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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  get one - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jojoi - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I love the car! runs fast and easy to drive-takes the mountains well. I am now looking into the deisel wagon so I can have more space for luggage.

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  I love this car! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By tristras - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought it last fall after months looking for a gently-used 2001.5 or 2002, but couldnt find a V6 anywhere. Traffic around DC can be frustrating, but I stopped complaining about my commute after buying it. And if I ever think I spent too much, all I have to do is drive something else to realize that every last penny was worth it. This car looks great and is a blast to drive! It handles wonderfully (I cried for my old Saab every day that I drove the very vanilla Dodge that replaced it, until I bought the Passat), is great on short AND long drives (nearly 24,000 trouble-free miles), and handles anything from sand to snow with aplomb.

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  I love My Car - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By TheGodfather - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have owned three VW jetta and a Chevy Blazer and I can say the amount of times I took all three VW to the shop was less than the number of times I took the Chevy to the shop. Thank goodness I am driving one of the best cars of our time. I dont care what anybody says. I love my new passat and my wife is going to get rid of her mitsubishi and get one too!!!. It just puts a smile on my face anytime i sit behind the wheel. I recommend anyone who wants to purchase a sedan for $21000 plus to consider a passat!!!

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  Why did we wait so long? - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By wayne - August 5 - 11:06 pm

  Visited the dealer in fall of 08 to experience the new Jetta Sportwagen to replace our valued 2000 Jetta TDI and almost tripped over my tongue salivating over this unbadged model. We just could not decide because they each offered specific lifestyle features we valued. Finally chose the VR6-4Motion and have not regretted it one bit. The handling is fantastic! Design is ahead of the crowd. In 7K miles the low is 24mpg and the high is 31. Extremely comfortable for long business trips. Have owned a lot of vehicles over 1.6M miles of driving and still have the 911 and H1 Hummer but this is the one that always gets driven.

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  This is one mean Rabbit - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Alain M - August 5 - 5:10 pm

  Completely satisfied with this car, no problems at all. Really fun to drive thanks to its 170 torque. Lots of leg room!!

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  Best Gti Ever - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By jdscha - August 5 - 5:10 pm

  I have had this car for a few weeks. I have put 500 miles on it so far. I have been looking for any type of manufacturing defects but have not found one yet.

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  Great car, for an automatic - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mike p - August 5 - 10:00 am

  i bought the car a coulpe years ago, other then the problems that i caused i havent had any. ive had two jettas my VR6 which i love, and a 1.8t that was not so good to me. really its a hit and miss the these cars the VR6 headlight are shot and the cup holders are falling out but still work,other then that the leather is in perfect condition and the interior is just awesome overall. the 1.8t although 5 speed between the trany, clutch, oil leaks, break dust all over my expencive rims, arm rest, and others it had to go. the VR6 has plenty of power and good handling if i can keep up with 09 cobalt ss T/C and eat RX-8s for breakfast i wont complain, untill i can do more under the hood

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  Excellent machine! - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By Gary Haikin - August 5 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased the car a week ago, was very lucky to find candy white I wanted with the manual transmission. I was shopping for Audi A4, but realised that significant premium in price is not worth it. It has vertially the same engine and the same features (except Quattro), since Audi eliminated all goodies last year to save money. Engine is very powerful and torqey. Its a lot of fun to drive, it has a well appointed high quality interior. Its rather spacious inside and looks nice outside. Though the last one is according to the taste. The gearshifter is precise, the brakes are strong and the steering is tight. The dashboard layout is convinient and instrument cluster is easy to read.

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  Impressive ride - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By TJS - August 5 - 10:00 am

  Had a Jetta which I loved, traded to a CC 4Motion. Wow, quiet, fast, nimble, and sleek in and out! Best VW I have owned.

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  Very Safe - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Lauren - August 5 - 3:03 am

  So I bought this car in April and just got it back the other day after it being fixed for a month. At the end of May I was on the Interstate and hit a deer in the left lane...Airbags went off and I spun into the middle lane because the deer hit me from the side/quarterpanel. The airbags didnt hurt me. I was fine, and I was lucky, but I think this car kept me safe because it pretty much crunched in to absorb all the impact. I was sad to see my brand new car smashed up but I was OK, and now its fixed so it doesnt matter. I had a Jetta when I was 17 and got into an accident with that too. They are built to keep you safe.