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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  Performance hiding under - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sigmakos - May 24 - 2:00 am

  Gotta love this car with great performance and control. Had very little issues. Im an Engineering and do teh services myself. Except the huge issues like power-steering or tie-rods and struts/shocks. I know that the repairs are high at dealership, i dont recommend to go there often. Just using the dealership for scheduled service and engine diagnostics and head to my garage or mechanic for anything outside of that.

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  Good car so far - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lame-O - May 24 - 2:00 am

  Just turn 4 years and 60,000 miles on the car. Still love the time I spend in it. It is just a kick to drive.

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  You have to love your jetta! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Arkainshadow - May 24 - 2:00 am

  I have destroyed 5 cars now. I really drive my cars hard. This jetta is by far the finest car ive driven. It kicks BMWs ass in everything but quality and gadgets. When i purchased the car the check engine light came on because of the mass air flow and turbo cutoff switch, dealer fixed everything under warranty. car was in dealer for 2 days. dealer explained to me how you have to use 91 octain fuel to protect the sensors and components. Since ive followed the fuel requirements i have been nothing but 100% impressed with this car. It hugs the road like a 60k+ sports car and the 150hp 1.8L turbo acts like a compariable 3.0 v6 without the low gas mileage

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  Top Notch - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Wizard - May 24 - 2:00 am

  A fantastic buy. Mine was one of the first 2001.5 "New" Passat delivered to the area. The 4 Motion has been a dream in the cold frozen tundra of NE Ohio during the winter months. No problems with the car and I have 62000 miles on it. I experienced minor damage to the car in a collision when a vehicle hit me at about 45 miles an hour... I came out without a scratch... I attribute the car with being able to take a huge hit and keep on ticking.

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  I love my new car! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Happy! - May 24 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love my new Touareg. Ive had it for almost a month, and now that my speaker problem is fixed, I am officially thrilled. (by the way, new speaker came in in 3 business days and they fixed it very quickly) I get so many admiring glances, compliments, and questions about the car. I think its fun to drive, great for dragging my kids around, and I feel very safe....its the perverbial bank vault.

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  2002 Jetta gls tdi - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cms - May 24 - 2:00 am

  I love this car, but have been a diesel car owner since 1980; mileage is incredible; good comfort; roomy trunk; a couple of non essential electrical glitches have had to be repaired; have 100,000 mile 10 year warranty.

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  VW - OK - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By vw convert - May 24 - 2:00 am

  This is my first VW after several Honda Accords. I have put 10k on it and am very impressed. No maintenance issues. The 4 cyl with turbo has plenty of power - drives more like a six cyl. Very stable at high speed. Mileage is good - 25ish around town, 32 on highway. It is slightly larger than my Honda, very comfortable even in back seat. I have owned for 6 months and would buy the exact same car again.

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  Excellent - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Irod - May 23 - 11:06 pm

  Maybe it was well taken care of before I got to it, but it never gave me any problems with my Jetta. The ride was smooth, and the fell, was awesome. The only reason I am trying to get rid of it, is because it is reaching the hi-speed depreciation mileage.

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  More than pleased with my New Jetta TDI - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Yves Blanchet - May 23 - 3:56 pm

  I love to drive my Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It is quiet, yet we can feel the road. The interior is beautiful and practical and uses only quality materials. The trip computer is a real pleasure. I liked my previous car which was a Mercedes-Benz C240, however this Jetta TDI takes the crown. I do not know why I would pay more when I have it all with this Jetta at $24,000. I have driven it over 7,000 miles in five months and my average fuel economy is 49.6 mpg so far (yes almost fifty!).

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  Fantastic Car overall - I love my Rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By admission - May 23 - 3:53 am

  I drive mostly city in San Francisco, and it handles the bumps just fine. Zips in and out of traffic. 5sp manual is much easier to manage vs. my old 2000 passat 6cyl. Lacking torque just a bit at the very low end, but you can start from 2mph in 2nd if its flat terrain. Interior materials are fantastic. On mostly city driving with hills, Im getting 17mpg (but its San Francisco). I estimate pure hwy at 29, but I got 30 in my Passat V6. Same passenger volume as in B5 Passat! This is ingenious! On reliability: had valve problem - dealer replaced entire cylinder head, and car was in shop for 3 weeks.