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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  Love my 2013 TDI! - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ellerman99 - March 13 - 5:48 pm

  Have only had it for 2 weeks and 700 kms (Canadian) but I love this car! Upgraded the 18 VW Khartoum wheels so it has a nice sporty look, ride comfort is great and so far fuel mileage has been great! All around a perfect car for me, Ill be doing about 3,000 KM a month. Performance is surprising for a TDI, although I have never owned one, Ive heard in the past they were sluggish, not this, once the turbo kicks in it does pretty good!

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  Power Style Pleasure to Drive - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By goodgame3 - March 13 - 6:15 am

  The new Passat is a great family car. The DSG transmission is super smooth and quick gear changes. Merging on the freeway in sport mode always puts a smile on my face. There is more than enought power in this V6 so much so you have to goose it slowly to stop traction control taking power away from those not so sticky stock tires. I am sure they will not last long given the tendancy to slip on take off. Then I can get some really sticky performance tires on those 18 inch rims a couple profiles wider and really make use of the 280 Hp and 258lb of torque. Interior is solid with a great sound system. Seats are firm and supportive and give plenty of adjustment options.

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  Teutonic friend of mine - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By David L - March 8 - 5:36 pm

  My 2004.5 Volkswagen Jetta GLI has been flawless. The personality and charm is understated. The build quality and engineering has been well thought out, and my MPG has been 20% better than expected (22-30). I love the the upgrades that they offered on the 2004.5 GLI. Thanks VW.

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  Fingers crossed here - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By happyasakite - March 8 - 2:00 am

  After reading so many negatives on the reliability of the 02 Passat, Im just waiting for something to happen. Eight months and 7000 miles later the only thing that has me annoyed is the right front speaker crackling (Monsoon system). After the first service, the mileage has climbed to 26-27 in the city! If you want to feel the power of turbo, try the manual - it is just awsome.

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  Fun to Drive Car - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By adamt - March 8 - 2:00 am

  When I first test drove this car, I was eager to own one. After purchasing the Jetta GLS 99 model, I am still enjoying driving. Cool accelaration on the highways and safe changing lanes on high speeds.

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  I love this car! - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By madagan - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Truth be told, I bought this car for my dog... My 98 VW GTI VR6 wasnt quite big enough for all of our stuff for all of our adventures. After much research and forethought, we upgraded. The car is essentially an Audi A6 Avant in street clothes. I had it all... it was sexy, practical, and drives like a sports car [not quite as zippy as the GTI VR6, but still quite zippy!]. Its been two years now, and after several road trips [even took to sleeping in it rather than hassle with the tent!], snowboarding trips, home depot shopping safaris, and the occassional [I wish] commute, Im happy to report I would make the same choice all over again. Its a fabulous car all around.

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  My first 1.5K miles - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By cchi - March 8 - 2:00 am

  After 4 hrs in Honda dealer, I decided to buy the Passat within 10 min by just opening the doors and trunk. This car is far more solid than Accord, no matter how many statistics shown by the Honda dealer, you can not against the law of physics. After the first 1500 miles, it avgs 31 MPG. The car consistently reaches 32-34 on the highway with super(93) gas. The 5w40 syn oil is hard to find. Since the car is turbo charged, oil should be changed more often. Use only original or OEM (Mann,Mahle,Bosch) oil filters with anti-drain valve to provide normal oil pressure in cold start. Avoid Fram2870A, Pennzoil, Quaker products. Change the oil by yourself or dealer.

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  Yeah! Volkswagen for the TDI Turbo Wagon - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Gwen Frangias - March 6 - 12:20 pm

  This is probably my all time favorite vehicle. It is fun to drive, a real winner at the fuel pump, and it has all the cargo space (and more) of an SUV without the bulk. You can hardly tell that it is a diesel, theres no odor, no noise, and as much pep as anyone would need. This car is a huge improvement over our only other diesel, a Mercedes back in the early 90s.

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  DIESEL - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Big Vee - March 5 - 8:27 am

  Well um reading alot of negative things on here about the 06 jetta tdi I purchased mines with 170,000 um the 2nd owner it now has 263,0000 its just getting the camshaft Replacement billet cam along with timing belt kit only thing Ive done was replace timing belt at 200k and axles thats it if people do the regular maintenance the car will last change ur oil 10k and ur air & fuel filters every 15k ur trans 50k ur good but people are triflin an get on here complaining another thing its a German car which means its highway built not for stop and go city driving that what Japanese cars are for

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  The Best GTI Ever - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Turbo Rolf - March 4 - 10:13 pm

  After couple of thousand miles with the car mostly on the highway I am convinced that this is the best Golf every built by VW. A very stylish appearance combined with a powerful engine and an excellent suspension makes this Golf a sports car for the everyday usage.