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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  awsome and reliable - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jettaman - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I have the jetta wagon with the 5 speed auto. and the 1.8t. I drive around 75,000 miles a year and have had mine for about 10 months. I have 58000 miles on it already, and my wife has a turbo jetta sedan with 50,000 miles on it ( our work is far away. Great cars. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! And ardmore volkswagen/acura was very helpful. (ardmore, PA)

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  Fun but not very reliable - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sphereframe - September 20 - 2:00 am

  This is a very fun car to drive, however, I wouldnt buy another one. First, Ive had way too many problems with my power windows. Second, the interior materials peel. There is a slight covering on the interior surface that peels off. Third, I"ve had all kinds of problems with the clutch in my vehicle. What makes it worse is the dealership hasseling me over the work. Between the car experience and the dealership I will never buy another Volkswagen.

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  The new Jetta is awesome - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Taylor - September 19 - 9:56 am

  My Jetta is actually the 2005, but the 06 style, so it came with all the cool features like the auto wipers. This car gets awesome mileage and handles like a real German car should. I have always been an American car guy, but this car is incredible and the price is great for the car you get.

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  2010 CC VR6 4Motion - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By vr6guy1 - September 19 - 1:47 am

  I live in the California Sierra, so AWD was important to me. I opted for the 4 motion VR6, although most professional reviews said it was not worth the money. I am glad I bought the VR6 4Motion. I have previously owned a MB C55, BMW M3, and a BMW X5 Sport. Out of all of these cars, the CC is my favorite because of excellent performance, great looks, and fairly good gas mileage. The car handles superbly on mountain roads. (Note that the VR6 does not come with the DSG transmission in the US-- many reviews are wrong about this).

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  So far so good - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By bostonbrian - September 18 - 10:00 am

  What can I say..yea the fuel economy..however as far as SUVs are concerned it should be a less important issue. Quality I had a simple recall to fix a rubber piece of somekind took about 45 mins to complete. Waiting for the snow to come to really put it through its paces. Great emergency handleing in wet weather. The V6 has to work to carry the weight but does the job well enough. the S (sport) mode I feel makes a difference. I only wish that they would allow the United States market to receive manual transmissions. It was hard for me to choose between the BMW X5 and this VW. But I had a VW Jetta GLI 6 speed and loved it in the summer, not so happy with it in the winter..but this year....

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  Best bang for the buck - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By E.T. - September 18 - 5:53 am

  Came off of lease on a Lexus RX-350 and was looking for something less expensive with better mileage. Was seriously looking at the Passat wagon when I caught sight of the CC, sat in it, and ultimately test drove it. That was it...sold! I have owned other German luxury sedans... Audi, BMW, and currently a Mercedes E350 (our other vehicle). From an engineering and design standpoint, the CC is a home run for VW and the best value in the industry. Remarkable acceleration from the 2.0L turbo 4, great handling, beautiful design inside & out. If they could have made the sunroof retractable, this car would be near perfect.

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  Great Machine - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By robert perez - September 18 - 3:23 am

  I is one of the greatest pace of machine I even had.

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  So far so good - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Astogs1421 - September 17 - 11:23 pm

  I owned a 2002 Jetta, and had many problems with it. I was pretty hesitant to buy another VW, but the dealer sucked me in, and the new Jetta seemed solid, so I took a chance. So far, I have been very pleased. The car has many standard features, and people think I spent more on it than I did. I also (knock on wood) have had no reliability issues at all. The car has been great.

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  6 year review - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By bjss - September 17 - 9:13 am

  Bought the car new in 3/2002, very fun to drive. However, would agree that it is expensive to maintain. Oil changes and recommended mileage checkups are not cheap. Have read many postings about changing the timing belt between 60-70K (VW manual recommends 90K), plan to do, but will run 1000-1200K at an independent shop ($1500 at dealership). Concerned about oil sludge issues since the dealership did not use full synthetic until VW announced it should be standard (2004).

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  TDI Passat is fantastic - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Scott M - September 17 - 8:06 am

  I have owned many VWs. GTIs, Rabbits, Busses and Cabrios. I bought the TDI Passat as a knee jerk reaction to the fuel crisis of 08. Let me just say this is my favorite VW of all. We dumped a Ford Expedition to get this and I only lost maybe 25% usable space. I get 28-35 MPG in the city and 38 on long highway trips. The first thing I did when I bought it was have the software reflashed with an Upsolute package for $450. I now have 50 more ft/lbs of torque and 30 more HP. Undetectable by the dealer, doesnt affect reliability, huge difference on the road. Best $450 you will ever spend. If you want a solid family sized car that is fun to drive that looks good and gets good mileage...Passat TDI!