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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  Great car - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By shop75 - March 16 - 5:06 pm

  I have had Hyundai, Acuras, Volvos and Lexus before this and I am very happy with this car. I will be buying VW from now on. It is a fun car to drive and big. We have 2 little children and no problem on back seat. The trunk is huge took all our stuff to beach trip with no problem. The pickup is great on the 2.5 5 Cylinder engine. I wish I had the sunroof and automatic headlights but that is all that is missing from this car. I have traded 3 cars in the last 3 years but this one is a keeper! Great gas mileage too

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  Best european affordable car! - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By corneliu - March 16 - 4:03 pm

  I own the 08 passat 20T and the 08 passat vr6, and both are a blast. I had no issues with none of them in 4 years. I only did the regular service and thats it! With the 2.0T i got a personal record of 32 mpg/hwy, with the vr6 29mpg wich is not bad at all. I like the sprint from the turbo and the pull of vr6 from 80mph and up! great cars

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  Im Hooked on my Golf - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By Glenn Scott - March 15 - 6:33 am

  Always been a Toyota Junkie, not any more. I bought it with 130K on it and in two weeks I put on about 1800 miles. Its a really fun car to drive the Ergonomics are perfect for me and its a great handling car on the back roads of NH. No problems, I got it with new brakes and new rubber. Green with tan and black interior, great combination. I have no complaints at this point. Added a half a quart of oil at 2200 miles. Thats pretty good for me. I run my Toyotas up to 250 / 280K. Lets see what the VW can do.

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  Exactly what I wanted... - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nicholas - March 15 - 3:10 am

  The Jetta Wolfsburg was a welcome choice among the many configurations of the Jetta. It has just the right combination of options for the price, and is substantially less expensive than if you put the same option packages on the regular 2.5. The car is adequately responsive in the economy driving mode, but shift into the sport mode and it becomes a MUCH more powerful animal. Living in California, I find the Tiptronic to be especially useful for keeping the RPMs up for easily passing other cars on the many freeway mountain passes. While the last generation body style was more inspired, the current Jettas lack of exterior edginess is more than made up for with its SUPERIOR interior.

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  The best car I ever drove as a commuter - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dasautoistgut - March 14 - 7:37 pm

  Its the 2014 S model, 5 speed manual 2.0 L no thrills version of this vehicle. Paid $18,600 new. Because its a manual, it actually is quite spirited even though it only has 115 horse power and not sure about torque, but its a little rocket considering. It has now 70,000 miles on it and I do my own maintenance. Car has had no issues. Its assembled in Mexico, so quality of build will be different from anything coming from Wolfsburg, Germany, but its working great and overall good. I am sure I have the cheapest interior, but its holding up. I am not an oversized XXXXL individual either, so I cant wear out the springs haha. So if you are a normal build person, the car holds up. My mileage is probably around the mid 30s, not bad. Wasnt worth for me to get the TDI, which I owned before this one. Couldnt justify the more cost of a Diesel at the time of purchase in Oct 2013. It looks sharp for what it is and the trunk space is amazingly roomy.

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  Fun to Drive - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mira Mesa VW - March 14 - 5:50 pm

  I have had the car for over a month. I own three other vehicles, a Mercedes sedan, Toyota SUV, and a Nissan van. This car is very fun to drive. Its an excellent commuter car.

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  In love - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By herksrus - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Couldnt be happier. It also helps to have the worlds best VW dealer, "Sterling VW".

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  Volkswagen Jetta 2004, four door GL - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By echo - March 14 - 10:00 am

  The Jetta is a wonderful car, it has all the safety features I wanted, along with great style, great preformance, great stereo system, interior comfort, exterior appeal, extremely fun and comfortable to drive, very dependable.

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  Been good for ten years - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By sunman42 - March 14 - 12:26 am

  I realize I probably drive this less than most, being blessed with a 2.5 mile commute (each way), but its gone ten years with no major work due to anything other than stupidity (mine, in barreling into a deep pot hole this year that required a new catalytic converter) or age (the impeller in the water pump broke in two this year, and I took the opportunity to have the timing chain replaced - all small engines need it sooner or later. I have lost no switches or other details, but would have preferred (1) a remote that actually opened the hatchback, rather than leaving it partly unlatched but closed on cold days, and (2) a drivers window that opened a bit faster. Good, safe car, fun to drive

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  Great Car for today - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Mike - March 13 - 2:13 am

  I bought this car with 19,000 miles, trading in a BMWX3. If you drive it conservatively, its comfortable, economical, the hatch makes it versatile and it provides a lot of amenities that you get with more expensive cars. When you want it, the power and handling are terrific. The ride is a bit rough on rough roads but that was expected with low profile tires. I have had owned several sports sedans but always thought the power came at the expense of handling. This car makes a lot of sense and I could not be happier. Finally, one unexpected benefit is the cloth seats which are cooler than leather in the summer sun. The car cools quickly after a stint in a parking lot.