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:

• 

  Jetta 1.8Turbo - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By D White - July 8 - 2:00 am

  Great car overall. Could use a little more headroom, but then, I am pretty tall and every car needs more headroom.

• 

  modern time Yugo - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWneverAgain. - July 8 - 2:00 am

  it would be nice if you could be sure about that it will start up, get you safely from place A to B and have relatively cheap parts - the basics! This car aint it. Sensors, windows, numerous electrical problems, burning oil at 60,000, brake wear quickly, slipping clutch...

• 

  TDI Torque - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jedi TDI - July 8 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th VW, 1st Diesel. The Diesel torque is great, it allows me to pass 10MPG SUVs with ease, smiling all the way of course. The car is well built (0 problems so far), responsive, and fun to drive. The fact that it returns greta MPG and low maintenence are pluses. Yes, the oil changes are expensive, but there is little other maintenence required, no Spark Plugs, coils, wires, etc. Would buy/recommend TDI to anyone who wants high low end torque, great MPG and low maintenence. Of course, there is that Diesel clatter at idle, but that is music to my ears. The TDI engine is very quiet at speed, due to the low revs at highway speed.

• 

  My VW CC, 1 year 3 months, 20k, since - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By rsyed10 - July 7 - 6:15 pm

  Ive purchase my 2010 VW CC 2.0L Turbo Sport, 6M, brand new and heres what i have to say. I purchased this car simply because of its appeal and it has been a fun and reliable ride so far. I hadnt had any mechanical issues, just regular oil change, etc. Interior is quiet. Performance and fuel economy is sufficient just above 2k RPM. It has a lot of standard safety features that give me a peace of mind and its one of those cars you just cant ignore. Great job VW designing nice combination of stunning design and sufficient performance.

• 

  Best Bang for your Buck - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By First VW - July 7 - 6:46 am

  My family out grew our SUV and there was no way I was buying a new super- sized suv/crossover. After doing some research, test-drives, and haggling, we fell for the VW. Turns out you can buy the VW with better handling, interior materials, and appeal for a similar price as the Chrysler/Dodge counterpart (and ~3k less than Toyota/Honda). I have owned and been happy with previous Dodge and Jeep purchases, so the fact that its half Chrysler did not bother us.

• 

  Watch out for sludge - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Don - July 7 - 5:03 am

  I love my 03 Passat for its handling and performance. With that said, I have recently encountered the sludge issue. It is a issue that they leave out during the sales pitch. You only encounter it when it is time to change your oil. That is when they inform you that you must use synthetic oil because of sludge build up. My car is less that 4 years old and I have had to rebuild my engine. I followed the instructions from VW to use the more expensive oil and it still occurred before 140K miles. VW offered to give me a new engine, only if I supplied 100% of the scheduled oil change receipts. They asked for 26 and I could only produce 20. Therefore no new engine.

• 

  One Year Later--grin still plastered on face. - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By mjjackson76 - July 7 - 12:54 am

  Ive had my GTI (4dr, manual, 18s) for just over a year, and Im still enamored with the car. Its solid, speedy, handles amazingly well. Yes, could use more power, but I dont need it. Handling is what makes the car so fun. Ride is a bit harsh on bad pavement, but who cares? Buy a couch on wheels if you so desire. Stereo is fantastic but touchscreen is difficult while driving, shifter precise, engine note perfectly tuned and gas mileage good on the highway--26-28mpg on spririted freeway stints at 90mph; 33 best; 13 in city worst. Two issues: brake pad came apart at 4000 miles; rattles from pas. b-pillar at 8800 miles. No big deal--all replaced under warranty quickly. Cant wait for R20.

• 

  Fun! - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By skid - July 6 - 3:10 pm

  I was looking for a hatchback (big change from my pickup). I tested several cars and settled on the VW. The ride and quality impressed me over the competition. The handling and pick up of the manual transimission make this car very fun to drive.

• 

  My first Passat - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By jrichard - July 6 - 1:20 pm

  Only 2 months old, but love the car. Fun to drive. Looks great. No problems yet. the 1.8T with auto has plenty of power. Engine does make alittle noise when under load, but is quiet otherwise. No wind noise to speak of but there is some road noise. Overall love the car.

• 

  A beautiful beast of a car... - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By 9X - July 6 - 10:00 am

  This is pretty much one of the more amazing vehicles Ive driven. Its an attractively designed, well-modeled, performance oriented machine thats ridiculously fun to drive. To top it all off, its boosted. Granted, the turbo isnt huge, but it feels like a kick in the pants and pushes you down the road like you wouldnt believe. Theres not a rice- racer on the road that can take this car, stock. Too sweet. The only car that Ive driven that surpasses this is the Audi S4, but Im not sure the difference is worth another $20k. For a fun, safe, reliable, and above all boostable car, this is definitely worth a very long look.