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 Imporvment - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dave - April 4 - 10:23 pm

  This is a great vehicle to drive. Its fun and sporty, but also very safe and economic. Great job Volkswagen.

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  Best money I have spent on a car - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By sanderson32 - April 3 - 1:26 pm

  How do you spell fun? E-O-S. Purchased this in Dec of 06, and drive 30K annually. Ive had a set of tires, one engine recall (that fixed a "check engine" light), and a top adjustment. Thats it - other than oil changes. My 13-year old son is waiting for the day he gets this car as a hand-me-down! Tons of fun, great handling, and reliable - what more do you need?

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  Jetta Review - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sskk - April 1 - 8:05 pm

  I read many of the reviews on here, and I thought that some were spot on , yet others were just people that were angry or biased, yet they did not seem to understand the car well. I am not saying that every problem experienced by others were completely false. This car does have some common issues, but all cars do. I figured that I would give my own thoughts in an objective manner. I bought a used neglected 2006 jetta 2.5, and the car turned out to be a great buy. The car had 68,000 thousands miles on it, and it had a few dents big and large scratches; so I was able to get it at a huge discount that was way below blue book value, because no one else wanted her. I found out the car was losing oil, and it had a nasty rear main seal leak. I honestly thought that all hope was last, because I was not going to spend thousands of dollars to get it fixed. As a last hope, I tried STP oil stop leak, and it actually worked. The car has 100,000 miles on it now, and it still runs great. I cannot believe how well this car runs after the abuse from previous owners. I recommend that you find a good mechanic that knows Volkswagens, and I would avoid the dealer at all costs. You just have to shop around. I also recommend to not skimp on scheduled maintenance. German cars break down too. I know a lot of people that will buy VW, because they think German cars are more reliable, then they neglect the car and have problems. Make sure that you understand this car, and the type of oil that it uses before you buy it. If you are the kind of person that plans on neglecting this car, then do not buy it. If you take care of this car, then it will take care of you by offering great fuel economy. It is not special and it still needs maintenance like all others cars. My other vehicle was a range rover, and I bought this car as my gas efficient beater. I was worried that the jetta would be too small on the inside, but it is quite roomy. The car drives very quite and smooth at high speeds. You can comfortably drive long distances in this car and not even feel uncomfortable. After all, it was built for the autobahn. The main advantage of this car, is that it balances performance with fuel quality. I am not saying that it is a sport sedan, but it is not dull and lifeless like the ford focus or some of the other competitors. The leather seats and the interior are also very nice for the price of the car. The car also handled well in the snow, and I am the kind of person that is afraid to drive in the winter without all wheel drive. The main negative with this car is the poor quality paint. The paint scratches very easily, and even when it is washed gently. I am honestly afraid to wash the car because of this issue. This complaint is seen in other reviews as well. Other euro cars that I owned did not scratch as easily. The secondary issue with this car is with the lights burning out earlier than expected. Sometimes, I think this is related to road conditions, but other times I think this has to do with the design of the bulb holder. It seems that it holds the one bulb in tight, but it allows the other one to jiggle a little bit. My tertiary compliant is with the looks of the car. I am not saying that it looks bad, it is just somewhat plain and boring. The jetta drives nice and has decent performance, so it should have some nice looks to boot. It seems that the competition is aware of this, yet VW seems completely aloof. Come on VW, make make the jetta look at little meaner and cooler. After all, sex sells right?

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  Steal - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By dhwhitney - April 1 - 6:53 pm

  Traded in BMW X5 4.8is 2005 and feel this is better in every meaningful way. Similar room and straight line performance with much better interior (I like cloth seats!) and much nicer handling. Interior is tighter and better thought out than my recently traded in 2009 M3 and comparable to my new 1 M coupe! Autostick a concession to being the "3rd car"/wagon so my wife can drive it, but it is really fun in its own way. I look at the many lame cars out there that people pay more than 25K for and shake my head. The excuse I guess is that VW only recently started taking build quality seriously.

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  Great Van - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By routan_lover - April 1 - 3:33 am

  We love this Van. It is roomy, quiet and so comfortable that my little one will fall asleep in minutes right after she gets in the van. We have tried Odysey with too much road noises and dont like the design of sienna. The SEL model is well equipped.

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  Love my new Bunny - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Redbox - April 1 - 3:30 am

  I just got my new bunny a week ago, I love it. It got its baptism, not by fire, but 8 inches of snow. My previous vehicle was an 00 Tracker, 4WD, and I was concerned about not having the 4WD. I was pleased with the traction control, having not driven FWD for years. Very pleased with everything. I currently have 242 miles on a little less than 3/4 of a tank gas. I think the mileage will be fine. In summary, Farfegnugen!! I never thought I would own a VW.

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  The Best One - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Thegooddriver - March 31 - 10:13 am

  I have test-driven and researched different minivans for months before buying one and when I decided to, the Routan came out. At first, I was hesitant for its a Chrysler-made minivan. I test-drove it and find it to be much better and the best for many reasons: it runs very smoothly, the suspensions absorb rough and uneven surfaces on HWYs very well and road noise isnt noticeable at all compared to the Odyssey. It also looks more sophisticated than other minivans. It definitely feels VW. Maybe, with VW and Chrysler combined, you cant go wrong, especially in this century. People nowadays rarely keep their cars for decades, so if for any reason this vehicle wont last, I wont worry.

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  Passat Diesel wagon 2004 - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By sandy P. - March 31 - 10:00 am

  GREAT car, avg 42mpg hwy, 35-36mpg city. Fun to drive, lots of poweer. The only thing I dont like is it doesnt have power seats. This is my first VW and it wont be the last.

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  Fun to drive - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BugOut - March 31 - 10:00 am

  20 months with only a tail light to burn out. Never back to the dealer for any repairs. Highly suggest replacing stock air filter with a K&N for a nice performance boost. I averave between 27 and 30 MPG. The only option I got is the great sounding Monsoon system. With the back seat down there is plenty of cargo room. Trips from MD to FL, and MD to Ont. Canada were very comfortable. The car holds its value well. A lot of fun and safty.

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  Awesome Car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JERRY - March 30 - 9:46 pm

  I loved my Jetta, handled wonderfully, quick acceleration up to third gear. Very comfortable, reliable. Never had a problem, except for cheap watered down gas. Fun to drive. Extremely sturdy. Only reason I dont have it anymore is that an F150 slammed into me. The car was able to get me home, but it was deemed a total loss due to bent frame.