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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  Very Safe and Classy - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Matt - March 30 - 8:13 am

  This car handled great and accelerated nicely. Its engine noise was practically silent and I was able to get 32 mpg on the highway and about 28 mpg average around town. Its leg and head room were ample and the trunk is huge! It is loaded with safety features, I was able to walk away from a head on collision with a van and both cars traveling around 35 - 40mph.

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  Great car . . . BUT - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By volkswagon123 - March 29 - 2:13 pm

  I love my VW Golf Diesel, BUT . . . the navigation system is faulty (tells you to get off the highway before your exit, turn right when you need to go left) and the FM radio song display shows only a few characters at a time (e.g. Jumpi; ng Jac; k Flash). Theres no problem with the display while using satellite radio, CDs or an iPod. I researched both problems with the dealer and also called VW customer service about the FM radio display. They admitted these are problems, so if navigation or FM song display are important to you, then you need to look for a different car.

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  Very nice! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jaidev - March 29 - 1:50 pm

  Traded in my 2001.5 V6 Passat for this car. Excellent build quality. Fun to drive. The tiptronic 6 speed transmission is a marvel of modern engineering. It works better than the manual transmission on my Passat. Fuel economy is also great for a 5 cyl. car. There is no difference in mileage between the manual and the automatic with tiptronic. Although from certain angles it does resemble the Corolla a little bit, if you see it from the front, there is no mistaking the chrome grille.

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  Smartest Decision Ever - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By brenda - March 28 - 5:46 pm

  This is my first VW and all I can say is "wow." Ive always been a a fan of Nissan and Honda but am I ever glad I decided to check out this car. I bought mine in Feb. 06 and have put 8,000 trouble free miles on it. Everything is perfection with this car with the exception of the drivers seat which lacks comfort under the thighs, but Im a short driver so for someone of average height it probably wont be an issue. This car is a real looker and people are always asking "what kind of car is that?" When I tell them its a vw they cant believe it.

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  Love at First Sight - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By falkender - March 26 - 1:06 am

  Traded in an almost new Camry for my luxury model CC. Just had to have one. Have absolutely no regrets. Fun to drive, beautiful and easy on the gas.

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  190k and still hauling! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By mrspeedster - March 25 - 3:00 pm

  I do not know why so many people have had bad luck with this car. bought it at just under 100k miles, put on about 85k in the past 4 years (i drive alot of cross country for my work). Made sure to do a carfax and got it checked by my mech before i signed anything. In my case, the car was religiously taken in for maintenance every 4k miles to a VW dealer (one owner). Seems that the previous owner took care of the major "quwerks" the car had (water pump, cv, alt, vacuum hoses, fuel pump) since i bought it: tires (x1), brakes (x1), oil change (x5), injector service (x1), o2 sens (x1) the only thing annoying is that the dash just started showing 50% brightness, and heated seat went out, eh.

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  Jetta Wolfy Sweet - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JDel - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Well, if you plan on buying a Jetta 1.8T I would highly recommend it with all honesty. Ive put 36000 miles on my Wolfsburg and have never had a problem or felt that I was not in control of the vehicle especially on curves and with highway "pass the bad driver" moments which occur 73% of the time these days. Driving the Jetta is truly an exciting and fun experience everyday and still feels like it did the first day of purchase. Quiet, quick, and comfortable would be an appropriate description. I would be hard pressed not to buy another VW in the future.

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  Bills jetta - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bill - March 24 - 10:06 pm

  This is my second TDI Jetta, I also had a 2001 and my wife purchased a 2003. We have been very satisfied with the car, its performance and reliability. I had 60,000 miles on my other car when I sold it to a friend. This is a great car. If I were to improve it I would make the rear seat leg space larger and I would quiet the interior so you would not get as much road noise.

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  Good car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hellogoodbye - March 24 - 11:46 am

  I own a 2001 jetta and it is very great I love my car and would recommend it to everyone if youre careful and actually take care of your car the inside would deteriorate. If youre also careful the engine shouldnt break nothing should really go wrong unless its something you did or the previous owner did. Also it should come with a cd player or at least mine did. its great reliable and the best car to have

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  Great Car - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tom - March 24 - 2:50 am

  This car is excellent. The quality, fit and attention to detail is great. The reliability is outstanding. Handling great. With 17" tires it sticks like glue to the corners. The car is leading edge producing 134 HP. It uses every bit of energy in the diesel fuel. Temper your MPG expectations, if based on these reviews. The EPA mileage rating is 27/38 and while some are stating solid numbers over 40, those come with caveats. For example, the quality of the diesel fuel. The west coast does not have the true high performance diesel like other areas. These high MPG are obtained on long highway runs. My personal best is 39 MPG. Average commute numbers are 32 MPG (30% city/70% highway).