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 Ride - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ray - September 8 - 8:58 am

  Great Ride all round

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  Rapid Rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Galileo - September 7 - 7:20 am

  I am a grandmother of five. Drive for pleasure and business. This car is precise, concise and fun. Great turning radii and very responsive. Extremely comfortable seats and easy on the eyes dashboard. I drive a lot of back country roads. The tiptronic offers the fun of a manual transmission and the flexibility of an automatic. I handed my Honda Fit over to one of my kids. The comfort of the Rabbit was impossible to resist. Heated seats and partially electronic, they are easy to adjust precisely. The car feels solid and centered and leaves me fatigue free. I am averaging 26-28 mph and the car is not broken in yet. Sound system is solid and satellite radio subscription is free for a tryout.

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  The Swiss Army Knife / Machintosh of Cars - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nelson - September 6 - 7:13 pm

  My New 2005 Jetta is great. It has every gadget I could want, except GPS. It is definitely a car made to bond with the driver. This car hugs the road on curves. It never feels unstable. Its as spacious as a midsize sedan. I bought the Pkg. 2 and have everything I ever thought Id need in a car and more. It has too many clever standard options to mention. Im 35 years old, and the new body style suits my taste just fine. Its sporty without appearing that Im trying to hold on too tightly to age 19. Im so glad I got out of my gas-guzzling SUV for something smarter. Some say its pricey, but you really get what you pay for. After all, its a German VW!

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  Very Pleased - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Burgstrom03 - September 5 - 10:00 am

  A great car that drives great and is fun.

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  Low-Key and Classy - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Chazworth - September 5 - 8:10 am

  The interior is unbelievably luxurious and has many thoughtful features. The acceleration and handling are top notch. It has taken me several weeks to adjust to driving such a fine car (versus my old 95 Jetta). The interior and exterior design is very conservative and classy. This is a great car.

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  Why buy an A3 - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TampaJES - September 4 - 5:59 pm

  First VW. Switched from owning Mazdas for many years. This car is beautiful with many compliments (red). Fast and fun to drive. Originally going for GTI after renting one, had to have one. But they seemed expensive for what you get and the seats were too tight. Stumbled upon the GLI...sold! My friend just bought an A3. Seems cheap and doesnt drive or handle as good as the GLI. He paid like 10k more!! I have more options. He has real leather versus vtex. Getting 38 on the highway (two road trips). Only complaint is the piano black trim everywhere. Scratches easy as does the instrument cluster glass.

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  fun hatch back,not cheap to tune! - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By hardd - September 4 - 12:50 pm

  I bought my vw gti with dsg last year used with 11,000 miles.I spent most of the first year going from dealer to dealer because the car would almost die taking off from a stop.After weeks in the shop they found the pcv and crank case vent have failed.After the fix my gti runs great I get about 34mpg hwy/22mpg city.I love the 18inch huffs and i have the car lowered with a cold air intake.If you are looking to customize this car parts are not cheap because of the audi built motor. My gti Handles great and runs with car that have a 100hp more. I love the plaid seats and the exter doesnt look to bad for a hatch back.

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  Follow Up - from May 2006 Review - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By christianhoy - September 3 - 10:30 am

  Well, its been 14 years. Bought it new in June of 99 because it was the "futuristic looking concept car that you could drive". The silver beetle really took the cake, spurred on with the commercial "Reverse engineered from U.F.O.s." Now 14 years later, it runs and looks like the day I bought it. I wanted all manual - so I got the GL. Its hauled all kinds of cargo - kayaks, canoes, fish aquariums, metal house roofing, it even tows a small sailboat. Get the factory roof rack. Have it serviced by a knowledgeable dealer every year, and keep up on the maintenance schedule in the owners manual. No Problems, No Issues, just miles and miles of adventure and fun.

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  Its a great car for the price. - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By jmfos - September 3 - 3:03 am

  Its a great car for the money. 2010 sport includes touchscreen radio with SD card slot, ipod(option), blue tooth w/voice control, rain sensing wipers, auto lights, auto dimming rear view mirror. DSG is new this year and is cool. At slow speeds(i think), when you turn the wheel it lights up the outside in the direction you are turning the wheel. Its not the Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) in the VR6 but its kind of cool. You have to test drive it. It drives so much nicer then the Japanese cars. Plus its so much more refined. If you go test drive one, bring your checkbook, because you will want to buy it.

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  Couldnt get any better - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By rob sweat - September 3 - 2:00 am

  After owning several ACURA/HONDA products, (and having my friends follow my lead and purchase several Honda/Acura products) I have made the switch to VW. Tons of character, thoughtful ergonomics, plenty of room, tons of torque, and impressive build quality lured me away from the "Rice Burners". My best friend just bought an RSX at a 5,000 dollar premium. Too generic. The VW GTI 1.8T is awesome. You wont be dissappointed.