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:

• 

  Great ride! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWConvert - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I drive 75 miles round trip daily and take the kids all over the place. I need only one tank of gas weekly getting 44.5 MPG. The car drives beautifully and is smoother than my last three new cars. The Jetta TDI jumps out of the starting blocks and cruises like a champ. My 17 year old wants to drive it all the time.

• 

  passat 2006 - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By passat - January 27 - 3:03 am

  We drove numerous cars and went with the Passat because it was the best of the bunch.

• 

  2002.5 GTI VR6 6 speed - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Damonspeedster - January 27 - 1:03 am

  Fun car. Bought it from VW in 2002 and have love every mile in it. I installed a set of Eibach sport srings shortly after purchase and that improved the handling and stance. Great gas mileage (if youre driving like Miss Daisy) about 29 mpg, however if you haven fun it drops quick. Lots of power and broad range of torque. Stereo sounds good for a stock setup. Interior in good, but the plastic or rubber on some of the panels are rubbing off. With some suspension mods and really good tires this car will handle better than anything out there. As far as the engine- Is good for front wheel drive. Rated at 201 hp stock. anything over 300 hp is too much for this car. TIRES SPIN

• 

  NO WAY - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By no way - January 26 - 6:23 pm

  Do not buy one of these cars. I have had 4 oil leaks fixed, all under warranty. 2 air sensors replaced - one under warranty the other on me ($400) and a air injection pump ($650). All of that between 37k and 61k. I wear a size 14 shoe and my foot rubs the brake pedal when it is on the accelerator. A very poorly made engine, I have heard the V6 is better. Also the transmission has slipped twice on me in the mountains. The value has fallen so fast that I am upside down in my loan 1.5 years into it. Cant imagine selling it so someone, so Im going to have to eat about 3k on a trade in.

• 

  A dream machine for a student! - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Andrew - January 26 - 1:46 pm

  I had never driven a VW two weeks ago. After the test drive, I was sold. Build quality is amazing. Driving it is a joy. The 2.5 PZEV 5M is no slouch. Much more than "acceptable," well beyond "competent." Not a racecar, but great torque, and amazing responsiveness in all the conditions its been through so far. For the price, I would say that my Rabbit is an amazing blend of performance, comfort, and quality. I cant even describe the feeling one gets while driving it. During the test drive, I just wanted to laugh maniacally. On paper, it doesnt look like much of an edge over the Versa, Yaris, Fit, or tC, other than performance. In person, it feels like a whole new class of vehicle.

• 

  Terrible Gas Mileage - Passat V6 GLX - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By JCrumley - January 25 - 10:36 pm

  I purchased a new 2005 Passat GLX (V6 Auto) in Sept 05. The comfort of this car is awesome. I really like the car but the gas mileage stinks! I get anywhere from 13-15 mpg in the city and 17-19 mpg on the highway. The dealership states the car is OK....all checks out OK...sure, its not them buying premium gasoline and its a far cry from the "EPA avg. of 19 and 26" which is used in their sales speech! With this gas consumption, I should have bought a Tourag...then I could not complain. Most likely I will be getting rid of the car in the near future simply because of the gas mileage.

• 

  Nicks Review - 2006 Volkswagen Golf
  By NickDouglas - January 25 - 7:50 pm

  This car has been a dream. It gets 44 mpg combined and I dont drive slowly. It has more than enough power and great acceleration even with 4 passengers. I am waiting for the warranty to run out so I can convert the car to run on used cooking oil, no Prius can do that.

• 

  3 months and 3000 miles - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By zrickety - January 25 - 5:03 am

  We bought this car a few months ago after looking at many cars. The EOS rocks!! She said, I never loved a car, but I love this one. High praise, believe me. Its a blast to drive. Dr Jekyl when you need to be conservative, Mr Hyde when you want to cut loose. Its early on, but the car has been consistently quick and solid. Future collectible here, would definitely buy again!

• 

  Overall Good - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By chefjeff - January 24 - 9:13 pm

  This is the 3rd vw Ive owned in the last 8 years, the 1.8 is very smooth and quick when matched with the 5 speed tranny. This is like all other vws in the respect that repairs are costly, my best advice is to buy a vag-com scan tool and a breakdown manual and do some of the work yourself, believe it or not a lot of the problems can be fixed quite easily and cost near nothing compared to dealership and repair shop prices. parts are cheaper when boughten online or from auto stores as well.. Ive saved thousands by doing so.

• 

  Completely Unreliable - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By 2002PassatOwner - January 24 - 5:00 pm

  This car looks and rides great, but it is COMPLETELY unreliable. Ive taken it to the local dealership 4 times in the past 6 months, to replace headlight bulbs and a belt, and once for a noise the car was making with the wheels - which cost over $1,500 to replace CV Axles due to "Normal wear and Tear" (which consists of 15,000 miles per year on a 2 1/2 year old car). If you drive +/- 10,000 miles per year, then by all means, buy a Passat. Anything more than that, dont bother. Youll be at the dealership more times than not. I know the service manager at my local VW dealership by name, and thats completely ridiculous.