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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  tdi diesel - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By jobyr8 - April 26 - 12:16 pm

  presently suprised about the pickup and speed of the diesel...getting greater than 30mpg. excellent car with a huge trunk and fun to drive...

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  Livermore Jetta - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Joe Barton - April 26 - 10:43 am

  Despite VWs reputation for being unreliable, I am happy to report NO incidents of unreliability in my 06 Jetta during the first 30000 miles.

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  Best In Class - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By jimbolikesvw - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Purchased GLX Sedan 18 months ago, and put on 29K miles. Next month, my wife gets one :o). The car handles great - tight steering, nice pickup while it runs quiet and smooth. The shifting is smooth and shift throw short. I have made many trips to the home deport with this car and have fit stacks of 8 2x4s and 2x6s in it with the rear seat folded down. Power seats are nice too. Build is solid. This car does 100 mph in 3rd gear. It does everything I could want it to do..

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  driver found - 2003 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By eurovan - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I have always loved the design of the current body. It is so european. The design fulls you, as being a mini van, but it is by no way tiny inside like the rest. My first week I took a drive to Yosemite. It handles like a tight sport car, on the winding roads, not top heavy at all. If more people only knew, and only $25,000.00. Take a test drive soon and you"ll see.

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  Solid Car, Fun to Drive - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By JonnyC - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for 3 years and have no problems with it to date. The manual transmission is smooth and fun to drive and it is an extremely comfortable ride for all my passengers. Skip the $$ recommended 40,000 mile tune-up at the dealer and take it to a local mechanic instead. I saved $300 by taking it to a good mechanic who only did the necessary fixes(sparkplugs). Great Car.

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  Bought new 2-2013. Now 9-2016. No problems at all - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Michael Atlanta - April 23 - 7:08 pm

  This has been a great car. I am 45 years old this week, only owned 4 cars prior, 1 Nissan and 3 Volvos. VW Jetta has been great, no issues at all. Very affordable(Volvo out-priced me and stopped selling 4 series). So good that husband bought a 2015 Passat. Husband owned about 1cars since we married 24 years ago. Passat not as good as Jetta, sorry to say. Never had any maintenance issues with Jetta. Only issues are it is sometimes hard to get key out of ignition and sometimes difficult to see out of rear window. Gas mileage exceeds what is printed on invoice.

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  Great real car - 2012 Volkswagen GTI
  By dingol - April 22 - 6:50 pm

  I drive sports cars. I frequently end up selling them due to not being able to use all their power and features on the road. The GTI Gives real world performance. You can utilize all the gears without committing a felony. Well balanced. Powerful but not too much. Power comes on smoothly from about 2000 rpm (when boost is entered) all the way up. No need to keep it up at redline all day. I finally have a car that is comfortable enough to commute in yet still sporty enough to take the twisty way home. If youre a number racer, buy a Ferrari. If you love to drive pick up the gti. Easy real 4 passenger commuter near mini s performance. Corners near red territory.

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  WOW - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Paul - April 22 - 9:56 am

  This is our third Volkswagen, and our second new Beetle. We decided to go with the TDI on this sunflower yellow purchase. Overall the interior and exterior are pretty much the same as our 2002 turbo GLX Beetle, with the exception of the diesel engine. So far the Beetle has lived up to everything that Volkswagen has promised from it. The fit and finish are excellent. For a diesel it is amazingly quiet and is responsive to acceleration. It has surpassed our expectations on mile to the gallon. My fun meter is always pegged whenever I drive either Beetle. I cant say enough good things about the new beetle. Suspension, handling, economy, acceleration, features, fun, it is peerless in its class.

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  Happy Owner - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By logdoc - April 22 - 12:46 am

  With 97,000 miles on this car I still get 35 mpg on the highway. The sound system is great. The only aspect that is weak is the AC which takes a while to get into high gear. This is a 4banger turbo and it will still hit 100 mph when passing. I used to drive a 79 Mercedes 450SEL, but this Passat has so much more going for it.

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  A Week into it, I love my 2013 CC LUX - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By lasubeguy - April 21 - 2:42 pm

  I just took delivery of my new 2013 CC LUX in black oak brown with the two-tone tan/black interior and I LOVE this car! It is elegant, sporty, plenty quick enough for me and beautifully designed both inside and out. I still am astonished at how much people have complained about the grille redesign of the CC. It is relatively minor, and the car still reeks of German style and engineering (and, by the way, unlike the Passat and Jetta, is still made in Germany). It has the tight, "hard" Teutonic ride of a German car, but is also comfortable. The electronics, controls in the cabin and knobs and buttons all feel high quality and operate smoothly. The overall feeling of the car is quite Audi-like.