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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  Has been great! - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By eldaino2 - October 11 - 8:40 pm

  My wifes 08 beetle has been pretty great. its a fairly smooth riding car (an impressive feat considering its based of the mkIV platform and thus has a torsion beam rear suspension) and is a a great long distance cruiser. the stock tires are not the greatest and in typical stock fashion has grown loud and tiresome, but the car itself is very quiet, peppy with great low end tq, and style my wife loves.(and i actually dont mind it either.)

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  2014 Touareg TDI Exec. - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By tappedout1 - October 11 - 8:06 pm

  3000 miles in thirty days. Meets or exceeds expectations. Mixed highway and city driving nets 26mpg. Only trip of 1000 miles got 29 mph but highway speeds were 75mph plus. Compared to Porsche Cayenne diesel, no different except $25k less!

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  Delighted with the performance, not the interior - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By tedmontreal - October 11 - 7:49 am

  Overall I am extremely happy with this purchase, and the engine in particular has exceeded my expectations. I drove it brand-new (TDI) from Montreal to Chicago, with mostly highway driving and got a total _average_ of 49 + miles per gallon (4.7 litres / 100km), with peak segments getting 57 mpg. This was mostly at ~70 mph, and without cruise control. I took a little detour for curves and hills while on the trip and yes, the torque and the suspension is impressive. My only quibbles are the interior: my elderly (extremely skinny) dad said that after an hour of sitting the seats were uncomfortable for him, easily solved with a thick extra cushion. However, see my suggested improvements below.

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  I still love my Jetta :) - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sistert - October 10 - 11:36 pm

  This is a follow-up from the initial review I wrote on July 12, 2004 when my Jetta was almost brand new. I have not had any problems with my Jetta thus far. (Ive driven about 26,000 miles.) The gas mileage is fantastic for long road trips on the interstate where you can drive a steady 65-75 mph. I most often drive my car short distances with a stop sign every block and the gas mileage is very low.

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  FARFEGNUGEN - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Prams - October 10 - 3:56 pm

  Great car! Very few problems since off the lot new, now 30K miles. Way fun to drive, starts fine at -30F, load the big dogs, the bikes, the stuff, and go. Get about 30mpg highway, mid 20s city. Havent gone thru any brake pads yet and am overdue for speeding tickets.

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  Eh... - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jon - October 10 - 3:16 am

  A really fun car for the first few years; peppy engine, tight suspension, solid feel. however, since then Ive had recurring problems with the ignition coils, O2 sensor and coolant system. maybe its a poor service department at the dealer where Ive been taking the car, but Ive noticed a drastic decline in performance (acceleration) and fuel economy. plus, dont let the size fool you, these cars are freakin expensive to fix!

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  like it - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By bertly - October 10 - 12:23 am

  Overall good. Great price, mileage. Fun to drive and comfortable. Good road feel and handling. Has a strong and stable feel to it.

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  disappointed - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By posvw - October 9 - 9:14 am

  In June, 2014 I took my 2006 VW TDI with 112K mi to the dealer for a timing belt change. I also needed a fuel filter change. Did I ever get a shock - not just sticker shock! When the service guy first called me it was to tell me my fuel filter was BLACK and that meant my injectors were shot. He also said that with this model, this year car, that there was a 50/50 chance that the cam shaft and lifting arms would need to be replaced. He explained that VW had designed these poorly with dissimilar metals and that they fail. Sure enough - a bill to the tune of $4k. So I sent 2 letters to the VW Customer Care center - Ive never heard I apologize so many times in my life! Run far and fast

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  I love my passat - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By gtrejo - October 9 - 1:42 am

  I got my TDI SEL Premium a month ago. It is just great, I was looking for a family car but I wanted something that was not that flashy that after a couple of years would look dated. In my opinion the passant is very modern but yet is conservative. I expect this car to still look fine in the future. It drives very nice, at every moment you know what is happening around, the steering is precise and it has been very well tuned. The DSG is just smooth and precise. All the controls are well laid out and very easy to read. The seats are supportive and theres a lot of space for both front and rear passengers. The cabin is luxurious. It is difficult to beat the 40-48 mpg Im getting!!

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  The Car is Fun & that is why you buy it! - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By dano - October 8 - 8:16 pm

  Took delivery less than 2 weeks ago, great so far, fun every day. Was approached in the parking lot and asked to put the top down by several folks who loved the show. Great interior, radio. Small trunk and small back seat, so if you need room, buy a Suburban.