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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  Great Car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By alexr - January 21 - 10:00 am

  The Jetta is the best car in its price range and class. Fit and finish are superb, performance is excellent, its fun to drive and its not too expensive for what you get. I love my Jetta!!!

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  Really Fun Car - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Elvis51178 - January 21 - 8:33 am

  I love driving this car, Its really quiet, smooth and pretty quick. Plus this car handles really well. Best of all is the gas mileage. I get about 26mpg all city traffic, and about 29-30 with mixed city/highway driving. The sticker estimated mpg is way low at 21/28.

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  Best SUV on the market - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By STALZZ - January 19 - 8:10 pm

  Great fuel (diesel) mileage. Superior comfort ride. No air whistle noise doing 110 mph from Orlando to Miami. Handles the off road conditions very well. Towing 7600 lbs and it doesnt lose power. Excellent breaking system. And a superior sound system. Great paint job and very comfortable cockpit. The interior dash lights always get noticed. It lights up like a cockpit.

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  The New Jetta TDI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bnegaard - January 19 - 2:00 pm

  I have to say that I probably drove 20 cars and looked up another 30 or more. I set the criteria of 30+mpg city and 40+mpg highway as the baseline and then started looking at what was out there. I spent a good deal of time looking at the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Ford Escape Hybrid. I went to several Honda Hybrid (and Hybrid) websites and what you find are arguments about "HOW" to drive the car to get mileage and "HOW" you are not driving the car correctly when you get less (sometimes low 30s) than advertised. Then I went and looked at some TDI websites. No arguments, just mileage. Thats what I want no nonsense just great mileage inside and outside the city.

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  Turbo Jetta - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By NSPFLD807 - January 19 - 8:20 am

  I traded in a 2004 GTO for for a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T and am not missing the GTO at all. The fuel economy is amazing (avg. 28 city / hwy), the performance isnt too far off the GTO and the insurance savings is great. The bi-xenon headlights are a must (pkg 2). The DSG auto is a little different when taking off from a stop, but the quick shifts make up for it. I have put 1,500 miles on mine so far and have no complaints.

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  A Joy to Drive! - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By jerry - January 19 - 1:50 am

  Id like to get a gas miser to drive, just so the oil exporting countries dont get more money, but I cant give up this ride. I have over 100,000 miles on it and it runs like new. Its never had a tune-up...no plugs, nothing. I change the oil every 5,000 miles; it doesnt burn it at all. The seating position gives me a great view of the road. Its like sitting in a comfortable chair in my living room watching my HD big screen. It should have a popcorn popper built in. Besides being able to see traffic well, it handles like a car not a truck. Its built on a very strong truck frame, solid and secure. I can fold down all the back seats in seconds and put in 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.

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  2010 TDI at 10k - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By factoryguy - January 18 - 4:40 am

  Heres the verdict after 10,000 miles with the 2010 TDI. I had high hopes for this car and it exceeded all my expectations. Mileage is excellent, performance is surprisingly good, turbo lag isnt too bad, handling is precise and predictable, and reliability has been perfect so far (no problems at all).

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  Solid car, just a few quirks - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dmoir - January 17 - 12:43 pm

  This car is my second car and I love it. Outside of annoying issues like power window failure and freeze- happy parking brakes (a side effect of single digit temperatures), this car has been nothing but great. Awesome features like the sunroof and stereo, leather steering wheel, etc. The car isnt fast, but it feels sporty with the 5-speed manual and turns out great gas mileage. Overall a great car, I cant wait to get my next VW!

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  Thunder Bunny Baby - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By j mar - January 17 - 12:36 pm

  The 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit is a wonderful and surprisingly quick, fun to drive car. I couldnt be happier with it.

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  Gotta Love a Bunny Named Hazel - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By marthompson - January 17 - 12:20 pm

  We bought our Rabbit in early July, and have really enjoyed the car. Hazel is named after the main character in the book Watership Down. We like the quality of construction, the fact it accomodates two 6 footers, zippy performance, versatility, value, tiptronic transmission, seating comfort, and outward visability. The car is fun to drive and can enter a highway with confident acceleration. I love this car and would buy it all over again. I would maybe consider the TDI version when it becomes available. While I like the GTI version, I like the inline 5 engine of this Rabbit (a.k.a. Hazel).