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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  I Love My Bug! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Tracy - February 3 - 11:23 pm

  I just purchased my new Beetle in September and have not had a single complaint about this car since. Compared to my mustang especially, it has great handling on the highway and in the rain. The gas efficencey is wonderful and the pickup is surprisingly fast. The stereo sounds great and it is a very quiet convertible. The ac and heat work great and the heated seats are amazing. I was very weary of purchasing a convertible but Im very happy I did and I have absolutley no regrets! Im very happy I ended up with such a fun, amazing, reliable. and stylish (salsa red w/ black int and top) car!

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  Four Year Follow-Up - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By HtownHeff - February 3 - 2:10 pm

  We are 4 years and 50K miles into our Passat. Overall, it has been reliable and a supremely comfortable highway car. Have has some service niggles: front under spoiler has fallen off a few times, roof gutter came loose, and most recently, drivers side seat heater burned a hole in the seat. Besides this, the feature set of the 2004 now seems a little limited. Despite all this, though, the Passat still proves to be reasonable fun to drive transport for my family.

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  Never thought I would LOVE an efficient car! - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By motoxer913 - February 2 - 9:01 pm

  Im a car nut and I proclaim this THE PERFECT CAR!! The TDI motor #1 is why I love this car. I can drive 600 miles on a single tank, consistent 35-43 MPG at normal speeds. I dont baby my car, I like to have fun while I drive and yet it still gets 35+ mpg. On a weekend road trip it got 43mpg at 80mph. #2 is the Wagon and roof rack. A recent road trip to Steamboat Springs my wife and I had 2 road bikes inside and 2 mtn bikes on the rack plus gear. So flexible!! #3 This car is proof that selling my truck that was costing $300+/month gas was the right decision. I enjoy driving it more, it cut my gas usage by 1/3, and its plenty flexible to transport cargo and toys.

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  Hate it! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By megan_724 - February 2 - 7:40 pm

  Never will I buy a VW again. Ive had to replace the brake sensor twice, all spark plugs, and numerous other "small" repairs that total thousands of dollars. My car dies when I am driving down the road, with no explanation. The interior fabric is crap. The bumper falls off for NO reason. I would never recommend a VW, even to my worst enemy. Whatever you do, buy a Honda or Nissan.

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  Tig is GREEAAAATTTT...... - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Ram - February 2 - 12:03 pm

  Ive officially put 1600 mi on my new Tig, and Im so happy I made the right choice on getting a Tig, it handles so smooth and peppy at the same time. I really wanted the 6 speed manual trans and TDI, but couldnt wait. My dealer told me that they wont be available in the US til next year.

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  2005 Phaeton is Audi/Bentley indisguise - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By bsdtwd - February 1 - 9:48 pm

  Aside from a few switches, lack of auto chestnut covers on front air vents, massage ac/heated seats all the way around and about $80,000 you can SETTLE for an Audi A8L or a Bentley Flying Spur. The Phaeton is amazing. All the above, with soft close doors, a 270 Watt Bose 17 speaker system, a great manu shift tranny w/ AWD makes it a dream car in stealth mode. Best thing Ive ever driven. A True Luxury Rocket. Found a 2005 with 29k miles. Gotta go drive it. Getem before theyre gone. Best Lux Bargain Going. VW should try again with 2013. Sells well in Europe. Bring on the auto bahn.

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  I used to love German quality - 2001 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By Pat - February 1 - 8:43 pm

  Just bought this vehicle-had 10 hour drive to get it (handicap van) now fixing all the electrical issues. I have always loved the German engineering but the asian cars have QC! I am old school, dont think you should have to pay $300 for a key or $300 for an igniter that replaced a $3 set of points - thats "progress?" I guess I know too much about engineering, mechanics, electronics, etc. It must be easy to design products without regard to cost to the client!

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  Perfect in all but an A/C way - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By pekingrick - February 1 - 8:57 am

  I bought my Jetta Sportwagen TDI in May 2011, and now have 99,000 km on it. Ive religiously followed the recommendations for the servicing of the car (only 1 oil can be bought at Pep Boys - at 13.00 per Liter!), but have changed the tires to Nitto Motivos (wow! great tires!), and change my air filters myself. So far - Im on the original ceramic brake pads. Very cool.

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  DPoor VW quality - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By bepilot - January 31 - 10:00 am

  The car has many excellent features - such as ride quality, fuel economy, quiet, quality body construction. It is too bad that the company has poor quality in the electrical system - and doesnt recognize this as a customer concern. The local dealer is also lacking in service capability - waiting up to 6 weeks for a service appointment and expensive pricing on most items.

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  Its my 3-d VW Golf. May be the last. - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By MrBob - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Its my 3-d VW Golf at a row and may be the last. I bought it slightly used, just because I want to have German assembled Golf. And what I find out - each new Golf generation increasing driving fun and loosing QUALITY. So far its a first time when Im considering to buy another car but not Golf5.