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 my car-HATE my car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Coronado - April 16 - 10:00 am

  My car has been in he shop on average every four months in two years of ownership; engine coils twice, my drivers side window fell inside the door, the oxygen sensor was faulty, the plastic engine guard cracked and was dragging. The car drives beautifully although it is a bit hesitant out of the gate. It has nice features for the price but the unreliability has just slowly but surely killed my love of the car. DONT buy VW, they make beautiful cars but they just dont care about quality control! Everything is made of plastic!

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  how many w8 are on the street? - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Si Heon Lee - April 16 - 10:00 am

  great power from 60mph~120mph

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  Dazed and Confused - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By DazedConfused - April 15 - 4:10 pm

  The 3.8L engine is horribly underpowered and the transmission is too anxious to find a home in 6th gear. Trying to accelerate to get on the freeway leaves me depressed as I watch the fuel gauge race to the left faster than the car gains speed. The ride is smooth and the entertainment features make a ride of any duration tolerable. The interior features are pleasant and the exterior looks eerily similar to the Dodge and Chrysler.

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  The Best - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By dubball - April 15 - 11:36 am

  Best car I have ever owned - and that includes 3 Mercedes-Benz S500s, a BMW M5, etc. My Porsche 911 cabriolet was perhaps the most fun (in Miami), but cannot imagine a better sedan. I test drove an Audi A8L and a BMW 7-Series, but this is the car. Its navigation system could be better, but everything else is great.

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  Luxury for everyone - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Pseudobrit - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Great car so far. I fill the tank up maybe twice a month. Interior is lovely. A reviewer was right when he talked about "democratized luxury." This is a nicely appointed, fully featured car for well under 20k. Total cost to own/cost per mile is lower than any of the "similar vehicles" Edmunds offers for review.

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  Gti- Engineering. - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By kho - April 14 - 10:00 am

  The VW Gti is a very under-rated car, it is fully featured for the same price as a RSX premium. It is fast and corners better than any japanese car out there. (evident in a 1/4 mile ring against a Gt-s) It gets up to speed fast and has passing power to boot. Superb stock car.

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  Passat - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By anthony - April 14 - 10:00 am

  This automobile feels like a $50,000 BMW without the high maintainence cost.

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  Passat - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Anthony - April 14 - 10:00 am

  This automobile feels like a $50,000 BMW without the high maintainence cost.

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  A costly piece of junk - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By A german quality fan - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Jetta has lot of mechanical problems. We bought ours(brand new) in march 2002.Since then it has been in the dealers workshop 7 times for repairs. The car did really well for the first 2000-2500 miles. After these initial miles it has given us all sort of problems. It started with door rattling, followed by the left view mirror cracking, followed by complete failure of the audio system 2 times in a row(within 10 days) . Yesterday the drivers side window fell into the door and wont go up. Guys, think twice before buying this car.

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  For all the whiners out there! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dave Smith - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with the expectation I would love driving it and getting lots of attention! This car does both and I hve had it back to Youngblood VW for a couple of things and they got them fixed and I was just as anxious to get back into it like it was the first drive! I didnt complaint about the car going back in the same as I wouldnt if I had to go see my Dr. Sometimes things go wrong and they have to be excepted and move on and quit whining!.