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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  You want to like this car. - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By The VW Rattler - September 30 - 2:00 am

  At first glance and ride the car appears solid as a rock. Tight fit and finish, well thought out design features, except for the cupholder, and a German feel. Unfortunatly the honeymoon ends soon after ownership. Numerous squeaks and rattles that you wouldnt tolerate on a 1980 Chevy. It will drive you nuts! They come from the dashboard, doors, rear seats, sun roof...everywhere it seems. The dealer claimed to fix by placing some sound dampening material in strategic locations, but to no avail. Also, lost my drivers side window to the inner door pocket and had to replace the Monsoon radio - all before 12,000 miles.

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  Chosing VW wont be a wrong decision. - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By i_am_913 - September 30 - 2:00 am

  Have a 2000 VW Jetta VR6 auto but as the GLS 1.8T is the best buy. Besides turbo lag, more noticable on the on auto the car is great fun and with some practical sides. Rear seat room are made for long torso bodies and not for the long legged. Great features throughout, creaking and signs of wear become more and more apparent as months go by but not to the point of annoying. VR6 is a blast but a notible hesitation on pedal to wheel delivery. VR6 get manual. Both still eat up gas which VW should work on. The TDI is the best car though. Great gas mileage and no question a car that can easily put on nearly 200,000 miles and more! NO JOKE!

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  Speedy loves it!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWqueen - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I love the VW. Had a 2000 Beetle but wanted more room so I got the Jetta. The 1.8T is the best. The gas pedal just says "go ahead". It has been great.

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  NEVER BUY A VW !!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By sk - September 30 - 12:13 am

  I bought vw passat 03 as certified used and had a very bad experience. The only reason I bought the car was because of its sexy interior and exterior(silver). Last 4 yrs, I had nothing but bad experience, done every service regularly, almost every time the vw dealer finds some problem costing anywhere from $300.00 to $1500.00 for that repair or this repair. I was driving probably about 50 miles a month as I had a Honda Civic. After about 3 yrs of use, I was worried and purchased a top vw platinum warranty, but the problems didnt stop nor was any part/problem covered by this worthless warranty - i paid about $2000 for this warranty. NEVER BUYING A VW AGAIN.

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  Awesome Car - 2008 Volkswagen GTI
  By Kane - September 28 - 3:56 pm

  Bought this car used (1 year old) with 11000 miles on it. I love it. The 6sp TWIN CLUTCH auto is superb. That was the deciding factor between this and the Mazdaspeed3. 90% of my driving is in rush hour so I didnt want a manual again. Lightening fast shifts. Manual mode makes it very fun to drive. Getting pretty good mileage ~26/27 mostly city. The instrument cluster lighting(blue & red) is fantastic. The heated seats are very supportive, gobs of torque on que, xenon headlights are very bright - even when the car is filthy. This car wants to be driven fast - so fun to drive. I like having to do errands b/c I get to drive the GTI.

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  THINK TWICE - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Tammy - September 28 - 1:36 pm

  What a beautiful sporty suv that really hauls and is fun to drive. But be very wary, I have this car for almost 2 years and only have a little over 11,000 miles and I have had the suv in the shop more times than any other car I have owned. We have the 19" high performance sport tires, well at 8,000 miles we had to spend over $1,200 on new tires, the wood interior has cracked two times; the rear lights have been replaced twice due to condensation, the air suspension has gone twice leaving me with a $56,000 low rider. All in all I have been very displeased with the mechanical and lack of fuel efficiency. Once our lease is over we will never purchase another VW again. I am tired of loaners.

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  Better than the GTI, and AWD to boot!! - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By kevbelz - September 28 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car to replace my 1.8t GTI. I was moving from New Jersey to Montana, and wanted a sports car with AWD, to help get me to the Ski resorts in sporty style. This car is Awesome, I have owned 9 cars over the past 17 years, the last 4 cars were volkswagens. This car is simply the best I have ever owned. Great traction in the Rain and Snow (as long as you have appropriate tires, the stock tires are NOT for winter), and a 241 hp v6 engine that is faster than most cars.

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  Over engineered - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Moscig - September 28 - 10:00 am

  VW has come late to the SUV market, great design, good funtion and a surperb off road vehicle. Here is what they do not tell you about the 2004 SUV of the year! Electronics are overengineered as it relates to warning drivers on a faulty tire presure system, seat belt chimes that do not allow drivers to leave the car running with out being cherped to death, radios with on-board map system must be cleared everytime you start the car by excepting the disclaimer "release/acceptance" button! Something to look forward to for as long as you have your vehicle. One of the best dummy warnings is the airbag warning, buzzer, then bell/chimes to tell you it is off

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  stay away very bad CAR and SERVICE also - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Codi - September 28 - 10:00 am

  very unreliable car , faulty engine and very bad service from dealer. had to take it in too many times , once 6 times in a row for bad falty engine already shortly buying VW passat. stay away , also very bad service people, unfriedly and they dont keep appoitements . filing complaint with better buisness bureu. will never buy vw again. Buy VW if you want a car that breaks down all the time.

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  A blend of comfort, performance, economy - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By CHCHRISTI - September 28 - 10:00 am

  A friend raved about his Jetta TDI, and I drove it and was impressed. At first I thought the Passat might be more car than I needed, but I love the way it performs and it exudes engineering savvy. Lots of details have been carefully thought through.The selectronic transmission allows it to be shifted like a standard or driven as conventional automatic. Way cool! The moon roof is a nice feature and the trunk space is phenomenal. Ive owned the car for two months and am still discovering nice features. So far I can recommend only two changes: lighted switches on the visor mounted progammable remote control buttons so you can see them at night .