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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  What a blast - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By albatem - March 4 - 9:23 am

  Very fun car to own! Great interior and exterior design with all the 20th ae bits. Seats are comfy, but can get hard on long trips, the turbo is fun, but does lag at times. Has some aftermarket goodies (chip, turbo-back exhaust, bov) which help it a bit. The jazzy blue is great and real head Turner. Got many compliments. Reliable car, but had an issue with 2nd gear, but may have been related to driving style. Mpg was okay 20 in city and 26 or so on hwy. Overall fun car less the transmission issue.

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  2013 VW Tiguan - 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By lgpod - March 3 - 11:18 pm

  I love my 2013 VW Tiguan S. Its build with quality, and great design on both the exterior and interior. With the manuel 6 speed transmission, the pick up and handling are excellent, which makes having to use premium gas much less painful. The engine is extremely quite and very responsive. Cargo room could be a bit more generous. Overall a great vehicle!

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  Excellent Performance - 2005 Volkswagen GTI
  By Kevin - March 3 - 10:46 pm

  I realized that I was going to purchase this car about 5 minutes after test driving it new from the dealer. After my typical painstakingly analytical comparisons of the GTI against its competitors, it boiled down to one simple emotion - the GTI was a blast to drive! That factor, and exceptional build quality convinced me to purchase the car. Ive had the car for about 2 1/2 years and have absolutely no regrets!

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  Lot of bang for the buck - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By macd12 - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I love my car. Before buying, I test drove more expensive cars (Saab, Audi, Acura), but the Jetta just fit really well. I havent regretted my purchase a bit, and I saved thousands to boot. Its been a blast to drive. It really begs to be driven hard and I indulge that as much as possible. It accelarates quickly and the turbo kicks in at low RPMs to give you instant power - no turbo lag at all. Get the sport package and a stick to fully appreciate it.

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  2006 Passat is a great car! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jazzspot - March 3 - 2:20 am

  I love this car! I was looking at the usual CamCords, Altimas, etc. But I knew this new styled Passat was for me. It is a fun to drive car! It is, in my opinion, a great looking car. The Dynaudio is fantastic. Never have I heard such a sweet sounding stereo in a car. I have 17" wheels and it looks great and handles the various road surfaces without any problems, wet or dry. The "Sport" mode is great. I enjoy driving in the "Tip-mode" too. I dont usually drive fast, but this car wants to purr along at 80 MPH! And it doesnt feel like its going that fast. The engine just purrs. At 80 MPH, the RPM gauge is at about 2,800. The 2.0T is a sweet engine with plenty enough power for me.

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  Great car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cdivertdi - March 2 - 11:53 am

  Well, Im 15,000 miles into my TDI. I traded a Mazdaspeed6, that I absolutely loved, but could no longer live with with 20 mpg, for the Jetta TDI. The Jetta is a different animal, with both pros and cons as compared to the Speed6. The only downside is the loss of the raw performance of the Speed6. The Jetta has lived up to my expectations, and the fuel economy has been above expectations! My only complaint in the quality of the speakers, and if Santa comes thru, will be resolved this Xmas! In terms of millage, we just finished a round trip from the NC Triad to Atlanta, with 600+ pounds between passengers and a very full trunk, running 78 to 85 mph with 43 mpg. What a deal,love my Jetta TDI

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  500 mile review - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By rob1261 - March 1 - 8:33 pm

  I purchased the S auto with 17" wheels about 2 weeks ago. Love the car. It is the only SUV I know of that has good visibility all around. I traded a Nissan Rogue because of its poor visibility. It is fast, comfortable, quiet, handles well, has nice standard features for the entry level model. And I think it is one of the sharpest looking SUVs on the road. Too soon to judge gas mileage. Will report on with next report. I have the Alpine Gray Metallic, very nice color. If you are looking at small SUVs you must put this on your list. Was able to purchase under invoice.

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  So far so good... - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mdbla - March 1 - 12:25 pm

  Bought this CPO Jetta 1 month ago after owning an Audi A4 for 10 years. The Jetta is a fun car to drive, handles great. Manual transmissions shifts effortlessly. The exterior styling is nice (mine is black with the chrome trim) and the interior is very nice, has a upscale feel to it. Huge trunk! I was hoping with the 5-sp manual Id get the higher miles per gallon (75% freeway, 25% city) but Ive been getting exactly as advertised - 26 mpg. Finally not crazy about the front seats, wish there was more options to adjusting the position. I prefer a more horizontal seat and these have a big angle (6 inches height difference from front to back).

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  Great car alternative to many higher-priced luxury vehicles! - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By spindrmario - March 1 - 4:07 am

  I had been looking for a while and was in the market for an Audi A4, a number of BMWs, Infiniti and Lexus vehicles. I test drove this on a whim (the 2011 Sports model actually) and fell in love. I couldnt believe how nicely styled the car is and how much fun it was to drive. Two weeks later I went out and leased a 2012 Lux model, which added a bigger GPS screen, a harddrive for MP3s and a tilt-only panoramic sunroof. I drive quite aggressively and regularly get nearly 30 MPG. The car is unique and I receive many compliments on it from strangers and have seen only a handful on the road so far. It drives, feels and sounds like a much more expensive car and I wholly recommend the CC.

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  Fun, Fast, Sporty, yet Good Family - 2009 Volkswagen GTI
  By Mike - February 28 - 8:23 pm

  I have owned this car for a month now. I will not coment on reliability, because at this point its unknown, although nothing so far. This car really has some of the most comfortable seats I have been in. My wife says the same, and she usually doesnt care much. It has very quick performance and get pass very easily, even in 6th gear. It gets pretty good fuel economy, about 27.5 overall, and I got as much as 34 on the highway average (although it takes Premium fuel).