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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  Well Designed - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By daddde - March 28 - 10:02 pm

  I just purchased the gas model Passat 2.5 SE and have been very delighted with the car. highway mileage has ranged from 36.5 to 39.7 based on travel. Trunk storage is amazing. The seating is comfortable and extremely roomy. I do agree that the stock tires are a bit noisy, but that has nothing to do with the high quality of the car and i would highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  Best Car on the Market in The 20K Range - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Scotty D - March 27 - 1:33 pm

  This car is my first diesel and the best value youll ever get in the $20,00 range, especially now with gas prices over $3.00 per gallon. I have had the car for four months. I recently took a road trip of about 280 miles, mostly highway and got an unbelieveable 43.2 MPG! Why does the sticker on the new car say 27 - 38 MPG? I average 34 mpg around town. This car is not lacking in power and built with quality standards. It drives and handles every bit like my 1999 E320 Mercedes-Benz. Now I fight my wife just to drive the car every once in a while. You get an extremely safe car with 6 airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control. Also, the stock stereo systems is like the high end models on other cars. The trunk space is huge!

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  Beetle Turbo - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Turbo Beetle - March 27 - 5:06 am

  Third Beetle Ive owned, and all have been superb vehicles. All were bought brand new, and kept trading up. Have had this current Silver Turbo model for 8 years and have never had any serious problems with it. It is used over the last 4 years as a daily driver and between its traction in the winter and its speed/pickup in the summer, the vehicle is probably one of the best ones out there for the dollar. Maintenance is done on the vehicle per specs, and outside of a couple of door dings by jerks in parking lots, the car looks and runs as new. Probably the best value for the dollar car weve ever bought and owned.

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  Excellent Car - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Deadeye - March 26 - 6:00 am

  I traded in a 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning for my Volkswagen GTI and I dont miss it at all. This is the best deal I have ever made.

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  jetta 1.8t - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By csprakyfly - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I got the jetta 1.8t because of my love of turbocharged engines. If you love performance, this car does a good job. The real performance comes when you get a aftermarket chip for the car, makes it a totally different car. The only thing that has happened to me was some of the stitching for thr front seat that holds the back in started to come undone and puffed out. A quick stop by the VW dealership quickly fixed this and they even got me a rental car. Good job, VW! :-)

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  I love my Bug! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BugLove - March 26 - 2:00 am

  My New Beetle has been absolutely wonderful. I have driven sports cars all my life, and I dont feel that they truly reflected who I am. They were fast, not very safe, and gas guzzlers. My new beetle however, is reliable, environmentally friendly, and very very cute.

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  Smoothes out the curves - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By rjb - March 25 - 3:50 pm

  Fully loaded - leather/ sunroof, auto/manual, bi-xenon, dynaudio, nav, 18" Detroit wheels (rough riding on all but smooth roads). Sport seats narrow, unless youre very thin. Ive only had the car a week, so I cant say anything about reliability - fingers crossed. Dealer had to figure out how to take off the rear seat headrests for a much more unimpeded view - a little complicated. (Believe it or not, I traded in an 09 Acura TL w/tech. Lovely luxury but too big for me, and I wanted a more fun experience.) GTIs a blast, especially in the curves. It delivers the fun! Big smile. Worth the TL trade. Fairly well appointed interior, considering not a luxury car - looks very good.

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  I love my Jetta! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By webwevr - March 25 - 7:38 am

  I have had my Jetta going on 6 years now. Have just over 60k on it. Regular maintenance has always been done (i.e. oil changes, tire rotations). I just replaced the battery a few weeks ago. My gas mileage has always been great with age. Most fuel efficient automobile Ive ever owned. I previously drove mostly Fords (Escape, Windstar, F250).

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  Great Car - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Neko - March 23 - 7:26 pm

  I just purchased the gls a month ago and it truly is an incredibly fun car to drive. I love everything about it: the interior design, the blue and red lights, the stereo, huge cargo space, 8 airbags, abs breaks etc etc. The new 4 year warranty is great too. The handling is amazing and it definitely feels and looks like a more expensive car. I had a strange, albeit minor glitch the first week when my alarm started going off by itself at random times whenever i locked the doors. The dealer looked at it, and were a bit perplexed, but think it had to do with the starter (which they replaced). I still am not sure, but hopefully that will be my only problem with the car.

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  Jetta 1.4T TSI - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jared - March 23 - 8:22 am

  I upgraded from a parent-lent Ford Taurus to a Jetta, my first car purchase. I absolutely love it compared to my old clunker. The ride is so smooth, the engine loves to purr, the acceleration is excellent... Theres so many good things to say. I use the Jetta to commute and it handles confidently on the highway for its compact size. It doesnt get blown around by wind and it keeps its smooth composure. The combination of fun and fuel economy (I average 43 on the highway) this car delivers is basically a steal. Theres nothing like German quality!