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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  Cruise missile - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rico101 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Just got my GLI broken in , and this car is a cruise missile. I look forward to driving it everyday.

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  Dont buy a Jetta - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gordon Williams - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the car for 2 years and have 70,000 mile, 3000 mile oil changes with synthetic etc., the car has been maintained meticulously and its continues to be in and out of the shop for days at a time. The fit and finish is terrible, wind noise (migrating weather striping), window falling down in the doors, tail lights blowing, sunroof breaking, and now the transmission appears to be on its way out. Keep away!

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  Rabbit vs. Mazda3 / Civic / Fit = Rabbit Wins - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By gumpyoldman - July 3 - 9:00 pm

  I test drove a Fit, a Civic, Corolla, Matrix, Mazda3 and a Versa. The Rabbit was by far the most impressive of the bunch. I never though Id own another VW but the Rabbit was far and away the better driving car so one is now in my driveway. Its gas mileage is better than I had expected and it handles really well. It is a great little snow car too!

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  Good mileage, my foot! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DanTheMan2007 - July 3 - 8:46 am

  This is my 2nd Jetta, 3rd VW in all. My 98 Jetta got well over 30 mpg. My 07 averages 18 mpg! Ive been back to my dealership 4 times and they basically tell me too bad. I contact VW Corporate and they told me I have to work with the dealership, and that Corporate has nothing to do with it. Overall, I love the car, except the gas mileage and the lack of power (feels like 4 cylinders, not 5). Im very disappointed in VW on the way they handled this issue.

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  My friends call it a space shuttle! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Moses - July 3 - 6:46 am

  We just traded in my old and tired 98 Olds Cutlass. After my experience with my Cutlass, I swore never to drive anything American (not that Im not Patriotic, but Detroit needs some overhaul). I was thinking of going Japanese but then the Passat got my attention and I do not regret my decision. This car is impressive. Its build quality is top notch. The stuff that you pay extra for in other cars (including BMW) come standard in this car plus much more. The engines power is adequate but is not as athletic as my other car, a 2000 Maxima SE. Part of that could be from the Passats porky 3,800 lbs. curb weight. But then the Maxima isnt loaded with as many safety features and AWD as the Passat. Go buy one!

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  Great SUV...BUT - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jrthomas6565 - July 2 - 8:43 pm

  I really love my Touareg, but have a few issues with it. One, the NAV system is cd based, and my salesman told me DVD based. It cannot locate a lot of places I want to go, and cannot go to a specific address, just in the general "block" of that address. The other thing...no XM or Sirrus radio options. I wanted that option too, and was told it can be done, but NOT. I would not have purchased the vehcile if know about those two items, they were important to me, because of traveling for business a lot! Fuel mil is good, 22 mpg avg, and power is great. Hopefully they will upgrade the NAV and stereo and offer that to previous owners!

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  98 GLX - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vdubn98 - July 2 - 3:20 pm

  The mkIII vr6s are amazing cars. They have lots of power out of the box are fun to drive. The hp isnt that great but the weight of the car makes up for that. the suspension system is flawless, it handles like a sports car. and with the extra back weight of the Jetta, it out performs the GTI, IMO.

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  Whatever you do, dont do it! - 2000 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Vic1896 - July 1 - 11:40 pm

  Purchased a 2000 VW Cabrio from a used car dealership in New Jersey (that was my first mistake as I am a New York resident.) Drove the car off the lot and within 3 miles, check engine light came on. Checked fluids, proceeded with our trip home. Within 10 miles, the cars manual transmission jumps out of fifth gear while going 65 mph on a 4 lane highway. With the dealership closed (and being the car was sold "as- is", we limped home. The 2 hour trip ended up taking nearly 3 hours. Mechanic found the transmission had been replaced but not refilled with transmission fluid. Brand New tranny installed only to find the starter was also malfunctioning. Meanwhile, the check engine light was on.

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  Still Love Driving my CC! - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By toddaspencer - July 1 - 7:44 pm

  Purchased my CC a couple of years ago, used, with 30k miles on it and now have 61k on it. What a treat, every day. I have never enjoyed driving a car as much as I do my CC. Ive had no breakdowns (knock on wood) and have only had to complete maintenance stuff -- which arent cheap but I believe are part of the answer to keeping a great car up and going strong. I always recommend the CC to anyone else who asks about it. Keep up the great work, VW!

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  Electrical issues - poor reliability - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Christian - July 1 - 12:56 am

  My first passat (1998 model) was replaced through the "lemon law" because engine would stall suddenly and the dealer could never solve the problem. This happened a half dozen times, every couple thousand miles on average. I thought I was unlucky, and gave another chance to this second passat. Now, Im well on my way to going to the lemon law again, because of an oil pressure problem that the dealer cannot fix (after three attempts...). This is too much to be a coincidence.