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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  CC - The Peoples Car - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By acabrera10 - June 4 - 6:36 am

  What an amazing car. Fantastic ride, interior, and comfort. A totally amazing experience. VW has a winner here. My wife and I drive the CC and cant help to notice the attention the car gets. On the very first day I got the car, I had 3 people stop me and ask about the car. I went from a Honda Pilot to the CC and what a great move. One word describes the VW CC - AMAZING!

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  Mein Fast Makes Me Smile - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By anam - June 3 - 11:53 pm

  Ive got 2,000 miles on my GTI and she makes me smile! Im 61" and I fit into the car nicely with plenty of space to go around, and still feel Im part of the car. A lot of attention is paid in the finish details like a luxury car. In my shopping stage, it took me awhile to get over the stigma of the VW reliability that I heard from EVERYONE, but after doing a lot of research, the GTI is probably the BEST BET in the VW market. I got the candy white 4 door, and its a beauty! The DSG transmission makes driving an auto more fun than it should be, however it takes time to get use to it, but its a whole new experience. For city livin and city drivin, this is the best practical and FUN car for my needs!

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  2008 Convertible - Fun fun fun - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Belaircarguy - June 3 - 11:06 am

  Bought a beautiful black with cream interior SE model a few weeks ago. Purchased this mainly for my daughters to drive, although I have to admit the old man likes it too! Havent had a VW for a number of years, but they were always a fun car to drive, and this convertible is no exception. The SE comes with a power top, so makes it much easier for raising and lowering the roof. The car has plenty of pep and the Tiptronic 6 speed manual / automatic transmission is a pleasure. I also like being able to set it to "sport mode", where the transmission holds the shift pattern to higher RPM setting. Good handling as a touring vehicle and sure stopping brakes. Great little car!

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  Only car Ill buy - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dean - June 3 - 8:13 am

  In 3 years Ive put 90,000 miles on it. I do not get below 500 miles per tank average 40 mpg city and as high as 58 hwy. There is a relief button inside filler neck of fuel tank to allow more fuel. Ive gone 758 miles on one tank of fuel. Memphis TN to Madison Wi straight! Only problem with it has been glow plugs. Luckly I live in Ca so Im not going to replace them. Other than that, expect to pay $900 every 80K for a timing belt. Im getting ready to have 2nd one installed soon. I will buy a tdi again without a doubt.

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  VDub in Da House... - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Spidey - June 2 - 10:20 pm

  The wife wanted to try something different this time, taking a detour from the domestic norm, and the Jetta sure didnt disappoint! Blue metallic graphite, 6-speed manual tranny, Sport and Protection package, 17" Goal wheels, and the Ipod media interface. Better gas mileage than previous car, $1300 tax credit... even the insurance was less! Whats not to like? When my Honda finally "gives up the ghost", I would love to have one of these, myself!

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  Best car I have had - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Idman - June 2 - 1:10 pm

  Purchased this 06 Model with all the Luxury options available that year. The car had 43k miles but came with a 2yr./24k bumper to bumper warrenty. Included was 90 days Sirius Radio free. This car is out of this world, its by far the finest automobile I have ever owned. Beautiful to look at from any angle, great interior ergonomics, outstanding performance and my gas mileage for combined driving is in the high 20s. The smile never goes away when I am driving this Passat or just looking at it in my driveway. All this praise and I have only had the car for 5 weeks. I would recommend this Passat be on your check out list when looking for a world class automobile.

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  1.8t speed super awesome car - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Scott j - June 2 - 5:36 am

  I picked up this car used from a good friend of mine. This car is SUPER fun to drive. The car corners excellent. Very few mods can make it a very fast little car. Many mods are available for them as well. Such as interior, mine has imported blue Recaro GTI seats they fit right in the car. The car looks extremely sporty inside and out. Fuel economy is excellent as well if the car is driven right itll get above 30 MPG. The blue and red gauges are very very attractive looking as well and give the car and upper class feel.

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  CC Sedan Lux VR6 - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By plee52 - June 2 - 3:19 am

  Love this car except for a couple of VERY annoying things. The main problem is the backup camera and navagation system. My backup camera takes for ever to come on. So to me, it is basically useless. I have had it in to VW 4 times and even called VW Headquarters. They replaced the whole navigation unit and the actual camera itself. NO CHANGE. They said that this was just normal for this vehicle. Only excuse they could come up with. Very sad. I feel helpless because i paid a lot for this feature. Now there is a popping sound in the windshield. I will be in for that eventually.

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  My own toy - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Julian Rojas - June 1 - 1:20 pm

  I went to test drive a Jetta, but just could not resist the temptation of the Passat. The Accord (my other option) looked too standard for my taste, Too many on the road to feel that you are driving your own toy.

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  Very Wronged - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Very Wronged - June 1 - 2:00 am

  What a huge dissappointment. Bad window regulator 200 miles from home, air bag lights, engine light coming on because of new Bosch platinum spark plugs!? Tailights buring out, two radios/CD player, drivers door that rattled, glove box hinge breaking, latch for center console, door trim coming off. The screeching, crunching of the front end... where does IT end? My latest is the intake manifold having to be replaced along with a number of sensors. Thank God for extended warranties. My dealership has been fine.