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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  Wow Amazing - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By Sat - November 7 - 4:30 pm

  Worth every cent. I like the pwr seat height adjustment, give me lot of support for thy. Comfortable for the long drive. I wish the interior had a single had a option of Full leather in white color.

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  Navi kills the CD Player - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Yipper - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I love the car, but VW swung and missed in regard to the CD player. No indash changer, no option to purchase XM or MP3 player, and if you use the Navi system, you can only listen to CDs via the cargo-area mounted 6-disk changer.

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  love it - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By obnurse - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the Passat about nine months now and still love it. Very peppy engine with great acceleration (and I should know..everyone claims Im a speed demon).Very smooth gear shift. Have not had any problems at all with the car.

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  I love the passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By j passat - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I just got at passat and i absolutley love it. I researched a wide array of vehicles for aobout a year and looked at and drove several different makes and models. From the beginning I loved the passat, and after looking at and evaluating other cars in its class, it totally blew them away. The more I drive it, the more I love it.

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  Luv My Bug - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By TMitchelAg - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Great performing car...lots of pep. We drive up alot of mountain roads and do great. Im very comfortable in it and dont feel cramped like in the old beetles. I dont agree with Edmonds review.

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  My toureg 2004 V6 - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By myvolkswagen2004 - November 6 - 3:00 pm

  The only issue is xenon lights are very expensive. I had changed one recently and it was more than $230 . The car is wonderful to drive and comfortable, also safe.Gas mileage is good.

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  Amazed, 40 MPG - 2016 Volkswagen Passat
  By pete - November 6 - 1:00 pm

  I rented this car from Hertz for 2 weeks and drove over 6,000 miles from Seattle to Anchorage and all throughout the interior of Alaska. What a pleasant surprise. I am sold and would love to buy one. I put this car through hell and back with all of the tough terrain on the Alaska Highway, Denali National Park, etc... The thing that amazed me most was the gas mileage. To my great surprise, I averaged 40 MPG with about 70% highway miles. The car performed flawlessly through all types of terrain and was very comfortable to drive.

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  Best car I have every had - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By james w - November 5 - 11:23 pm

  By far my Jetta is the best I have ever owned-and I have had 7 different cars in 12 years!! This one is for keeps! It is so comfortable on road trips and with a 1.8Turbo and manual transmission - this car has an incredible amount of pickup and speed! The heated seats and the steering wheel mounted radio controls are the best things ever invented.

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  Excellent Car!! - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By frogpond - November 5 - 2:00 am

  So my 2002 Jetta Wagon did not work out (in shop 11x in 1st yr). This replacement car is amazing. Fun to drive, fantastic mileage, great features, fun , fun, fun (want to drive all the time)!! Hopefully second time around is better.

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  Merc 4 VW price - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Nassar - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Drives and handles like a Benz. Gives you a tight and solid feeling around curves and zigzagging.