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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  Toureg - You Gotta See This! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By David Hudson - June 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the Toureg for about a month now. What a great SUV!!! We originally were going to purchase a Land Rover Discovery, but found the Toureg to be packed with great features in one well laid-out package.

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  A winner! - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By emma - June 19 - 2:00 am

  smooth! everything clearly marked. great design inside and out. car is very responsive and holds the road well.FUN to drive!

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  great little car - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By sean lasyone - June 19 - 2:00 am

  got the new beetle in 02 and have loved it ever since!! i am 6 ft.and 5 in tall and i have MORE than enough space while driving the car! i will definitely own another bug in my lifetime!

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  Incredible Value - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By SH2003 - June 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought a 2003 with sports package and 10k miles on for only $28,000 recently. While the regular price might be on the high side, you can get great discounts right now on new ones. If you havent driven one before, go try it out. I use to have the V6 GLX Passat, and the W8 is way sportier and faster and more refined. Only gripe is the gas mileage which is bad if you have a lead foot like me.

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  28K miles and no problems - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mtimm - June 19 - 2:00 am

  I can drive from DC to florida on one tank, and my back doesnt hurn when I finally fill up in Florida. Its great around town and fantastic on the highway. This car is fun to drive, gets great milage and extremely comfortable. When the need arises, it holds tons of cargo. It is our favorite car we won. In fact we us it for the majority of travels and leave the BMW in the garage.

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  Great Car! Fun to Drive! German Engineering! - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By crawfojj - June 18 - 9:43 am

  So far, Ive owned the car for about 5 months and I bought it Certified Pre-Owned. If you decide to buy a used one,go CPO. The car had 30k miles on it and its covered up to 50k on minor things and 80k on major items. I have had the car in the shop for 2 items already though- they were under warranty. Noticed hard down shifting- they had to replace the valve cover or something with the tranny. Now drives like a sports car. This car is so fun to drive!!! Sports mode is really fun! Im married with one on the way so my days of buying sporty 2 seaters is over- this provides the best of both worlds. 2.0T is fun and fast, kinda wish I woulda bought the v6 though, test drove it and it has lots pwr

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  TDI Heaven - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jon Schade - June 17 - 5:53 pm

  This car has been an interstate killer! This car will cruise I-95 all day long at 90mph+ with no strain. 50mpg typical... the faster you go, to a point, the better the fuel economy. I replaced OEM air filter with K&N from day one... slight notice in power. Will buy 2008 Jetta with the new motor for more horse power and torque.

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  Im in love... - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dogbert - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Got my Passat 4 weeks ago and already have put 2000 miles on it. I took the following options: Monsoon, Leather and Luxury pakages. Really a great car to drive. Two thirds of my driving is done on Expressways at an average of 85 MPH (140 Kmh here, in Canada). Even if performance are good, Im now looking to have it chip tuned to improve highway performance. Very powerful in first 3 gears. Good thing the Anti-Slip is standard! In conclusion, this car is really worth a serious test drive.

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  Pasatt - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By melisa - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Great car!

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  4/3/02 - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Chris Palmer - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Nice car. I cant believe how nice it is compared to the price. This has to be the best value on the planet