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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  Outstanding - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Bob - October 15 - 5:40 am

  Replaced my 2003 Acura MDX which I thought was a great vehicle. This car outshines the acura in every respect. They changed the engine this year and its great, no complaints, but its still new. I cant feel the transmission shift. If it stays like this in the future I think Ive died and went to auto heaven.

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  Love It! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By NJ Steve - October 15 - 5:00 am

  I traded an 01 Cavalier with 136,000 miles on it for a VW Jetta Wolfsburg. My fiancee has an A4 Audi. These cars are very similar, but not the same. So far, other than the vanity light not working (dealer repaired), the car is great. It has lots of power, handles great, and its comfortable. I wish it came in blue though. I think we are going to trade the A4 in on a Jetta GLI and save $6,000-$8,000. It just has no quattro AWD. I was leery about the car being built in Mexico. I was going to buy a Rabbit 4 door that was made in Germany, but for $500 or so more, I went with the Jetta and am glad that I did. I would not recommend the dealer though. They were typical BS artists with no product knowledge! I knew way more about all VWs than them.

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  Sludge - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By ugh - October 15 - 2:13 am

  I loved this car until the sludge set in. The dealer indicates that there is sludge ruining the engine of this car (and thousands of others like it). It is outrageous that VW will not remedy this problem. It is clearly a design flaw that is costing VW customers thousands of dollars. Also, I have had to replace the O2 sensor several times.

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  Made in Mexico CRAP! Do not buy!! - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jreed10 - October 15 - 1:55 am

  I purchased my Jetta TDI nearly 4 months ago (Jan. 21), and loved it at first, but it has rapidly begun to fall apart already. The navigation system is an utterly useless waste of money, the "premium" Fender sound system develops so many vibrations that one cannot even enjoy listening to music, and the door panels started rattling while driving, after less than 2 months of ownership, so I cant even enjoy driving the car anymore. Its a shame, because the fuel economy and powertrain are both fantastic, but overall, I would not recommend this car to my worst enemy. I have grown to hate it that much. VW wont even stand behind their product and make it right. Dont waste your money.

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  Aquarius Blue...I luv u - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Connie O - October 15 - 1:36 am

  I have owned several VW convertibles: a 90 Cabriolet, 96 Cabrio and now my 05 Aquarius Blue Beetle. This is by far the most fun to drive of all of them. Yes the trunk is small, yes the rear seat is not very roomy but we dont buy this type of car for those features. The trunk is roomy enough for a suitcase or groceries and again the fun-factor outweighs all.

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  Fun to Drive, Annoying Quirks - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ryan - October 14 - 12:50 pm

  I have owned this car for a year and a half and it is a blast to drive. It begs "drive me faster." The keyless entry is great. The beeps are so anoying though, like the selt belt, passenger air bag off, and others. If I run into a store my wife has to bucle the seatbelt to make it stop dinging. The VW service department where I purchased my car is terrible. I needed new tires after only 6,000 miles, and my car cant stay aligned. So it has great performance, but the misc. problems make me want to sell it.

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  Outclasses the Rest - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Sozo - October 14 - 11:40 am

  I live in Tokyo. In Japan base models come much better equipped than in N. America. I added an air suspension and leather package and only major thing missing is the s-roof & navigation. Ive owned the Lexus RX (its a Toyota Harrier in Japan - which changes your mind quickly about how luxurious it is!) and the Mercedes-Benz ML 320. The Touaregs quality through and through outclasses these cars and many others I have tested. I have not had the problems many have written about (luckily?) and except for the V6 being a bit gutless this car is fun to drive (especially in sport shift mode and sport suspension!) and costs half as much as the Porsche Cayenne (no air suspension offered on base V6 there!). Off-roading was great as well!

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  Good NON-SUV performer - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By MtnDog - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Despite two recalls (ignition coils and fuel tank protection shield) this vehicle has performed very well. Comfortable, fun to drive, solid, spacious, yet nimble quick and quiet inside.

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  Uber Car - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Delighted Owner - October 14 - 2:00 am

  A tour de force in design, performance, craftmanship, comfort and technology. The fit and feel of the vehicle is almost perfect in terms of convenience, scale and driving experience. A remarkable, hand-crafted tourer.

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  Almost a great car... - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By lowman99 - October 14 - 2:00 am

  This has been a really good car, except for some occasional problems. Within the 3 years I have owned it, the air conditioning has failed (a few times), one of the CV boots cracked, and oil seal ruptured, and the driver side power window mechanism broke. All of these items were fixed under warranty (for free). Get the extended warranty if you buy this car!