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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  GTI hard to beat in its class! - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By Colby - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Basically flawless. What a great little car with surprising amount of room. Amazes others with its quality feel and performance. Like so many of the car mags have said, "feels like a car costing $10,000 more." and "rivals BMW for its fit and finish." Embarrasses its competition for safety, amenities, fit and finish, standard equipment, and the like. The VW GTI is simply hard to beat.

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  satisfied customer - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By lead foot - May 28 - 10:00 am

  What a pleasure to drive! Aside from a few minor interior design flaws as mentioned by other Edmunds reviewers (cup holders, power jack, lack of stereo controls on steering wheel, and lack of lighting on the stereo control panel), we have been very pleased with our recently purchased Passat. We have an appreciation for power and pick up, having sold an Accord LX manual. Love the triptronics!! Compared the V6 to a Volve S70, and there is no comparison. A great buy!

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  Matts 00 Jetta Review - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By MattB - May 28 - 10:00 am

  I love the car. No major complaints, just a few minor ones. The cupholder is terrible. Its flimsy and rattles all the time, whether its pushed in or extended. It does not expand to fit other sizes of cups. The transmission (auto.) is also a little screwy. Frequently, when slowing down for a stoplight, it will suddenly drop to 1st gear, propelling me forward. A minor annoyance, but sometimes I just dont like the way it shifts. However, the car rides very nicely, is quite comfortable; even though Im six feet tall, I still dont feel terribly cramped. There is not much room for average-sized humans in the back, though.

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  I beat you with a bug! ha - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Chase - May 28 - 10:00 am

  this car rocks, smoked a rsx type s and most other honda appliances, engine has mad potential. fun to drive.period. excelent quality

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  R32 Racing - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By masheen79 - May 28 - 9:46 am

  I owned a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protégé with 20k prior to the R32. The Mazda was a total "piece" which forced me to sell it after less than a year of ownership. I purchased the R32 in March 03 and have loved every minute since. Its my first 6cyl AWD vehicle and I will never go back to anything less. This car performs, looks, sounds and handles amazing. The Pipes with the baffle mode turned off sound sweet!!! German engineering kicks ass.

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  Jetta Rocks - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Phil Tackett - May 24 - 1:30 pm

  The car handles extremely well. The 2.5L engine has plenty of power for the every day driver. I like the positioning of the controls. A little feature that is handy is the lane change indicators that blink three times by just tapping the turn signal lever in the appropriate direction.

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  A bargain - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By davek104 - May 24 - 10:00 am

  The base T-Reg is the one to get. If you are willing to forgo the pwr seats (one more thing to break), nav (ditto), and leather this is a bargain. I got mine with the upgrade stereo and HID for 36K. Actually, the "leatherette" looks great will hold up better than the real thing esp. with pets/kids/etc. In Europe, this seating is very common. The V6 has plenty of power & decent mpg. It also lacks the drivability probs of the V8. With std sunrf, trac, multi airbag, HID, heated seats, auto dual zone a/c & 4500 lbs of German steel, VW must be losing money on every one. This is truly a BMW X5 for the price of a Ford Explorer.

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  2nd VW and still lovin it - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Crisi13 - May 24 - 10:00 am

  I just traded my 2000 JETTA GLS TDI for you guessed it a 2004 JETTA GLS TDI. Yes, I had the typical Jetta problems, the windows and the cupholders. Both were warranty items and only a minor inconvenience when you look at the overall picture. In four years I drove my Jetta across country TWICE, with the only major problem being a faulty mass air flow meter. Otherwise oil changes are the only maintenance Ive had to do in 60,800 miles. I hope my new Jetta gives me as al times Ive opted to save money great of gas mileage and miles of pleasure that the first one did! By the way the ONLY reason I got a new one is because I HAD to have a moonroof!

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  2004 New Beetle Convertible - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By theecal - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Everything you are looking for in a fun, sporty, car can be found in this little gem. Volkswagen has definetly improved the quality of their cars and the Beetle by putting all the bells and whistles in this little roadster. Fun as a convertible or driving with the top up, you definetly are the eyecandy of the road no matter whom you pass. People will do "double-takes", take pictures, and just simply smile and wish it were "they" behind the wheel of your new car.

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  Best Car for the Money - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Niki - May 24 - 3:26 am

  I would have to say I love driving this car. I owned a Honda Accord and I thought it was the best car EVER. I could not even compare this car to the Honda Accord. I love the design inside and out, the performance, and arctic blue color. The VW Passat was the last car I test drove (and I drove plenty of different cars). But when I drove it and got a price quote for it I was sold.