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 Wagon - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Aurelian - August 4 - 8:33 pm

  This is a great family car. The interior is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the elegant exterior. To me it looks like a car that should be twice as expensive as it actually is. The mileage is very good, close to 40mpg on the highway. The diesel engine performs very well. It is a little more noisy at idle than a gasoline engine, but once you start driving it, you wont notice any more noise than a gasoline engine. The standard features (no extra cost) on this car are numerous. The only options are leather seats, Climatronic (electronic climate controls), and bigger wheels. It is a very well appointed car. Highly recommended.

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  Bittersweet - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mommas Car - August 4 - 2:00 pm

  I have yet to own my Touareg for a full year. I brought it from a VW dealership thinking that it would be as close to as buying it new and I have had to replace all four tires. The front brakes were replaced once and just this passed week I had to have ALL brakes and rotors replace! To fill up my tank its about $90 +/-. My husband drives a GMC Yukon with 4-doors and it cost about the same for his gas! Love my VWs but I think after this its time to move on!

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  Nice Ragtop - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Kayemtee - August 4 - 10:13 am

  My wife chose this car to replace a Sebring convertible. Wanted a clutch again before we got too old. Performance is adequate at best; acceleration reminds me of my old bugs of my youth. Clutch is not as smooth as Japanese cars. Great head and leg room (Im six-two). Very quiet with top up at high speeds (much less wind noise than the Sebring). Heated seats (with five settings) are great! Gas mileage is poor (24 mpg) for a small car with a clutch with weak acceleration. Nice, solid build quality, pretty looking, but it is a chick car. Oil change is very expensive due to synthetic only and a non-standard filter. Trunk holds a lot but small opening. I like the car but glad we lease.

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  Eos Experience to Date - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By spaceinvader - August 4 - 10:03 am

  The 2.0L turbo engine is powerful, but thirsty on fuel. The sports suspension is great on smooth roads, but the car "rattles" and the chassis flexes on other roads that are not flat.. I had a dead battery after two weeks, and the dealer could find no reason as to what caused it. The climate control system failed after three weeks. There was a one week delay in waiting for parts. This car has lots of internal condensation, i.e. window dripping with water. I found the spare wheel well full of water, due to faulty welded joint in the body panels behind the left hand side rear light cluster. My Eos has been off of the road for eight days while the dealer finds / fixes the water problem. VW customer service not interested in my problems.

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  "Ultimate Driving Machine" - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By AudiGuy18T - August 2 - 10:36 pm

  I traded from a 2001 Audi A4 1.8T with Quattro. This Passat beats the Audi out in every way. Tornado red with tan leather! This car is great in the snow with 4 snow tires...as good as quattro..yet it is FWD. The car drives amazing. Since Ive owned it over 1 year and 21,000 miles, ive had to replace the low note horn and an oxygen sensor. The dealership is not the greatest, but there are plenty of places to go for service. I love this car, I get many compliments everywhere I go from people who are 18 to 70! Its a real head turner. I did the APR chip upgrade which boosts the HP to 257hp and the torque to 303lbs of torque.WOW! a Porsche in disguise! Go buy a Passat..you wont regret!

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  First Day of Driving - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tony Maclin - August 1 - 2:06 pm

  Just got the 2008 2.5 170 hp (up from 150) Jetta SE (mid-line) w/ tip. Charcoal with dark "leatherette" with optional sound system package. This is my second VW. I drove the 2007 2.5 manual, and this has substantially better performance. I did not drive the 2007 tip, but I think this runs as well as my old 2000 Passat V6/tip. I looked at the Mistu Lancer, Ford Fusion, and Hyundai Sonata. For my money, this is by far the better buy. The packaging has been changed up, and you get more as standard for the money compared to 2007. Definitely more than "A to B" tranportation. Very classy interior. Cant tell the gas mileage yet, but I will update as I know more.

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  Fantasic Value for the Money - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sabatical - July 31 - 9:06 pm

  There is nothing on the market for $21,000 that compares. Ive owned a 1990 and a 1997 Jetta and they keep getting better. I was worried about not getting the turbo but the 2.5 inline 5 with the manual trans has great torque and performs really well. Ive only had it for 4 months and no problems at all yet. I got the black with black interior and it looks pretty refined. It is hard to justify buying an Audi A4 when the Jetta is pretty similar for $15K less.

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  Satasified - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Happy - July 31 - 4:16 pm

  Since purchased it has meet all my needs. Exceptional mileage, worst 40 mpg best 53 mpg. Just what I was looking for, fells strong drving over bad roads. Comfortable even for 6 footers. Only issue getting to it before my wife. Although it only has 4000 miles if it maintains 80% of what it is now, I will buy a new one again.

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  Horrible Car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Infuriated - July 31 - 10:00 am

  Owned car for 1 year. In shop 5 times for total of 3 weeks. Towed 3 times. Transmission failed and was replaced. Ignition coils failed one at a time & dealer would not replace them all, even though VW knew they were defective. A/C inadequate. Seats uncomfortable. Interior cramped for a "family car." Engine hesitates at rest; then surges forward. A truly awful car. Ill never buy another VW product. Consumer Reports must be on the VW payroll to rate them so highly!!

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  Best bang for my buck - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By criag - July 31 - 10:00 am

  The Jetta will give you a lot of car for a modest amount of money. I have the 1.8T, 5-speed manual version of the vehicle with the sport suspension, sun roof and 17" wheel package. When I bought the car I was looking for a combination of performance and fuel efficiency. The vehicle gets about 27- 28 mpg during my city driving. 180hp under makes the vehicle very fun to drive. The trim materials in the car are above standard for this price range and the mechanical quality is usual Volkswagen, very good. I think one would be hard-pressed to find this combination for the ~$20,000 I paid for the vehicle brand new.