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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  No longer poor mans Audi - 2011 Volkswagen Touareg
  By frankclh - October 7 - 2:00 am

  After several Audis, found them not willing to give any incentive to get a Q5. Went to VW for a better deal and got an Audi with a VW badge. Built like a vault, great driving suv with a better nav package. Service is also included. Great brakes and steering, smooth engine, so far about 21mpg going back and forth to work. Bigger and almost double tow rating of the Q5 for same money but better deal through VW Financial.

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  3rd Diesel and the best yet - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Marc - October 7 - 2:00 am

  This is my third VW diesel (85 Golf, 98 Jetta,09 Jetta) What a car! Very fast and shifts like a manual. 22300 miles so far and have averaged 44.7 mpg combined hiway and city driving. Drove from eastern CT to northern Alabama and back on 41 gallons of fuel. Thats over 52 mpg. Much quieter that the other two I owned.

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  1999 Volkswagen Jetta 4 dr GLS - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Carchick1718 - October 6 - 4:43 pm

  When I bought the jetta it had 107k on it. I had it for 3 months, put 111k on it. I was hit by a drunk driver and the car was totaled. It didnt handle the crash good at all. She didnt hit me at a high speed. But heres the story on my car. I dont think it was very reliable. The check engine light would always come on. I would have misfires all the time but I had my plugs switched. I had a coolant leak. Had to fix that. The cup holders broke. My glove compartment door broke. Everything falls apart. The car stinks in performance, although handled curves well. But my car was in the shop a lot... I would never buy one again. I was glad to get rid of it. Its a headache to have one. Hope this helped

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  Just Buggin - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lisa surdyka - October 6 - 8:00 am

  It is just such a cute car and it is so fun to drive. There is not a day that goes by that someone doesnt comment on my Beetle.

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  Great Car - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John - October 6 - 6:03 am

  This car has excellent handling, great fuel economy, and is a real blast on twisty roads. The Goodyear tires are great in the wet and dry. The only problem with the summer tires is the need for winter tires and rims. The ride is a little stiff but well worth it when you want to play boy racer. Overall this is an excellent car.

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  Beautiful Car! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By louuuuu - October 5 - 12:56 pm

  I bought my 06 Passat Value Edition as a leftover for about the same price I was quoted for a Solara or an Accord Coupe. I drove all three the same day, and there was no choice really. The Passat was head and shoulders above them. It felt like a vehicle that was several thousand more. I took it on a long trip recently and got about 30 mpg on the highway.

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  Highly recommended - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Andrew - October 5 - 12:16 pm

  When I was 18, I bought a new car to replace my 98 Ford Contour. My old car was unreliable, shameful, and boring. So for $12,500, I bought a 2002 Jetta 1.8T. This car is a perfect blend of practicality, power, class, and reliability. I get 23 mpg city/31 highway. The Turbo kicks into high gear, and gives you all the power you need . The interior? I have leather, heated seats, power windows, even a power sunroof. And now, almost 2 years later, STILL not one thing has gone wrong with it. Sure, I take good care of it, but Volkswagen has really given me a great product here. not a very big car, but extremely safe. So if you want a car that you can be proud of, for a good price, get one of these

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  Dont buy the Civic Si, think Autobahn!~ - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By TeknoGroover - October 4 - 9:56 pm

  So Ive had my 2006 Volkswagen GTI for less than a week now and love it! I went to go test drive it, not even thinking of buying it. I just did some research that day too. I was shopping for the Subaru WRX and Civic Si for a while, and then found the GTI. WOW. The power is comprable to the WRX. It has more features and more room to be comfortable too. The standard 6- Disc MP3-CD Player in Dash was a major thing for me since I listen to only MP3 CDs. Then I wanted the power, which I talked about. Yeah 2.0 Turbo 200hp. Im used to Hondas, but this is a fairly good transition. I highly recommended the GTI as a teenage car. It has plenty of head room in front and rear!

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  TDI Sportwagen not all its spozed 2B - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By zenmoose - October 4 - 11:26 am

  I bought the thing in a bit of a rush in June to get the tax break, though I had researched it. I bought a basic TDI wagon w/ no moon roof. Basic bluetooth only calls out as another reviewer commented. (Are you kidding me? LAME!) OK. Forget the bluetooth, cant be fixed or flashed. It needs to be replaced at better than a grand. Sigh. The car is fairly well built, looks good, rides ok, moves along well enough. It has a design flaw. This heavy (200 lbs more than the sedan) beast is PRONE TO STALLING. I have driven many manuals, but this is a problem. It has an ultra light flywheel. If it lugs, ECU shuts off at 850 revs! You must turn the key all the way off to restart (Danger!)

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  Dont do it! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By StuckWithIt - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my GLS Wagon for 19 months and it has been a complete nightmare. In and out of the shop with more problems that I care to type in (including transmission replacement). There are a lot of people with the same problem as me (www.myvwlemon.com). When the car is working it is fun to drive, but it doesnt run long enough for me to enjoy. I would not suggest the headache until VW fixes their quality problems.