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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  Built the way Mercedes used to build - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By jesichler - October 1 - 2:00 am

  15 yrs. ago Mercedes had the best built cars. Now VW creates "build quality" equal to Lexus, better than BMW, and way ahead of Mercedes. The ride, handling, fit and finish are phenomenal. Gas mileage is an acceptable 16 MPG in mixed driving. The W12 engine is smooth/responsive and the car so well insulated that it glides super quietly along the highway at 70 MPH with engine RPM @2200. I wanted understated elegance and excellent fit/finish and got what I paid for. I strongly recommend this car if you dont worry about "hood emblems" and just want fine quality, design, and function.

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  great car! - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By protijy - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Great all around sport compact. factory upgrades like none other, BBS rims, TT brakes, 6 spd, recaros, lowered sports suspension, ect... I love the car I hate the company VWOA and thier coilpack issues, unhelper customer service and bad dealerships have killed my VW experience next time Ill by an Audi and get the real service.

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  buy this car! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Theresa33 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  The get up and go in this car is amazing. Riding in this car is just like riding in my mothers cadillac, minus the automatic seats. There are a few problems, my glove compartment fell-apart and the top of the shifting knob keeps falling off (nothing unusual), other than those minor details I have had no problems. I would suggest buying a CPO Jetta before buying any new car falling in the similar price range. Bottom line: almost all the comforts of a cadillac with sport and a decent price. Buy this car!

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  No compromises!!! - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By LJWalters - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Fantastic all-around vehicle! The car looks great, its fast enough to be fun to drive (though it might be underpowered compared to competitors) and its very luxurious, which helps enjoying the car on a day-to-day basis. Ive had the car for over 3 years now, lease is almost up and Im even thinking of buying the car b/c its so great for my family & fun for me.

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  Absolutely great car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By velvet - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Easy to drive Economical on gas excellent german craftsmanship many features of mare expensive models

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  Fun/Fancy/Family Car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Family Man too - October 1 - 2:00 am

  I actually have a 2001.5, but little has changed and its a great car! The car looks great, its fast enough to be fun to drive (though it might be underpowered compared to competitors) and its very luxurious, which helps with enjoying the car on a day-to-day basis. Ive had the car for over 3 years now, lease is almost up and Im even thinking of buying the car b/c its so great for my family & fun for me.

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  Im in Love with my TDI - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By yamsTDi - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the car for a little over 2 weeks now and I absolutely love it. The drive is smooth, mileage is great and the turbo gives great performance. Most people think that you need to sit and wait for glow plugs for a couple minutes, that the TDI is loud, and that they stink. ALL NOT TRUE!The interior is great; very comforting. At night the dash glows with the red-blue combination. It looks great! Also, a great resource for TDI information (besides edmunds.com) is tdiclub.com. Check it out and the car. Youll love it!

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  Best Car that has ever been built - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By .Larry Golin - October 1 - 1:10 am

  This car drives like a Mercedes. I holds the road like glue and it is very smooth. The four cylinder turbo acts like its a 6 with remarkable pick up on the highway and plenty of room for packing things. It has very comfortable heated seats with several adjustments for lumbar support. Both front windows roll up and down with a touch of a button once and all the windows go up or down using the outside key. The workmanship is solid.

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  electronic issues - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Heidi - September 29 - 2:53 pm

  Very disappointed in the electronics of my bug - it has had so many "bugs". Ive had the seat belt/airbag sensors replaced, various other sensors, the catalytic converter and every time I get in it theres seems to be some dash light that comes on indicating a problem. The car has 75,000 miles on it and is a lot of fun to drive, but Im not recommending purchasing a Beetle because of the issues it has had. Ive written a letter to the headquarters regarding the issues along with receipts from my repairs. Every time I take it to the dealer they want to charge $80+ for diagnostics. Im at the point now that Im looking to purchase another vehicle because of the problems Ive had.

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  Practical Fun - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By fhohio - September 29 - 12:40 pm

  I decided to purchase the GTI because it is a great combination of performance, practicality, and value. The engine pulls strongly into triple-digit speeds, the handling on the 17 inch rims all season tires is good, though if pushed it displays typical front wheel drive understeer. The ride is firm but not punishing, and the fit and finish are difficult to fault. Fuel mileage has been quite good. Only complaint has been a gear noise while parked with the transmission in neutral, but this seems to be unusual, and has not affected operation one bit.