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:

• 

  CC - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By cal - March 28 - 4:56 am

  Just bought the CC in May 2010. I got the sport model with the 4 cyl turbo. I am pleased so far and have no regrets. The price was reasonable for such a well made car. It certainly is a head turner. I have had several people walk at the way across the parking lot to ask me what kind of car it is and always follow up with how nice it looks. I drove it for a week before my son explained the shift on the fly option. It is nice but would never really be used by me. As mentioned by others, it takes getting used to for the response at throttle start. It almost seems to have a delay. But after driving for a week or so you never notice it anymore. I would buy it again.

• 

  I Love My Eurovan...My Third! - 2003 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By Scott Mastrocinque - March 27 - 11:50 am

  This is my third Eurovan (two 1993s and this 2003) and I have loved them all, but this 2003 is my favorite. The fit and finish of this vehicle is excellent and exceeds anything else out there. It provides wonderful, balanced power. Its solid feel and excellent road manners make this van a true joy to drive. In all honesty, I looked at all of the new vans available to make sure I wasnt missing anything. True, I dont have in-seat DVD players and I couldnt care less. What I do have is SPACE, huge quantities of it and functionality galore. We have enjoyed many road trips in our Eurovans. It defines Farfegnugen! Everybody who rides in my van loves it! Ive gotten 25,000 miles of trouble free operation from this one so far.

• 

  Overall a good buy - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By simms_jr - March 27 - 3:42 am

  A few things that bugs me about the new jettas is the fact they are down grading materials like toyota and honda for example rear drum brakes whats up with that thats what id expect from civic or a corolla not a VW it came standerd all wheel disc breaks up in till now and the premium feel of the dash gone now hard plastic cheper cloth unless you upgrade whats up with that "you get what you pay for."

• 

  No regrets - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Macsimone - March 27 - 1:40 am

  I was looking for a hatchback.I checked several makes. I really liked the GTI. Then tried the TDI Golf. Fuel economy displaced the GTI fun factor. As I was dealing on a TDI Golf I tried the TDI Sportswagen. It just felt smoother than the Golf, so I bought a TDI JSW with DSG. No paddle shifting like on the GTI and TDI Golf, but the extra room, smoother ride and great handling made up the difference, no regrets. I have a MB AMG E55 and BMW 335 hardtop convert, so I have transport options. The JSW gets the most use. It is one of those cars you hop in and just go and go and go. It is getting 45 mpg using D and S and manually shifting when I want more involvement. Diesel $ still less than premium.

• 

  My Third Jetta in Twelve Years - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By A.J. Peterson - March 27 - 1:30 am

  So far my experience has been great. I have had no problems with the car as of yet. My wife kicked the exit light cover off but, I snapped it in place and where the dealer installed the lock box the rubber is turned inward form the holder. I will see how the dealer handles this on the first service. This is my third Jetta, the first one was a 97 GL with a 4cyl. 5- speed transmission, crank moonroof and no power steering but, it did have power windows. My second one was a 95 GLX VR6 and it was loaded with again a 5-speed transmission. Now Ive bought a 06 Spice Red Tubrbo 4 with a 6-speed transmission. I had to get used to the extra gear and driving a stick again. I would have gotten the DSG but, my wife will get an EOS in the fall.

• 

  An Opinion - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By wscott3d - March 26 - 7:13 pm

  Controls somewhat cumbersome, transmission is too tight, shifting can be abrubt. But this cars ride and acceleration are tops. I use mine outdoors often, ability to raise body got me through some tight spots. Also has decent tow ability with its heavy build and motor. the ability to fold seats down allows packing camping gear for 3. When on the road, acceleration in this engine is excellent and mine gives a slight throaty roar during shifts due to the sport gearing. This tranny is DIFFERENT, self shift or select sport gear or just a standard ride. Great city/country car that is reliable.

• 

  Why buy anything else ? - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Randy Jackson - March 26 - 12:16 pm

  47 MPG, A real hoot to drive, and gobs of room for stuff. Great build quality, great, fit and finish, and it looks great! Too soon to say anything about the reliability. Monsoon sound system is really nice. Was looking for a base GL, TDI, 5 sp Man. Not one to be found in TX. I think I got the last 5sp. manual in TX. $5,000 off for slight hail damage & hard negoiating. No trades, my own financing. Scion XB was too small, Ford Focus Wagon was just too vanilla, PT Crusier was going to be it, but I drove this Jetta Wagon later that afternoon. NO WAY was I going to buy the PT Crusier after driving the Jetta TDI. Both 5sp Man.... We will be driving this car 10 years from now, still grinning...

• 

  Pure Pleasure to Drive - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Greg from NYC - March 26 - 11:26 am

  When I was searching for a new car all I knew was it had to be a Japanese product. So I did test drove the Nissan Altima SE V6 (250Hp), Toyota Solara V6, and few others. I was set for the Altima, until I stepped into VW dealership (have previously owned the Passat) and test drove the new 2006 2.0T with the 6-speed auto transmission. This car only has a 4-cylinder engine, but it delivers an amazing 200 HP with the turbo. Everything is great about this car, everything its in the place, great fuel economy, this car is simply a blast. The seats are comfortable (make sure you get a cold weather package - $200), there is almost no turbo lag at all, this car shares the same engine with Audi A3,2.0 FSI. Take it for test drive and see for yourself...

• 

  Unreliable - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By KJM - March 25 - 9:53 pm

  I purchased my first new car ever four years ago hoping to get away from car problems for at least five years and went with the Consumer Reports car of the year. I bought the most expensive Passat wagon with the all wheel drive, and paid for it almost entirely out of my pocket. Since then I have have had several problems with it. Most recently the computer died costing about $2,000. The garage made me wait a week to bring it in. They are the rudest garage ever. They make almost no effort to appese the customer. The last problem I had with really squeaky brakes and they told me it was normal and that bus sdqueked too. I will never buy another Passat.

• 

  BAD EMISSION SYSTEM - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By albertobp67 - March 25 - 7:22 pm

  My 2006 Passat was my dream car in 2006, 40k miles later the engine light came on. $5,000.00 USD later it is still on. I take it to the dealer as required they change a part here and a part there, bill me lots of $$ and 1 to 2 days later the light is on again. Ive had it, I will write to VW the dealer owners and anyone else that might be able to assist in fixing the problem.