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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  Cant find anyting to dislike - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By WSZsr - May 22 - 10:16 am

  Very quiet on the highway. Solidly built. Great stereo. Fantastic interior quality. Great paint job. Too soon to tell about reliability.

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  Jetta TDI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By alex - May 22 - 2:30 am

  If I try I get close to 850 miles per 15 gallon fill-up (yes, you can squeeze more than 14.7 gallons) in mostly highway driving. The interior is made of quality materials and all features are first-class for a car in this price range.

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  Happy 2nd birthday to my Turbo S - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By RRRRRED - May 22 - 12:20 am

  Had the Turbo S for 2 years and havent gotten a speeding ticket yet. The mpg was what I expected, but the appointments came as a surprise. What a thrill to drive. (Wife hasnt driven it yet). The Monsoon w/ cd changer is an exceptional sound system. Quiet, stable and a real zoomer. The heated seats are great in the winter, and the AC blasts you out in the summer. The best VW Ive owned.

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  A quattro-style car for far less - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Keith Choate - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I had an audi 5000 CSTQ for ten years before I explored the VW 4-motion passat. It was immediately apparant that VW was more service-oriented and that the car is an amazing value for what you pay. The passat has all the best features of the audi quattro - including the same AWD system and comparable handling. The only appreciable differences between the passat and the A6 quattro is the level of interior cabin luxury. The wood detailing of the audi is a classy feature which the high-end passat could use. In terms of ride, though, the passat 4-motion captures the best of the audi quattro series.

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  My dream car - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By colinator - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I keep forgetting that those cute guys arent looking at me anymore, but the car!!! I use the car every day, and it got me through the blizzard and rain just fine. Now I am just waiting to use the best feature - skyline view, a little more often. The top goes up and down in a breeze (pardon the pun). Trunk space - there is enough for a trip to a shopping mall, but not much else. But thats what borrowing your friends SUV is for anyway.

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  Best Car Ive ever owned - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By perkins77 - May 19 - 3:50 am

  I recently bought a 4 door TDI and its the best car Ive ever owned (8 other vehicles). The handling is nimble and responsive, and there is plenty of power. The immediate stomp on the accelerator from a dead stop is not as quick as a gti or bmw e46, but its very good for a diesel and for what you pay for. The mileage is awesome and the ride is smooth. There arent too many extras, but they are key ones: bluetooth, paddle shift, sport mode, sunroof. Im 66" and have tons and tons of room in the front. Cold weather package is great.

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  Great Car! - 2013 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By di96 - May 18 - 2:37 pm

  If there is a have it all car on the market this is it. -Over 40mpg -32cuft of storage (seats in place!) -Available with manual or DSG -tow over 2k lbs Interior design is fantastic, night driving is a pleasure, dash is very pleasant to look at with the white lights black backdrop. Insurance rates are lower on this car then any hybrids ($200 a yr less then a Prius for me), more then pays for the extra cost of diesel. The navigation system is so-so, but I knew that when I bought it from the test drive. The only reason I still went with the top end nav package is because of the KEYSS system, never need to take the keys out of my pocket is sweet.

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  13 GTI 15,000 Miles later. - 2013 Volkswagen GTI
  By sinna46 - May 18 - 2:52 am

  After a year and a half of driving my 2013 GTI I have to say, Great Car! This is our road trip car, so it is used primarily for highway cruising and long days of driving. It is fast, fun and frugal. What more could you ask for?

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  Still lovin my Jetta - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John - May 17 - 11:23 am

  I have owned my Jetta for a year now. I love driving it more every day. I have not had one problem with the car. It is great to drive around town or cross country. I have driven a lot of cars in my life and I dont believe you can get a better value for the money than a Jetta. It may not be the best at any one thing but overall It does everything well. For the price of the vehicle this is pretty hard to beat.

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  "The best ride period." - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ANGEL POMALES - May 16 - 12:20 pm

  Outstanding is a short word for this magnificient car." Three thumbs up", Volkswagen did it again. The ride, the looks everybody in my family loves it, my neighbors etc.