer for $7000 less. This has a V6,leather LIKE seats as in plastic, no tow package which only the dealer can install for $1000 and oil changes are way to expensive. Needless to say she wins. Overall I think the car looks great, very nice interior. However, the gas mileage is tough to take & having to use premium feul only is a real bite in the wallet.Its been into the dealership at least 4 times for recalls and a nagging tire pressure sensor that continues to be a problem.Frankly for the size and the utility of this SUV for the cost,there are better values.

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  I Love the Car, but... - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mike - March 13 - 7:30 am

  I love my wifes Passat, but when anything goes wrong its an absolute nightmare. Weve had three or four problems with the car requiring dealer service, and every time theres been a two week wait in order to get the car looked at. Right now it wont start, and the dealer said "Well, theres other cars in front of you so itll be at least a week." That is absolutely unacceptable. When the starter went out on my Ford I was back on the road the next day. Not only do you have to pay out your rear end for VW service, you have to go out of your way to do it. Its enough to keep me from ever buying another VW.

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  Got Quality? - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By ShelbyCobraFan - March 10 - 2:00 am

  Just picked up my new Golf GL TDI yesterday morning. By 1pm im back with an electrical problem. When I touch the brakes the rear lights come on and so does my dash lights and the rear wiper. Turn signal has my dash flashing like a christmas tree and the rear wiper jerking across the rear window. Its really quite funny till you think about the fact you just dropped 25Gs C$ for this thing. I really like the rest of the car. The fuel economy is amazing. The power up hills is great. The ride is a good blend of tight response and smooth feel. Im sure the dealership will try to make things right. I have to wonder what will go next though.

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  My 02 1.8T... - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Vocus - March 10 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for about 14 months now, and managed to put almost 30,000 miles on it. I love the car alot! The power is great, the interior comfort wonderful. What I didnt like was the countless trips to the dealer to fix rattles in the car when I first got it. They shouldnt have been there, VW Q&A should have caught it. VW did treat me very well though, but still it was uncalled for. A couple of improvements I would like to see: A stiffer, more sophisticated suspension to reduce body lean, as well as a roomier rear seat.

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  Just a Bit Better - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By checito27 - March 10 - 2:00 am

  I love my car, but it could be just a bit better. I bought this car b/c of the way it drives, but consider this: For the same price I paid for my car ($22,807) I couldve bought a Honda Accord w/leather seats, alloy wheels, and a six disc in dash Cd changer. I bought the base model GL. Besides the way it drives, and how cool it looks, it has the little things that the accord didnt: On the trunk and hood, there are spring loaded supports, very nice, on the honda its cheapo hinges. Also, I get an extra pair of airbags (curtain). I chose substance over the luxuries of leather seats and alloy wheels, thats what it comes down to.

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  mediocre - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tom - March 9 - 7:56 pm

  The drivers door began to separate from the frame. The electronics in the door suffered from a short. Plastic parts on the interior break off on their own and are expensive to replace. My car may have been one of the first new Jettas, but some of these issues are unacceptable.

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  Decent for the price - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Rich - March 7 - 11:03 pm

  Good price on my VR6. Unlike the turbo (which I also owned) broad power range and decent torque. However, handling is pretty sloppy stock, with poor understeer. Suspension roll is also fairly iffy, and the stick linkage is loose/imprecise. Number one performance problem with GTIs is WEIGHT. They weigh too much for their size, and too much weight in the front. Just being realistic folks. That said, for the price its a good performer, and its the only performer of its class hatchback wise.

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  GREAT CAR EXCEPT FOR AUDIO SYSTEM - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By GARYM - March 4 - 10:00 am

  WE HAVE HAD OUR PASSAT FOR THREE MONTHS AND MY WIFE LOVES TO DRIVE IT. SHE COMMUTES ABOUT 60 MILES PER DAY ROUND TRIP. VW HAS A GREAT CAR EXCEPT FOR THE RADIO. WE HAVE HAD STATIC IN THE RADIO SINCE WE GOT THE CAR AND THE DEALER HAS WORKED ON IT THREE TIMES WITHOUT SOLVING THE PROBLEM THE MONSOON SOUND SYSTEM WORKS GREAT WITH CDS BUT THE RADIO RECEPTION IS TERRIBLE. LOCAL FM STATIONS HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF STATIC. I WAS TOLD THE LAST TIME THAT THE RADIO IS OPERATING "WITHIN MANUFACURER SPECS" BUT WE STILL HAVE STATIC. CALLING VW CUSTOMER SERVICE DID NO GOOD. MAYBE VW SHOULD GET ITS RADIOS FROM THE JAPANESE OR THE US.

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  NOT CUTE! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bruintoo - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Really a fun car to drive. The turbo engine makes a difference when compared to the normally aspirated engine. The 6- speed tiptronic shifts imperceptively. The body is rigid with nary a cowl share or twisting. The 10 speaker monsoon powered system is strong. The backseats are narrow but still usable. The same goes for the trunk. Its such a wonderful care that you almost want to forget that its too cute.