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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  A Real pleasure to Drive. - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mikael - February 14 - 1:56 am

  I really like driving this car. Its styling and performance are just what I was looking for and the price was right too. Ive had the car for four months now and have had no problems at all. I only regret not ponying up for the sunroof/upgraded sound package.

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  Perfect Econo Car - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TDIman - February 13 - 9:16 am

  Although a Jetta might cost a little more going in, with a TDI powerplant, it can last far longer than other low- price, mid-milage cars. I dont know who said 43mpg for the TDI, but Ive gotten over 55mpg. With gas prices going up, who could say no? This is my third diesel VW, and I wont drive a gasoline car again. Performance, awesome pickup, tight brakes, and lots of room to personalize with aftermarket gizmos.

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  4-Motion is KING in snow! - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Steven - February 13 - 8:53 am

  I bought my VW CC with slight hesitation as I originally did not want the VR6 4-motion. What I originally wanted was a VR6 Sport with black or silver exterior w/ navigation. The vehicle that fit my description was not available at my local dealer but they did have a VR6 4-Motion in Iron Gray ext w/navi (64mi on the ODM) with huge discount on the price as they were already getting in MY10s. So I took it. It took me a while to get used to the ext color but I instantly fell in love with the car when winter came with heavy snow. The 4-motion makes driving in Michigan snow weather so easy when I compare it to my previous MY2000 BMW 323i. No slips or ESC/TCS lights blinking...just WONDERFUL!

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  Very good so far - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mikemarcus - February 13 - 2:53 am

  Excellent ride, performance and response. Great looks and interior design. Not very good gas mileage but worth it

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  Its a good SUV except.... - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By David L. - February 13 - 2:23 am

  I was driving a 2011 Chevy Suburban which I loved but I didnt need such a large vehicle anymore and I wanted to get more than 12 mpg. I loved how the new Atlas looked but Ive always heard that you "shouldnt buy the first years edition for a new car model because they need to get the bugs out". I ignored this advice and jumped into a 3-year lease of the SEL with 4Motion. Before I even drove it off the lot, I noticed that there was a gap between the bumper and the grill on the drivers side that didnt exist on the passengers side. The VW staff took some photos that they were going to send to VW Corporate as they thought it was a manufacturing issue that needed to be addressed. I brought the car into the dealership a week later so the issue could be resolved...not a big deal to me. I have now driven the car 2000 miles and here are my thoughts on it. Overall I like the vehicle but I HATE, HATE, HATE the automatic engine turnoff feature that activates whenever the car comes to a stop. The car has an on/off button for this feature on the dash but it turns itself back on every time the car in started. I am hoping that at some point VW will offer an update so the feature can be permanently disabled in the settings. I am guessing that this feature is to help save gas but it is very annoying at times and I tend to feel that it may be a safety issue in certain driving situation...such as when trying to make a left turn across lanes of moving traffic. The on/off feature causes a slight hesitation before the vehicle begins moving again which could be the difference between being involved in an accident or not. If the feature cant be permanently turned off, it would be good if it was deactivated whenever the turn signals were turned on. Another feature I didnt like is the lane departure correction. Depending on the when the painted lines on the road start, stop or swerve, the lane correction feature can quite quickly steer the car to one side unexpectedly. It can be very startling at times and again I feel that it can cause an accident in some situations. Luckily, this feature can be permanently deactivated in the car safety settings...which I did.

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  Wolfsburg Edition = Great Value - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Happy in onnecticut - February 12 - 10:23 am

  For the price of a loaded Civic, purchased a loaded Wolfsburg with a far more sophisticated and powerful drivetrain (engine & transmission). The turbo 4cyl and DSG six speed transmission are the same used in the Audi A3, TT, and A4, as well as the VW GTI and GLI.

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  Great Compromise - Performance and Comfort - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bob D - February 12 - 5:30 am

  Wonderful car (wagon)! Comfortable and fun to drive with real performance when you want it. As a wagon the space is there if you need it and rear passengers have always been comfortable. Why VW stopped making this car is a question Ill never be able to answer.

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  great little car - 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By SRQFL - February 12 - 2:04 am

  i traded a 2004 Z4 for this new beetle convertible as i needed to have seating for 4 people. yes i miss the Z, but this beetle is well built, solid and has the germanic driving characteristics i have grown to love. the car has plenty of pep, easily seats 4 and has exceeded my expectations.

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  Best of Choices - 2008 Volkswagen GTI
  By meatloaf - February 11 - 11:46 pm

  I went to the dealership for a 25k miles revision on my Mazda 6, the same day i test driven the GTI, it was an instant decision. I had the GTI for the past 3 weeks and is totally awesome, great driving experience and a great reason to get up in the morning and drive to work. I also have not used my HD Sporter since.

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  Touareg Rocks! - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By BuilderDude - February 11 - 9:33 pm

  Ive had my 2006 Touareg V6 for a little over a week and I is a great SUV. I test drove every high end sedan and SUV and the Touareg beats them hands down. The quality, ride and comfort cant be beat. Ive also not seen another Touareg on the street since delivery and I love that. Ive owned VWs back in the early 80s and I had forgotten how well they are engineered. Dont by a Mercedes, buy a Touareg.