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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  Wish it was bigger but love the features - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Colorado Mtns - October 16 - 2:26 pm

  I came from a Land Rover LR3 to a 2009 Tiguan. Love the same features of the Land Rover, but disappointed about the room inside. I have (2) dogs and cannot fit much else except them. Also cannot get over the fact there are no armrests in the middle, having to use the console seems odd. Also just ran over a nail on one of the tires and have to have it replaced. The 18" Pirellis that are on the Tiguan are on national backorder - odd sized tire as well. Not sure if they are good snow tires from what I have researched on the Pirelli website. Gas mileage not what I expected, only averaging 21 mpg on the highway. Overall not quite sure I made the best choice. Should have stayed in my LR3

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  Flawless blend of luxury and performance - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By gvintheatl - October 16 - 10:00 am

  A $30k Golf thats worth every penny! A month after purchase in ATL I took a road trip to Salt Lake City. The interior creature comforts and overall driveability were superb on the long sedate stretches of I-40. Cruise control kept the MPG in the upper 20s, not bad for averaging 75-85 mph. On the twisting canyon roads outside of Sandy UT the Goodyear Eagle F1s combined with the awesome AWD performance made the car feel as if it were on rails. And of course I had to take it out to the salt flats to see if the max speed reported by Car & Driver (128 mph) was correct. I was able to attain 135 mph before it maxed out at 5400 rpm. Wow, 8k miles in two months and every one has been a blast!

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  R32 means WOW - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By Dman777 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased a R32 and I previously owned a Mitsubishi Evolution VIII.The R32 might be slightly slower than the Evo but I have felt that the R32 drives nicer and feels more solid.Overall, I must say that the Evo VIII is way over rated and that the R32 so far is living up to my expectations.

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  .:R32 - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By bram - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. VWs are amazing.

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  Minor things turns into STRESS makers - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jettajason - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Vw all of its life. I also had to get the windows reinstalled with the "metal clips" instead of the cheap plasic ones that Mexico put in. That was the first trip to the shop June 02, second time was last year...transmission seemed to start slipping, they reset the trans computer and was running great for 4 weeks and started it again,went to the shop about 3wks ago(9/04)to get oil changed and complained about the brakes making a loud squeeking noise, (tech said nothing wrong) still doing it and it feels sometimes like it sputters when I put it in drive,(tech found nothing wrong as well. Power seat ate its plug for the motor,going to the shop tomorrow for the 8 things on my list

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  JockinJetta - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JockinMyJetta - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I absolutley LOVE this car! Before this, i was driving a Ford f250 and it was just too big and very poor on gas and now i have this cute, little car that gets grrrrreat gas mileage and the interior, exterior, just everything is wonder ful about this car! muah i love it!

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  very fun driving car - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By w.h.r. - October 16 - 10:00 am

  this car is awesome to drive. there were only so many made. it gets extremely good fuel milage, even when it is driven like it is on the autobahn (he,he,he).everyone wants to know what it is, we get lots of compliments and questions about its performance.they say it looks as if it is going 100 miles an hour just sitting still.

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  2004 Bettle V.W. - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bobw007 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  What a fun car to drive! The built in flower vase is too cool! A step back in time to the era of the original V.W. I am 65 and a big man! I have more room in the front seat than a new cadillac! The seats lower and raise, go back and tilt. The dash lighting at night is just unreal! Purple and Vibrant red colors! The motorized roof is way too cool! Not only moves back & forth but up! Lots of power in the standard engine, smooth shifting and fantastic handling on corners and turns. Very stable. These come loaded, I like the 4 air bags and seat belt ratings- a very safe car!

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  2014 Jetta SE 1.8 - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By reminder - October 16 - 8:29 am

  Picked up the car just before Thanksgiving. Covered 800 miles thus far. Handles well, but not a sports car. Has that tight feeling of quality that German cars are often described as having. New turbo motor & the return of the independent rear suspension is the main reason I selected the Jetta over a 14 Mazda 6. The power of the new motor works well being mated to the auto trans. Engine is extremely smooth and revs freely. Transmission is quick to up-shift in pursuit of MPGs, but also downshifts quickly if you need to pick up the pace. Interior is clean with simple controls. Heated seats have been handy with the vinyl seats and the cold temps in my neck of the woods.

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  This is a Great, Fun Little Car! - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By mheins57 - October 15 - 9:10 pm

  After I test drove it, I canceled my other test drives and bought the GTI. Mine is actually a 2006.5, but it has the same features as the 2007 model. I love almost everything about it, especially its power. I opted for the manual transmission because I like the feel of shifting myself. the clutch and shifter are very smooth. The interior design seems well thought out, and has lots of nice little extra features I never got in my American cars. It is relatively quiet for a little car. It has really brought back the pleasure of driving for me, which I thought I had lost.