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:

• 

  Best of the bunch - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By drlink - June 18 - 11:00 pm

  Drive any other car in this category - BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc. If you can get past the marquee, you will realize that the Volkswagen Phaeton V8 is the best put together vehicle of the bunch. it has perfect fit and finish and comfort on long trips like none other. I hope they dont pull the plug on this fine car.

• 

  It is a really good car - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Hana Kim - June 18 - 6:47 am

• 

  Pocket Rocket - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Morianos - June 18 - 2:50 am

  We bought this car for my wife brand new in 04 I guess. Its been great ever since and VW has stood behind it. My wife hit a curb, VW replaced the wheel and tire free of charge, a slight defect in the paint on the bumper was also fixed no problem. Fast with super gas mileage what more can you ask for.

• 

  I love this car - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Holly - June 17 - 1:13 pm

  This is the best car ever and even if I could have any car in the world I would still want this one!

• 

  Dont Buy the 2.5! - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rgtreste - June 16 - 9:46 pm

  Do NOT buy the 2.5! If you do, you are selling yourself short. I owned one for 8 months before realizing how awful the gas mileage is: 21mpg in the city/hwy. NOT COOL! I traded up for a Wolfsburg 2.0T and absolutely love it, not to mention it gets much better fuel economy. Another thing i didnt like about the 2.5 was the loud engine, especially at start-up, that sound isnt even heard in the new TDI. Another positive note: i drove this car for 12 hours to Fl. and did not feel tired and worn out when i got there. This car is way comfortable.

• 

  "Wow" - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Fan - June 16 - 3:20 am

  Drove 5 hours to DC area to get color combination 5spd I wanted; traded in 07 Civic, best 5 hour drive back Ive ever had! Power, torque & handling are incredible! This is the way a car is supposed to handle! Getting 25 mpg, just like I anticipated the 5 cyl would. This my 8th VW, but have not had one in the last 5 years; this one is the "best of all the rest!"-- Dont need a GTI!

• 

  This car is amazing - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By joshall - June 15 - 10:36 pm

  Ive had this car for almost two years now and still walk outside and smile. I will have put almost 70,000 miles on it when I get to two years (I drive from site to site for work) and have had no issues I couldnt handle myself. While parts are expensive for the car, it is amazingly reliable. It may cost $60 to change the oil or $50 if you do it yourself, but you only have to change it every 8,000 - 10,000 miles because it uses fully synthetic oil. I havent sensed any power loss after all this time and hope to keep this car FOREVER.

• 

  Awesome!! - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By jaime - June 15 - 4:23 pm

  I am happy to write a review on my cc. I needed a car to move around town, I average 120 miles a day commuting. I looked at lexus iseries and bmw 3 series but wanted something different . This car gets so much attention,, everyone says its the prettiest vw they have seen. It is so fun to drive i hardly feel the commute and dont mind getting on the road. It has never given me any mechanical problems and feels as new and exciting to drive even today after over 30k miles. I highly recommend it and plan on keeping it for a very long time. If you enjoy driving a quality car and dont care for flashy brand names and still like to stand out from the rest of the sheep this is the car for you!

• 

  Great Car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By fincher22 - June 14 - 2:40 pm

  A very good value. Compares very well to higher priced entry level autos such as BMW, Audi, MB, and Volvo.

• 

  Love My Beetle BUT....no clearance under - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Rene - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased the beetle three days ago and am quite pleased. Actually the process was so smooth and easy however am disappointed in one feature that seems impossible to alter...clearance under the vehicle. Therefore I feel the dealership needs to make sure the potential buyer understands the cars limitations in this regard. See below....