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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  phaeton - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Dieter Abt - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Best car on the road- incredible value for money compared to the boring BMW and Mercedes

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  WOW - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Corsax - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Title says it all. If you dont have one, why NOT!!!

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  -tdi - pd jetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Lee Blanchard - April 17 - 2:00 am

  great car. performance and economy in one... and mean performance. tons of torque. great on the hills.

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  Still in the honeymoon - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By dlewis - April 16 - 11:43 pm

  Overall still in love. Like others really enjoy the zip and the handling. Would like more range of motion in seat adjustments, especially thigh support. Panoramic roof is very nice, but noisy in any position (compared to Acuras small SUV). Havent tested the 4motion much but on wet road has done very well, very stable. I would like to see more audio controls on steering wheel, such as change mode and channel.

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  Read This Review - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Easy - April 16 - 2:46 pm

  I have been researching numerous AWD cars from the A8 to the Benz 4Matic. With the price of the Passat 3.6 4Motion I couldnt beat it. The interior is awesome, it even has 14 way power seats for driver and passenger! This car has too many options for me to list. When I drove this car it surprised me! The sound of the dual exhaust sounded more like the R32s sport tuned exhaust! I loved it! The AWD works excellent. I had a chance to surprise a 2004 S4 the other day for a short distance. I think he was heading to the Audi dealer to trade his car in after what I did to him! Dont be fooled! This is no ordinary Passat! You really need to go and test drive this car. I have the Luxury Pack.

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  My favorite car ever! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jill in Portland, OR - April 15 - 10:00 am

  We love this car! I like the gas mileage (good for a station wagon). The heated seats are great on rainy days. I like manual while my husband likes automatic, so the tiptronic is the perfect feature for us. Leather makes cleaning up after messy kids easy. The car is very quiet and theres plenty of power.

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  Great Buy Overall - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Keith Miller - April 15 - 9:56 am

  This car has been great to me so far. I usually get about 44 mpg city and 48 mpg highway (I usually go about 80 with the AC blasting). My only complaints are a few interior pieces peeling (fixed by puting in oem aluminum trim) and a few interior rattles that I hear every once in awhile. The car overall feels like a quality vehicle and I love this car.

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  I love it - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By numarinc - April 14 - 7:56 pm

  Luxery combined with dependability

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  Very satisfied with the CC - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By wogass - April 10 - 6:32 am

  Bought new In 09 and I though Id might be taking a chance as it was in its first year of production. Now, 3 years later & 76000km Im glad I took the chance as Ive been extremely happy with it. Ive had no issues other than the dealership I bought it from (Horrible customer service). I switched dealerships which made all the difference In getting the most of out the car & service.

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  Superb GLS 1.8T manual - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Paul Moscarella - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Closing in on year one of a three year lease. Car has performed flawlessly especially in a rather nasty NYC winter. Purchased the 17" rims & sport suspension & ALL the safety features. Excellent acceleration w/minimal turbo lag. Smooth shift linkage. Could use a little more rear passenger room and the gas mileage is so-so for a 4 banger. Good road manners & excellent handling though a rear sway-bar would help with some understeering during fast acceleration.