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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  Runs Like A Bunny - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By og4itg - April 11 - 2:20 pm

  Unlike past VWs, this Rabbit with 48,000 miles, has been totally trouble- free and rock solid. No problems or rattles and still as enjoyable to drive now as on day one. Spirited driving has yielded average 25.8 mpg. (range 19.8 to 32.2) Reliability problems are in the past so I have no choice but to stay in the VW family

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  Test Drive Jetta SE with 1.8 TSI - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By carbuilder1 - April 11 - 3:28 am

  I leased my 2014 Jetta SE with Connectivity in November 2013. I was a long time Toyota Customer and was always happy. I was previously in a 2011 Toyota Camry, but wanted to reduce payment & insurance cost. I also wanted increase gas mileage without sac. room. Toy. gave a high lease price for 2014 Corolla.This caused me to look elsewhere.After test driving much of the compact segment,this Jetta Blew me away.I leased during the "sign then drive event" so I was able to get into to this vehicle which was a much higher equipped vehicle then all others I test drove.(IE.Cruze,Corolla.)For a lower lease price. The 170 HP TSI and 6 spd.Trans. are fantastic!Great Gas mileage 2.Youll Love it!-SE&above

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  Great Little Car! - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By iRobert1989 - April 10 - 10:40 pm

  Have owned the car for about a month now and it is GREAT! Not a single problem with it whatsoever. Has PLENTY of pickup on the highway. The brakes are perfect! I love the Euro-styling. Great radio system. Love the 10 speakers and the satellite radio and the ipod aux and the 6 disk in-dash changer. The 6 Speed Automatic is perfect especially in sport or tiptronic mode. The car comes standard with a whole lot which is nice.

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  Allow for lots of trips to dealer.. - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta girl - April 10 - 8:30 pm

  Before I bought this car I had a Toyota Camry that I bought new. It was 4 years old when I purchased this VW and I never had to take it to the dealership once. I didnt even change the oil and I never had the slightest problem. Since I bought the VW I am at the dealership nearly monthly for one thing or another. Its way too much hassle and inexcusable to have so many problems on such a new car. I will say my husband bought a VW GTI the same day I bought my Jetta that he loves and hasnt had nearly as many problems as I have (but still has had problems). We also bought a 2003 Jetta for our babysitter in 2003 and she hasnt had nearly as many problems as I have, but still more than she should.

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  Drive one - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeff B. - April 10 - 11:30 am

  An excellent vehicle. Averages 44+ MPG in all around use, and over 50 MPG on the highway at 75 MPH.

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  Always Something! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By c. bennett - April 10 - 9:46 am

  I loved the look of the Touareg when I bought it and still do- unfortunately that is the only thing I still love about it! Every day there is some sort of call to action - the brakes had to be replaced far sooner than they should have (are they using Beetle brakes?), the tires lasted no time, key never works to open / unlock remotely, the aluminum trim inside dings like a soda can, the radio and other buttons are so cheaply made that the words and numbers are all coming off, it makes strange noises all of the time, and incessantly beeps. The tires always need more air. VW has been awful to deal with. The only good thing left was the awesome lumbar support, but that just broke!

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  70 mpg - 2006 Volkswagen Golf
  By crazzy - April 10 - 9:26 am

  The Golf GLS TDI is a comfortabe car that gets 70 mpg at 60 mph on flat ground without the A/C on and 47 mpg at 75 mph with the A/C on. It will do extremely high speeds in 5th gear. It even runs great on 20% soy oil or any other kind of veggie oil. The only down side is you must cool down the turbocharger for up to five minutes.

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  Trusted freindly passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By steven rhodes - April 10 - 3:13 am

  We bought the car used and some initial issues and vw stepped up and fixed them with no questions and even replaced some items that we did not expect. The car handled great had plenty of pep when needed and we averaged around 27 mpg. Now we do not have a lead foot but the car on the highway at over 75 still got over 30 mpg. Now after over 140k it is a sad parting as we move up to a mid size suv.

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  Great Car all the way around! - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VwChrisVr6 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  this is an exceptionaly well built car, built by Volkswagen. If there is such a car that gives you the power and the feeling of being a sport car, but yet has the gift of luxury this is the car you are looking for.

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  Passat - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By shannyb - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Great car. I have had a couple minor problems with the glove box latch and the trunk latch not working, but both were easily repaired at no cost to me by the dealer.