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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  Unique and $ Pocket Friendly - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dezel - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I like this car, it attracts attn cause its a diesel and people are suprised. I put in some extra features and it almost looks like a Lexus IS300. With the proper care you have a car that will lasts you 300k miles easily.

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  great - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By spilly2 - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Cup holders suck. Great car if you dont like to spend money. Low Deprecation. Nothing for Fuel. Dont like going to the gas station 550 miles pr tank.

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  great package - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By greg_m - March 12 - 10:00 am

  The car is easy to drive: it cruises to the grocery store with Clark Kent modesty but will also roar through the gears, shaming other vehicles with astounding low-end power, smooth high rpm shifting, and assertive turbo boost. Also brilliant in the rain, with excellent wipers all around and top notch defogger and heated mirrors, and it is blissful in the sun with the roof open. The seats are superb, and the cabin exudes quality and forethought. The GTI is a true automobile in world too cluttered with mere cars.

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  Cool car... - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Brad Powell - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car a couple of months ago, so far has proven to be an excellent decision. This is a fast, tight, and reasonably priced car. European design, engineering, make a huge difference with similarly priced Japanese competitors, which have gotten over the years soo boring (they all look the same to me). Fuel economy is good, especially given the fun provided by the mighty 1.8 T. None of the quality concerns in prior reviews have cropped up.

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  A lot of fun for your money - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Passat convert - March 12 - 10:00 am

  My wie and I have had this car for 3 years with no problems and a lot of fun. It is a great long distance traveller, very comfortable, plus its very quick when you need it (merging in NJ ridiculous traffic, fighting your way through NYC). Car does not handle cold morning (anything below 0 degrees F) startups well -- you have to coax it a bit in the deep winter. It handles like a dream -- I can tell you, as a former Ferrari owner, well, no, its not a Ferrari, but the 6 cyl GLS version is very agile for a sedan.

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  Youll Love this Car!! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By elo - March 12 - 10:00 am

  This car has required nothing in the way of service other than a $90 temperature guage replacement, and it still drives feels like a new car. For the basic engine (I went with the bottom of the line 2.0L), it has much more pep than other vehicles in this class. Excellent torque and fast breaking make this a winner. The Moonsoon components are very good performers as stock audio equipment goes, with the exception of the included head unit, which underperform. Very comfortable and attractive interior with a high-quality European feel.

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  Beautiful German Engineering with STYLE! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dan "the Man" Ruskie - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Dont think twice about buying this car. BUY IT NOW!...before the prices go up. Talk about beautiful engineering. Solid feel, quite, and fast as hell. Handles great. Everything about this car exudes quality. Just compare it with the Japanese stuff, you will quickly see there is no comparison. The style is classy, receiving complements from everyone. Before you buy an Asian manufactured car, check out the Passat. You will be so thankful you did!

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  2003 Passat - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By BillG - March 12 - 10:00 am

  My experience has been positive overall, although when I picked up the car one of the speakers was fuzzy & one front tire was not properly balanced. The dealer flatly refused to fix the problems. Im leasing, so I did not escalate the problem to VW of America. This is my second leased Passat and I love it, but would NOT buy it.

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  First 30 days - Flawless - 2012 Volkswagen GTI
  By harlequin1971 - March 12 - 6:35 am

  I purchased my GTI a month ago and have driven it on a few 50+ mile rides and many shorter trips and can say that it has delivered on all the gripes I had with my 08 GLI. Traded out the manual for the DSG and it makes city driving much more peaceful, but the ability to go to the paddles for more spirited runs is just a flick away. The car is quiet - more so than my GLI had been. Getting 24-25 mpg on each tank with mainly city driving. Seems like 33mpg is possible on a road trip if you stay off the after burner. Wish I would have stepped up to the sunroof/convenience package, but otherwise, I am very happy - this one is a keeper!

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  Eos: Goddess of My Goddess - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By Ray - March 12 - 2:13 am

  My wife wanted a convertible. We researched all the models out there and, having owned a couple BMWs, I figured the new 3 with the folding hardtop was a winner. She drove the Mercedes SLK350 and CLK 350, and the VW beat both out in terms of utility and features. The back seat is really functional for grown-ups and purses and packages. The trunk is large with the top up and decent with the top down. It takes up little garage space. And, not even close to broken in, we got 32 mpg on the last tank! (Break it in gently and you will be rewarded!) Excellent quality. Unique. Sweet! A great all-around car that happens to be a convertible!