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 - 2012 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By firstvw - August 14 - 1:37 pm

  I have owned my jetta sportwagen TDI for 4 months and am very happy with it. Great combination of handling and fuel economy. I have averaged 40 mpg over the 4000 miles put on the car so far. I love not having to go to the gas station! Good performance--it hauls a$# when I hit the gas! I dont love the exterior design, but it was a reasonable compromise to get the fuel economy and performance.

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  Lemon - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Paisley Jane - August 12 - 3:43 pm

  I only had this car for 6 years, 2 of which it was only driven about once a month by my parents because I lived out of the country. Despite this, it had 1000s of dollars worth of repairs needed every year. One month after purchase it needed $1000 worth of repairs. The final straw came yesterday when they told me I needed $5000 worth of repairs to ABS system, some fuel thing, etc. I took it directly to Toyota and traded it in.

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  farfegnugen - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By brittany - August 11 - 10:20 pm

  This car is so much fun to drive, and easy to learn on. Parts are a bit expensive,but it hasnt really broken down. One tail light keeps going out, but thats about it. This is an excellent car and I love the turbo. The only problem I have is that it requires premium gas, which is more expensive than diesel. I only get around 22-26 MPG, so I would recommend getting a TDI considering gas prices right now. Also, it gets dents and scratches very easily (like from dogs jumping up). Overall, this is a great car.

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  I love it!!! I hate it!!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vw nut - August 10 - 2:53 pm

  I love the way it handles, the styling, the dash, all the kewl options. I love the way I can drop it into third gear and scream past the slower moving traffic. I love the bitchen blue dash lights and the heated seats, all those great options you normally find on only the higher end luxury sedans.
  I hate how many times I have had to bring it to the shop for repair. The window cables have come undone, the little door for the gas orfice fell in the tank and the tank had to be replaced. The cup holders and arm rest, almost everything plastic inside the vehicle has broken. The temp gage has never worked and they cant seem to fix it.

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  Solid, Comfortable & Fun to drive - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By JAS3rd - August 10 - 10:00 am

  My Passat is quiet and nimble and yet it "rides heavy" on the highway. When I looked at the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series I realized that would get much more creature comfort for less money and still have a car that is a joy to drive. If you want significantly more sportiness you have to go for the BMW 330 or the A4 3.0 (more $$$). The Accord seemed tinny & the Camary is as plain as a soda cracker (by the way... whats up with the funky exhaust pipe hanging so low under the Camary??? its ugly and odd.

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  Eos Reliability - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By jmkober - August 7 - 8:30 am

  I purchased my Eos, the 3.2 with sport package after driving the 2.0T. Gas mileage is about 24 MPG overall. Car is loads of fun to drive but is not as comfortable on long trips as I would have hoped. It has been in the shop 5 times in 5 months for a defective strut, rattle in doors (recall), broken lumbar motor and leaking. Car still rides rough. I dont understand it. I even swapped out the 18s for some Michelin 16s, no help. I am considering a trade in for the 2.0T without sport package as I love the looks.

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  Money pit to repair - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By RonS - August 5 - 8:23 pm

  Having owned a w8 now for 6 years, let me just say you have better have the income to repair this car. First, repair is extremely expensive at the dealer ship. For instance, replacing one driving headlight cost $400, bulb alone was $212. Wow. Pray you never have an electrical issue because they are extremely expensive. Engine sensors are extremely high to replace. Not only does the part cost a ton, $100 to well over a 1k each for the part and then a huge labor bill to put it in. I will never buy another vw for the this very reason, repair and maintenance are very expensive. So much for German engineering. Is designed to make repair shops (dealerships) wealthy.

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  Great so far - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Sean - August 1 - 9:30 am

  So far, we love this van. We have put 4,000 miles on it. The seats on this van are very comfortable and it has plenty of power. Performance is fantastic and it takes sharp corners like a well-tuned sedan. Gas mileage does fantastic on the highway (27 mpg), but it only gets 14.7mpg in the city wthen the A/C is running. Rear ceiling height is a problem if you get the moon roof. The moon roof needs room to slide back, so you lose several inches of ceiling height. This means that the rear seat TV is low enough to block the rear view mirror and that the rear seats cant tip forward because they hit the ceiling. We have had four 8 hour trips with the family and we loved every minute.

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  My First 9000 miles - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By TomLateulere - July 31 - 6:06 pm

  I have had the the touraeg for four month. I have put close to 9000 miles. It is a pleasure to drive, handles well in inclement conditions. Excellent turning radius, handles speed well.Tops out over 110 mph. Plenty of room for passengers, heated seats are a nice extra. . Overall a good expierence. I would reccomend to purchase

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  There comes a time when you must let go - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWroadtripper - July 30 - 12:53 pm

  Ive owned this vehicle the last 27 months and put about 40,000 miles on it from my last two years at college. It was Certified Pre-Owned when I bought it, and now it has close to 90,000 miles. Its a great road tripping/commuting car, fun to drive, but as the miles piled up, the costs to maintain it grew. From my records, every 5,000 miles I put on it, it needed about $1,000 in service (parts and labor). Over the last three months, Ive put less than 3,000 miles on it yet pumped close to $2,000 into it, just to maintain it. This is my third and final Jetta, and although I love VWs, I would suggest to buy them new, never used because once they get to 70,000 miles, something is always wrong. 2007 Rabbit here we come!