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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  For New Models - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By DFt Lauderdale - January 31 - 3:03 pm

  For a car listed for 29k a middle of the road final product. I have rattles in the dash area from one end to the other. The dealer cant fix. The light interior color on areas where dirty shoes will come in contact are impossible to clean. Like lower doors and where speakers are placed which also will be damaged when someone gets in and presses there shoe to hold the door open or just scrape when getting in or out. I do not drive much so not hampered by bad gas mileage. But for a four its a nice car.

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  Great Car, Great Buy! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RobD - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I just wanted to say that this is an amazing car! Theres more than enough power stock in this car, its a dream. Its got all the features I need and all the controls are very instinctual (unlike a few Japanese cars Ive driven...). Id have to give VW a lot of praise for this little wonder.

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  W8 - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By ursus43 - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I really like this Passat. It is fun to drive, it has power and it is getting better gas mileage than it claims or I expected.

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  Love my new Jetta!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By snwilson - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I am a first time VW owner and I will never go back!

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  I cant believe it - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By jwilliamsoh - January 30 - 9:50 am

  Long story short; I used to own a company and drove MB as a rule. Now things are very different so I still wanted German and went with a VW. The top part of the engine has been rebuilt twice as the timing chain broke twice. Now I was a LITTLE late on a couple oil changes; like 2k miles, not THAT big of a deal (for other cars). Now with 78k miles the car is starting to tick again and it is under 3 years old. Now I have driven a lot of miles but drive (slow) due to some points I drive the speed limit. Take off NORMAL, stop normal, no driving fast or racing. Also because funds are tight I need to get the most out of the gas. I average (for the past 8k miles) 23.7 mpg.

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  After 1.33 Years - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Happy Customer - January 30 - 4:06 am

  We still enjoy the driving experience. With over 15,000 miles, the only maintenance has been three oil changes. The ride is smooth and reasonably quiet. Stability and traction control keep the car where the driver wants it to be. Its average gas mileage is OK at ~26 mpg. The interior is very comfortable (we are small drivers at 56" tall) over long periods (drives from Ohio to Florida and Maine) of time on the road. The turbo engine is powerful enough for us with lots of acceleration from the turbo boost. Overall, this car is a a good value at $27,000 with all the technology, safety and performance equipment included. We would buy this car again.

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  safe car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By eecir - January 29 - 8:06 pm

  Bought the Jetta new and drove it for 53,500 miles. Fun car to drive and comfortable. Only complaint is electrical problems (windshield wipers, door locks, CD player,dash lights) which were corrected by service department after several trips in. Most impressed with the safety of vehicle. My wife and daughter were t-boned by a car going in excess of 70 mph. All air bags deployed and the only injury from this twisted metal was my wife sufferd a broken arm. Doctors, police and insurance adjuster were all amazed, given the impact the Jetta received and the condition of the vehicle, that no one was not killed or more severly injured. The safety features were the #1 reason I bought the Jetta. Im glad that I did.

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  Newly purchased Passat - 2016 Volkswagen Passat
  By shahab khan - January 28 - 6:19 pm

  Good car for daily commute. High cost of optional items. Large price variations between the dealers

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  1998 VW Beetle Hatchback - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By onexrn - January 28 - 5:20 pm

  Thoroughly enjoy driving my VW Beetle, drives like a dream, hugs the road nicely. Would like to see better mileage. I get only 19mi/gal.

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  42K follow up - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By CA - January 28 - 10:50 am

  Follow up from Sep 2008 when I bought it w/ 12k miles. I now have 42k on this car and it remains rock solid. Over time Ive gotten very used to getting the most out of it without killing gas mileage. Its best on long twisty road and takes 20 mph S-turns at 60-70 mph w/o even thinking about it and is so much fun to drive. I get 23 combined and 26 highway MPG but still think it needs a taller 6th gear. Its hard to find a better AWD car. AWD and DSG maintenance is spendy and only had a strut go bad. With all that said I wonder what it would do with an additional 100 hp.