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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  Great Car - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By JEB - October 1 - 11:20 pm

  Very smooth and comfortable, good acceleration and handling, great fuel economy with manual transmission. One of the best cars that I have ever owned.

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  Great Vehicle - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By B.A.S. - October 1 - 5:00 pm

  I am a very picky person and I scrutinize my choices very closely and this one passed all of my tests. The interior and exterior design is superb and, being a VW, is about as high-quality as you can get for less than $100,000. It drives great, although the V6 is a bit anemic when pulling my 6,000 lb. trailer, but then again, what other V6 SUV can tow up to 7,700 lbs.? it is very comfortable (I got package 1 with mine) and the tranny shifts very smoothly. The fuel economy leaves something to be desired, I average 19 mpg with about 40% city/60% hwy driving, but it is better than what the EPA says it is (a typical VW trait) and is not bad for an SUV. It, like all VWs, is very reliable. Buy one!

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  Love the Jetta - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By CARLO - October 1 - 6:00 am

  I have really enjoyed my Jetta so far. I have put 500 miles on the car and it drives and handles very well. I previously had a 2005 Nissan Altima, which is a very nice car, but I felt like "I was riding in the car, not driving it." This car is faster than the 250 hp Altima. It was not easy to manuver the Altima in parking lots. The Jetta makes driving fun again. You will enjoy it!

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  great car but paint.. - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By adam - October 1 - 5:16 am

  i love this car. i got indash gps. i also go 4 12 inch subs. fully loaded package 2. but the only thing i had is the paint. i got a black jetta. but the paint is just horrible after driving it. i just will have to get it buffed. i just worry that it wont make it worse.

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  Tiguan problems - 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By melbvw - October 1 - 3:51 am

  Purchased a Tiguan in Dec. and it has been in the Service dept. numerous times for a clunking sound. Have replaced front drive axle, then next trip complete transmission in which I waited 4 weeks for. Now car is back in shop again for clunking sound when putting in gear and no one can seem to find the issue. Sad to pay this much for a vehicle and this happens. Would not recommend this car until all the bugs have been taken care of.

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  Phaeton - The IQ test US drivers Flunked - 2006 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By GripperDon - October 1 - 2:33 am

  The Phaeton has the greatest combination of materials, design, assembly precision, and compenent selection of any car I have ever driven. It makes my Mercedes-Benz S-Class look shallow. What a shame there was no advertising.

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  So much fun - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Joe - September 30 - 1:10 pm

  I test drove a lot of vehicles, including Acura TL, Volvo 40, Infiniti G35 and the Lexus IS 250. When I prioritized fuel economy, seat comfort for all passengers (12 ways on both fronts, Lux Edition) and fun factor, I kept coming back to the Passat. Ive taken it to Florida and back, averaging almost 34 mpg. Ive had a couple little problems that the dealer fixed right away; the satellite radio was defective and the right rear door mechanism broke inside. This has been a very enjoyable purchase, and I often find reasons to go somewhere now. I have about 8000 miles on the vehicle now.

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  Needs better brakes - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Chicagoguy - September 30 - 5:06 am

  The Passat is a good overall car. My only complaint is the cars brake rotors. I bought the car new and at 15K miles I noticed the brakes didnt seem right and brought it to the dealer. They told me the car needed new pads and rotors. This happened again at 30K and yet the dealer said this was normal. Ive owned many new cars over the years and have never had to replace the rotors every 15K miles and have concluded that VWs rotors arent up to standard. Its not right to expect a customer to have to fork over hundreds of dollars for new rotors every 15K. Because of this expense, I wouldnt buy another Passat.

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  Fantastic Car - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By CamarilloGTI - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I test drove a GTI, Civic SI, Focus SVT, Subaru WRX and Celica GT. Theyre all great cars. If money was no object and it werent so ugly I wouldve gone for the WRX. But taking money and style into consideration the GTI is the best choice. The engine is very torquey. I love the solid feel of this car. Just shut the door and hear a solid thud, not a hollow boom like on the RSX. Slide the turn signal and feel it snick into place. Run your hands over the dash and feel the quality of the components used, unlike the hard plastics in the Celica. Its the little things like these which gives a car so much of its soul that I never seem to find on a Japanese car.

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  Poor Mans Porsche? Absolutely - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By GTI Fan - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I couldnt be happier. For the same price, no car gets even close to the driving quality of a GTI. Will definitely go for it again...