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 bang for the buck - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cchamelin - April 16 - 2:00 am

  The build quality and comfort of this vehicle far exceeded my expectations, and cost significantly less than comparably equipped camrys, accords and elantras. In the short time weve had it, weve been very pleased. Engine noise is minimal, the sound system is excellent, and the overall handling is great. When in S mode, the extra responsiveness of the engine is clearly felt. Its like a family sized sports car. Havent tried the Tiptronic mode yet, but cant wait for the opportunity. Though other reviews complain about the hard surfaces of the interior, I found that these were well done (not like cheap American hard surfaces) and were not a step down from the 2010 interior at all.

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  Best Car riding Experience at a low cost - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By pgautam - April 15 - 9:30 pm

  I fell in love with this car the first time I saw it in the dealership where I had visited just see how it looked like. I had seen some pictures of it in website. It offered everything that I needed - leather seats, heated seats, sun roof, music system, elegant interior. Bests of German Engineering at a modest price. The interior looked so elegant and sharp, and it appealed me too much. I bought it on the same day.

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  VW R32 - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By James Dotts - April 15 - 7:00 am

  Car is absolutely amazing! Ive driven Camaros, Mustangs, and Corvettes, but this car blows them out of the water. Fun factor is definitely a 10!

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  Fun to Drive - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ape - April 15 - 6:13 am

  I bought this car after test driving other similar sedans because I liked the driveability and it wanted a manual. I still like the driveability but will not buy another VW for a long time. Ive replaced the distributor cap and coils more than once, replaced the battery a couple times, replaced the ignition switch, and had it stop and need towing at least twice for issues such as the distributor cap. For a long time Ive explained the problems by looking at the cars age and high mileage but after reading other reviews see other owners have had similar experiences. The trim has fallen off both sides of my car and currently all of the gauges randomly drop to zero while Im driving!

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  Excellent Buy for the Money! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Paul - April 14 - 5:36 am

  I highly recommend this car if you are looking for a premium sedan that is fun to drive. With end of the year incentives it is a great buy for the money compared to the Camcords. If you must get the 2007 model, there are many options that were only available with the 6-cylinder engine that you can now get on the 2.0 turbo such as the adaptive bi-xenon lights, homelink, heatable windshield wipers, and dual zone climate control. This is especially true if you want a stick which was basically only offered in a stripped version in 2006. The engine is a well proven 200hp turbo that is also in the Audi product line. Reliability so far has been excellent. I love this car.

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  My VW Passat Stinks - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By mypassatstinks - April 13 - 10:03 pm

  The performance of my Passat is lacking because the turbo lag is huge. It lacks comfort, it really bounces over bumps. Its fuel economy is less than half of the EPA estimate. It is fun to ride in...if you like bumpy a rollercoaster. The interior design is very complicated. You need A roadmap, but the 200 page manual will do nicely. Exterior design...who who needs to see the front or rear while driving. The build quality is poor as well. It has rattles, thumps, and squeaks, not to mention the uneven spaces in the body panels. This car has been extremely unreliable.

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  2006 Jetta TDI -- Best car purchase ever - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gary - April 13 - 3:00 pm

  At the time of purchase in August 2006, ours was one of only 3 remaining Package One models in the area equipped with the 6-speed automatic. The EPA highway mileage rating is 42 mpg, but our best ever was over 48! Though the 1.9 L turbo diesel is rated at only 100 horsepower, it feels to have every bit as much "get up and go" as our 2003 Passat with all that inherent diesel torque. The transmission is flawless and with all of those gears, it knows precisely when and where it needs to shift. The car attracts a fair amount of attention in terms of its refined German styling and its a hoot to drive. The German designers tend to build in a firm ride - not soft or spongy. 40,000 mi. no problems.

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  More Fun and More Room than in an Audi - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By nostatic - April 13 - 1:26 pm

  Ive never owned an "auto" tranny car until my DSG-equipped GTI. I was injured and couldnt work a clutch for a couple months. But I also club race and like control and performance. I also need to haul music gear and my 10 year old son to the beach, etc. This car does all of it and then some. It offers great luxury with the leather, heated seats, and climate control. The 2.0T engine has plenty of punch and the DSG transmission is a chameleon: drive it easy in D, harder in S, or full in manual mode with the paddle shifters. I drove an A3 also (same platform) but the GTI was more fun to drive *and* has more headroom, shoulder room, and more room in the back. I highly recommended this car. My other car is a 79 Porsche 911 that Ill never sell.

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  New Owner 2 day review CC SPORT VR6 - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By sumncguy - April 13 - 11:40 am

  5/7 220lb no problem getting in/out, plenty leg/head room. Drver Seat setting allows ample leg room rear seat rider. Config of the dash controls, 1st glance, easily found/used while driving. Over done interior electronics most I will never use. A good reason to get the warranty. VW should offer VR6 with less fluff. If they did I would have purchased that model instead. Performance/handling quite good both in twisties & on the slab. slow at the starts. Rougher back roads reminded me I was in a smaller car. Performance/steering wasnt inhibited crests/valleys are felt more. Mirror/through window views unobstructed. Ill be back with an updated review.

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  Good Looking Manufacturer Buyback - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Niels Leppert - April 13 - 10:03 am

  Factory Buyback. Our 2004 Touareg was great looking, great off-road (low-range rocks!) but was a miserable experience until the day VW (was forced) to buy it back: The V6 engine is weak and sucks down fuel. My new BMW X5 4.4i gets much better gas mileage. The Touareg had tire pressure monitoring failures from the day we bought it. We had trim and rattle problems, squealing rotors, remote lock/unlock issues, A/C windshield fogging problems, and a wiper blade that flew off in a rainstorm. 23 shops days in under 10,000 miles. After three repeat repair attempts and filing Lemon law, VW tried lawyering out of it until losing the arbitration. PS - I love my new BMW X5...Are you listening, Zieter?