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:

• 

  Practical Performance Family Car - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By tk - November 3 - 9:20 pm

  This is a well designed car with balance between safety, roominess, performance, practicality and gas mileage. It has good acceleration except there is a lag at <5 mph. It also has loads of storage. Its much better than driving a minivan.

• 

  Avoid at all costs - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DK - November 2 - 7:46 pm

  I was so excited to buy this car. However, Ive been nothing but dissapointed with it. First and foremost, the cost is much higher than what one would pay for other cars of this caliber. I thought that the additonal price would be justified by the ride. However, this car has been nothing but trouble.

• 

  How sweet it is - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By David - November 1 - 9:03 pm

  I purchased my Passat for fuel economy and comfort of ride. Im not disappointed thus far. My drive one way to work is eighty miles, seventy miles of which is open road. The last ten is in Washington, DC traffic. I have logged 1400 miles on my Passat the past week which includ a trip to VA Beach this past weekend. I average 42.9 MPG. The car is very comfortable on the open road and feel very solid. Im very impressed by the power of this 4 cyl which is very quiet at 65 miles per hour. I must tell you that I did have one situation with the car and that is the Electronic Module Display which displays fuel usage, and outside temp went out the day I took delivery of my passat 18 APR 05.

• 

  Too many Issues, LEMON warning - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By drew_106 - November 1 - 8:03 pm

  Where to start? The first few weeks into the lease were great. Then the car started having a number of engine problems. The engine started hiccuping in the Spring of 2009. A week later the car was in the shop and the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replace at about 12,000 miles. More recently this past summer at 18,000 miles some connectors in the fuse box shorted out. This took 2 days in the shop for them to figure this out. Now Im having different warning lights come on and off. The fuel cap warning light was of, then off. Today the tire pressure light is on, though the tires all look to be inflated properly. What next?!?

• 

  One Happy Beetle Owner - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By petra - November 1 - 4:56 pm

  Ive had her for 9 years now. Try to take good care of her. Change my oil every 3000 mi. Do all the other stuff too. Bottom line, for what I need in a car, this one is perfect and I shall drive her for another 10 years at least.

• 

  Great Car - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By geojadams - November 1 - 4:50 pm

  Dont listen to the editors ratings, whoever they are. I have owned Jaguars, Mercedes, and a Dodge Ram P/U and this is the coolest car that I have owned.

• 

  Great Ride - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By snowdance - November 1 - 3:40 pm

  This is a nice ride. Its quite inside and has a nice shifting transmission. It handles well at speeds and through mountain corners. It delivers great power at all RPM. It is far nicer than my 95 Mercedes 300CE. VW has come a long way.

• 

  Passat Wagon - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By TOMD - November 1 - 11:56 am

  I feel that dollar fo dollar and pound for pound, it is the best value in its class. The standard features far surpass the competition. It has a full sized spare, a rarity these days. The warranty is hard to beat also with free roadside assistance.

• 

  My GTI Review - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By Rccar 111 - November 1 - 10:00 am

  My GTI has been a blast to drive everyday for almost 2 years now. The 1.8t engine is the same one youll find on the Audi TT, A4, and A3. I dont think most people realize that. It has a lot of low end torque and high end hp. With an aftermarket chipping program, you will have a 210hp 240tq mini monster. The handling isnt too bad, but with a aftermarket suspension, the handling performance is greatly improved.

• 

  Nothing but problems - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hobbs_09 - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Had nothing but problems with this car. At 3,000 miles, ignition coil went. 10,000 miles later, it went again. Had to replace some kind of sensor. Three recalls. This year with 42,000 miles on the car, A/C broke, some thing to do with a valve, $900. Then recently, driver front window just fell into door. Couldnt put it up. Gas mileage very poor for a small car. Dont be fooled by the good looks. At least the radio/CD sounds good.