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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  BEATS THE TOYOTA PRIUS HANDS DOWN - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By STARWARS TDI - March 24 - 10:00 am

  AFTER FINDING OUT THE REPLACEMENT HYBIRD BATTERY FOR THE PRIUS WAS $2900 NOT INCL TAX AND INSTALLATION, I CHECKED ONT THE HONDA CIVIC (JUNK) AND THE VW JETTA TDI. THE TDI GETS BETTER ACTUAL MILEAGE THAN THE PRIUS ON A CROSS COUNTRY RUN ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORT. MUCH ROOMER THAN THE HONDA AND SOUNDS SOLID. AIR BAGS WERE AN EXPENSIVE OPTION WITH PRIUS! ALOT QUITER AND SMOTHER THAN MY FIRST DIESEL RABBIT IN 78. QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP FAR EXCEED TOYOTA AND HONDA! GETTING 45.8 MPG MIXTURE OF CITY AND INTERSTATE DRIVING. DEALER WAS ABLE TO GET LAST GLS IN FLA FOR ME WITHIN 1 WEEK!

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  Very Fun and Economic - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Hawkster00 - March 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car!! I love the handeling in curves. I was able to drive from Nashville, TN to Chicago, IL on one tank of gas. If you are a commuter. This is definately your car.

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  Great Car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By THX1138 - March 23 - 5:26 pm

  Cross shopped this car against many other cars (Honda Accord and new CRV, Toyota, Nissan, Ford/Jaguar Volvo, Audi A4 V6 Quattro and BMW 330 xi). Was strongly considering the redesigned Altima. Only test drove the Passat on friends recommendation. Many comparable features to more expensive BMW and Audi, with many more features than the less expensive Altima.

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  Great ride, but take a look at the 2006s - 2005 Volkswagen GTI
  By Smoove - March 23 - 10:40 am

  With the new models coming out, I got a great deal on a 2005 GTI 1.8T. This is a kick-butt car especially if you live in an urban area. It has a lot of fun to zip around narrow streets and into and around traffic. Its reasonably comfortable enough for long road trips and trips to the slopes/casinos, but practical enough for the daily commute and running errands. Ive seen a lot of complaints regarding the gas milage and I have to agree. To be perfectly honest, this car is so much fun to drive aggressively that I think the poor gas milage could easily be attributed to the drivers. Im coming up on 7,000 miles and the only issue Ive had was the rear wiper stopped working...during a downpour no less.

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  Awesome - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Kate - March 23 - 10:36 am

  I love this car so much. It is a great every day car as well as weekend car. I drive it to school and on vacations. The front seat is so spacious and the backseat is actually comfortable. It is a great car!

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  Love It!!!!!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By wOlfJay - March 23 - 6:10 am

  This has to be the greatest purchase Ive ever made with an auto.

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  Yes..Another VW - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dj jefferson - March 23 - 2:22 am

  I purchased a 2016 Jetta Sport 1.8T with Hid lights for under 20k...Wow..and this is a great car. I had a 2014 Passat 1.8T SE another great car. I discovered during the ownership of the Passat that there is a discernable performance and a measurable mileage increase if you use 91octane or above. So do it.. The 1.8T likes it you will too. The Sport model also has the Sport suspension of the GLI with about a 1-1/2inch lower ride height that provides this model with a added responsiveness and control without having to move-up to a GLI or GTI..consider it a GLI-lite. The interior has Sport seats like the GLI but trimmed like a CC with a tu-toned theme.., nice. This model has also has Navigation standard and the new entertainment interface is excellent. Truly a upgrade..not available on the 2015 models. Overall I already notice an almost 3mpg increase in everyday use. The owner loyalty and large cash incentives were the deciding factors the made me consider another VW. The Passat had zero Problems. I did my comparison shopping and after driving Civic, Corolla, Forte, Elantra, Golf, Jetta, and Mazda 3 the best drivers are the 3,Golf and Jetta. For the price and content the Jetta shines. I did seriously consider the 3 but the closest model a 3s was over 4k more. The 3i 2.0 model compares well with the 1.4T and the 1.8T with the 2.5 3s. Shop with diligence and you will be surprised with the VW overall goodness.. The current available incentives only make it better.

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  Love this car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brentkate - March 23 - 1:30 am

  We have owned three Volkswagens and loved all of them. The Passat wagon is fun to drive, great on long trips and comfortable for our family of four day to day, not to mention it looks great. It has been in the shop several for various things such as the brake sensors going out, replacing tie-rod ends and cracked oil pan. It developed the typical oil leaks around 80,000 miles and sometimes we still get a whif of oil smell well after it was repaired. It is great to drive and easy to maintain. Find a mechanic who knows Passats inside and out, they have helped us anticipate several things before they became costly. There have been some issues, but I would by another one tomorrow

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  Too many electrical problems - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By tavee88 - March 22 - 12:23 pm

  To echo many others out there I have had way too many electrical problems in the 2 years that I have had the car. Bought it used in Nov 2003 from the 1st owner and it was still under warranty at 20,000 miles. So far, I have had the following items fixed under warrenty: the rear window brake light, left brake light, passenger window could not be operated from the drivers side, and the front right fog lite. The biggest issue covered was seal improperly installed on the AC that routed the condensation to the passenger foot area, my sandels were floating in water! After my warranty expired, all of the running lights on the right went out, it needed a new door light fuse for $92, the driver door warning would not shut off, the dome light stays on, and I cant lock it with the remote. There was a recall on the seat, and then a factory defect on gas line to tank!

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  Experience of 2002 VW New Beetle Owner - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dave - March 22 - 7:06 am

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. It has had multiple problems: a noisy catalytic converter (a rattle), the electronic door locks and truck opener quit working, and I couldnt even open the gas filler door to put in gas. The real shocker was that the car caught fire as I was driving it! That cost $7,000 to repair. I did not fix it, but instead sold it to a junkyard because the local dealer had a monopoly (no other VW dealers where I live and no one else would work on it) I had some high repair bills. This was supposed to be an "economy" car, but overall the repairs cost me as much as a Hummer to drive. There is no way the fuel economy of the VW could make up for the repair bills.