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:

• 

  Awesome - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Buddygirl - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Awesome car guys. Keep up the good work. Blue lagoon on VW looks awesome. try it out

• 

  i love it - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By gofyourself - June 27 - 2:00 am

  its great but i wish a cd player came stock with the car other then that i love it

• 

  Big fun, small dollars - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By traubenberg - June 26 - 11:03 am

  I just recently purchased my 05 Passat GL and I love it. Its got big-car space with small-car moves. In the first week, I averaged almost 24 mpg - and that included quite a bit of turbo- induced fun. During a recent 50-mile morning commute, I got 27 mpg (3/4 highway, 1/4 city). Thats equivalent to the 02 Accord I had, but this car is bigger, faster and less expensive than the Honda was. Im 63" and being able to comfortably fit behind the wheel and have three full-grown adults with me is a huge bonus. My complaints are minor: hate the hubcaps, the stereo is anemic, miss my sunroof. For the money, I think this is one of the best cars out there. The fit and finish is amazing! Go VW!

• 

  Constantly breaks down - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By chvie06 - June 26 - 7:54 am

  After owning this car for about 2 years, it started giving me problems. I spent over 2,000 dollars within 2 months on repairs before finally getting rid of it. I had to get 2 new batteries (the first one only lasted a year), new alternator, new valves and hoses, turbo cut off valve, battery fuse panel, alternator harness, ball joints, shocks, and new brakes and tires (brakes and tires were understandable, though). Right before I got rid of it, it wouldnt accelerate and wouldnt exceed 5 mph. The sealed system was also frustrating because you couldnt do simple tasks like refill the brake fluid by yourself. You have to take it in to a VW shop and pay for everything.

• 

  Love/Hate my Touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By nathanoh - June 26 - 2:56 am

  3 years with my baby and sometimes I love this truck, and sometimes I hate it. Drives like a monster, raw power, comfortable, luxurious, has been a savior for 3 floods. Electronics are a nightmare, been through 4 sets of tires (almost a grand each time), tons of annyoing recalls. After reading other reviews, I do think it is a dealership issue, as mine has had a loaner car for me every time, and all things fixed have stayed fixed. I have never been without transportation, even when the part I needed took a week. I recommend the Touareg if you have a solid dealership to take care of you and the car, and a nice bit of cash for the expensive maintenance and tires.

• 

  Mileage champ and fun to drive! - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Torlin - June 25 - 11:53 pm

  This is the best car I have owned! The diesel is quick and robust. Drive it on the highway and push it to keep up with the semis and still get 55mpg!! The hatch is a great design, holds my bike for rides. Little details in this base model are great- heated mirrors, excellent stereo, adjustable steering, etc, etc. Get one of these, youll love it!

• 

  Best Passat yet - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Gary - June 25 - 10:00 pm

  I have had several Audis in the past. I would put this on a par with the quality level of the Audi. If it were all wheel drive, you wouldnt know the difference. It feels more solid than my previous A4 Avant...the ride and handling of this new Passat is second to none...extremely happy with the car.

• 

  perfect - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jorge l a - June 25 - 10:00 am

  this is the best car i drive in my life very good power, very good suspencion,the triptronic transmission works perfect, the intirior is very nice and luxury, the air suspencion is the best

• 

  Cute Car - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Cara_14 - June 25 - 10:00 am

  i really enjoy this car, its fun to drive and really cute. Although i did have minor problems , sensors, the a/c smells horrable, drinks a lot of gas, peeling inside the car...all cars have minor problems unless u catch a lemonthen ur screwed, but overall it drives well.

• 

  Lemon Car - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By g_simpson - June 25 - 4:03 am

  At 12,000 miles, the high pressure fuel pump blew up, destroying the whole fuel system. ($7500) That was bad enough for a one year old car, but then it did it again at 23,000 miles. Search the internet for articles about this problem, but VW has covered it up well. The dealer said they fix about 2 per week. The car suddenly lost power going 70 mph on I-5, then died. Just barely made it to the shoulder. Very scary. I hoped the new fuel pump they installed would be a better design, but obviously it was not, since the car blew up again 6 months later- same thing- high pressure fuel pump. We sold the car, and lost $10K. My friends Jetta did the same thing. Big rip off by VW.