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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  Love/Hate Relationship - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By ExOfficio - April 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4rth VW. The new Golf is by far superior. But with VW you are either lucky or poor. More often than not, the latter. While I love many things about the Golf, this will be my last VW. In 1st year - 5spd needed to be completely replaced due to a mftr defect in the 5th gear. Had to battle VW 6 mths with dangerous tranny (wouldnt go into 1st+5th gears -I had to start in 2nd!). Many other problems during the 60000 miles so far. Fun to drive but at what price. Love car but hate reliability. I had it shipped directly from Germany hoping it would prove more reliable than my previous VWs. Some who have been luckier than I, but more who swear they will never buy VWs again.

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  I love my Beetle! - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jenni - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Before I had a Beetle, I thought they were cute, but not for me. When I saw one at a dealership, I thought I would just check it out. Love at first site. Good looking, sporty, fun, and safe for my kids, just what I wanted in a car!

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  New Beetle TDI - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Kristian - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car with 19,000 miles now with 24,000 this car has been great. Its fun to drive. The FUEL milege is great. Im averaging about 47 mpg town and highway. The Newbeetle is also a very safe car, so the insurance company gave me $100 of my bills. I never owned a diesel car. This is my first, And I have to say that Im very happy with it. There are always some down sides ofcourse. The oil for this car is not cheep. But you dont have to change it every 3000 mile.(every 5000-6000). Also I have been have some problems with the windows.. Not a big deal but the right window goes up slower then the other. Other then that. Its a great car.

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  Love my TDI Bug! - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By zilym - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Had it for over a year and still LOVE my bug. Its so much fun to drive! The power steering, power brakes, cruise control, fully adjustable seats, drive by wire accelerator, and everything just makes driving it effortless. The TDI engine is great for turning heads at stop lights (noisy diesel idle in a car!), and yet quieter than a gas engine while youre cruising at highway speeds (which is great for listening to classical music). Not to mention the incredible torque the TDI has for quickly accelerating from a stop or going up hills. Fun, fun, fun!

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  Loaded German Luxury for 26K - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jayjay78 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  before I bought my Jetta i was looking at the BMW 325i. Compared both and for everyday use the Jetta drives just as nice as the 325i looks great, fun to drive and great power from the Vr6 with a super smooth Trany, there is no other car out there the size of the Jetta with the looks, price, features, and the German feel with a V6 for this price

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  turbo S new beetle - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By turbos - April 25 - 10:00 am

  absolutely luv it!!!

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  CUV to Family Sedan - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By trader020 - April 24 - 12:53 am

  I purchased my 2010 VW Passat last week and it was the first "car" I have driven in about 3 years. I thought the transition to riding low would be difficult but it was not. The Passat drives smooth and accelerates nice. This is the first European vehicle I have ever owned and I love it. Definitely would recommend a test drive!

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  Exceeded Expectations - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By purduebss - April 23 - 5:36 pm

  Purchased this car in March 2013 after starting new job with longer commute (about 80 miles a day). Have been impressed with MPGs for this car. My overall average for the car has been almost 45 mpg. I have found the mpg display in car to be about 2-3 miles off (i.e. shows 49, in reality 46-47 when checking at fill up). The car is comfortable to drive, handling is reasonable (its no sports car but at same time its not a Buick from the 1990s either). The interior materials are above average. The navigation system is OK but lags behind the latest technology. The DSG transmission is quick, the only complaint is when you stop and suddenly accelerate, it can stumble for a second or two.

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  Nice Looks, but Do Your Homework! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By IL-VW - April 23 - 1:36 pm

  VWs exterior and interior material are much better than those that are used in most import and domestic autos, but mechanically I think they need to improve. We are currently having issues with oil consumption of 1 quart of 5W-40 synthetic oil ($5-6) every 1,300 miles and a soft brake pedal on cold starts. VW claims that 1 quart per 1,000 miles is normal. I do not agree with this, I think they got this spec. from the VW Bug. The dealer and VW Corp. will not fix these problems. Please, do your homework before you buy any VW. Try http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ for consumer complaints before you buy.

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  Good Car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Robert - April 23 - 9:50 am

  This is fine car at a good price. It fits my 63" height well. The handling is outstanding, comparable to our BMW 5-Series. After much consideration, we decided to go with the 1.8T four cylinder - and dont regret it. The engine warms quickly and starts pumping out power as the turbo spins up. There is a slight turbo lag that I have learned to work with. The gas mileage appears to be about 33 mpg on the highway. The Tiptronic transmission does an outstanding job of maintaining constant torque and allows you to keep the engine in the power range and extract huge performance. The interior is in the euro style with little of the bling and junk that turn me off the Japanese cars.