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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  Love it - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By dy - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Bought as used after 3rd child. Went from pick-up to a very fun to drive car. Power is adequate and handles well. Hopefully, this car will hold up. So far so good after 10 months and 10k miles.

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  Rock solid! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Thokas - December 19 - 10:00 am

  In the year and a month I have owned this car, its brought me nothing but smiles and enjoyment. The turbodiesel engine is smooth, quick, and rather quiet. The power comes on strong and keeps coming until redline. Its a great highway cruiser and long-distance traveller. Why go hybrid? Get a TDI! Its more fun!

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  Keep a case of oil in the trunk - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta Oil Burner - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I love my Jetta, despite all the problems. It rides and drives like a much more expensive German car. My friend has an Audi and I fell I got the same car for thousands less.

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  Its a Love Hate thing - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By LJ - December 18 - 4:50 pm

  This car was so much fun to drive, I looked forward to winding roads and long trips into the country. The later life expenses car become very costly which is why I finally traded it in. If I could have done the repairs myself I would still have the car. The timing belt every 60000 miles $600-800, brakes $1600, tires every 25000-30000 miles $500 clutch at VW $1500 and the final straw was the triple whammy of catalytic converter $1000, timing belt $800 and shocks $800. The parts that were defective VW repaired under Warranty, thank goodness. Window mechanism, rear window, first set of tires, the dealer refused to believe I went through the tires in 25000 miles..

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  My Third Jetta - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bonnie - December 16 - 9:46 pm

  I just traded in my Jetta for the new 2005 Jetta. I love this car! I have owned a 2000 TDI and a 2005 Jetta. What an upgrade from the previous vehicles.

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  The best family sedan - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By maciosaig - December 16 - 6:13 pm

  After looking at and driving the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry I chose the Passat for the interior comfort and the Turbo 4. Well now Ive owned it for 2 years and this was the best decision Ive made for a family car. The turbo 4 is great and Im seeing actual MPGs of 19 to 21 in the city and 33 to 34 on the highway, so a full tank of gas takes me about 400 to 425 miles. This surprised me as it wasnt rated this high. The car handles great and this base car has everything we need. The only problem I have is the difficulty in performing basic maintenance. Otherwise the car is perfect. Oh Ive had a hell of a time keeping proper psi in the tires and had 1 tires replaced by conti for 1/2 price

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  GTI MKV is VWs Best Yet - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By jimbo - December 16 - 5:23 am

  The handling is better than ever. The performance is everything you read. The rear seat is roomier than my wifes mini-SUV (really!). And the computer says the engine has averaged 32.0 mpg in 7500 miles of mixed but usually gentle (ok... not quite always gentle) driving.

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  Great Deal. - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By pete - December 16 - 1:16 am

  We bought the car because we need a bigger car due to my mother-in-law being so ill and traded our VW Beetle convertible, yes we cried. This car weve owned for almost 2 years and have gotten great gas mileage and excellent reliability from our Passat. I dont like the car but for the price and features, size, comfort, suspension we cant beat the German price we got. Other owners have complained but how do they really treat their cars? Do they really service them when needed, Volkswagen has really come up from where they were a couple years ago. Back in 2000 I bought a brand new Beetle and the thing within a year broke down 6 times less than 10k miles, Im impressed with the improvement of quality.

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  Are you kidding me?!!! - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By CCrazy Good!! - December 16 - 12:23 am

  This car is incredible! I cant believe all the car you get for the price! Plus, the 0.9 percent interest rate for 66 months is just way too good to pass up! For the price, no other car out there compares to this one. It puts Toyotas and Hondas to shame. The Mercedes C300 isnt even as nice as the CC. The Buick LaCrosse is a great ride that is beautiful inside and out but it is bigger than what I wanted. The CC just hits all the right spots!

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  "it is so choice" the sausage king - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By MSanfil - December 15 - 10:50 pm

  For starters, the bar started very high coming from a Z but Ive been looking forward to this car for quite some time. Being one of only 2 Golf TDIs available in the Northeast and completely lucking out in my timing, I thoroughly enjoy my wildly variable driving conditions for three months now and I highly recommend the TDI! Back and forth and all around NYC from WNY...7000 miles so far and loving almost every minute, this car has far exceeded my expectations, in all driving conditions...especially at $25,000. Sweet lil car Too bad for speed limits, I cant drive 65!! this thing wants to cruise at 80. Ok, maybe thats just me. Fuel economy is 37 combined :( but supposed to jump soon!