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 Car - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Simon - January 13 - 7:56 am

  Ive had this car for 9 month and I am very impressed. I used to have a Mazda 3 and it was nothing but trouble... I wasnt expecting much from VW after all their reliability problems but the car has been starting every morning without complaining; even in -20 temperatures... The car is fun to drive, plenty of power and very well built.

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  My other car is a Eurovan - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By John Schank - January 11 - 4:30 pm

  Bought the last one in the area after the CC model introduced. The premium in price and owner cost of the VR6 4Motion "standard" should not be an issue with this car. This past summer test drove and was surprised to reach 100 mph up long grade smoothly and quietly thanks to the high compression VR 6. Now, on the ice, and over slush, the 4 Motion comes into its own. It comes with "noisy" Pirelli P Zeros that become wonderfully silent at high highway speeds, without worry that control will be lost, as with quieter touring rubber.

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  The hottest car Ive ever owned! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Redlinez - January 11 - 10:23 am

  I just bought it on 5/17 and the only thing Im unhappy about is having to wait so long for lunch and to go home! I dont know what it takes for some of you to rate a car highly, but this is the best vehicle Ive owned out of 30. It has unbelievable handling, a superb interior, its full of features, and I got 26 mpg on the first tank. This car has that intangible "right" feel like no other. Its power is an absolute blast, its fun to embarrass other cars that cost quite a bit more. Its suspension tuning is spot on. It has safety features are everywhere. I felt drunk the first few days of ownership. I also considered the Civic Si sedan, but couldnt wait and 129 lb. ft. of torque wont cut it for me.

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  Great Ecomomy Car - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By millervez - January 11 - 4:16 am

  This is the first new car I have owned, and for the most part I have been very happy with it. My only complaints are associated with the build quality, and the electronic features. I had 3 warranty repairs (glow plug wireing, airbag wire harness, rear windsheild wiper wireing). Do you see a trend? The Monsoon stereo stopped working, and I had a glow plug go bad. Total spend to date on repairs, just over $200. I still love this car, despite its little problems. You really cant beat it with anything in its class.

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  rear brakes go fast - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dewayne - January 8 - 8:26 pm

  great sound system

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  Happy Trails - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Gail Ward - January 8 - 7:53 pm

  I have had nothing but postive experiences with my Toureg. It has great pickup and unbelievable handling for such a heavy SUV. Considering I went from driving a BMW 325 Manual transmission Sport Edition to the Toureg those words hold a great deal of weight I think. I like to "drive" a car and the Toureg leaves me with that feeling. It has been completely reliable and the few details that needed to get fixed were promptly taken care of at my dealer. The largest bump in the road was a load, hard downshift from the transmission . That problem a hassince been remedied and all is well.

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  Great car for the value - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By NYattorney - January 8 - 4:40 pm

  I really wanted to reward myself with a hardtop convertible- just wasnt entirely sure which. Once I saw and test drove the Eos, I immediately fell in love. Its the perfect size, picks up fast (thanks to the turbo engine), is the only hardtop with a sunroof, and the style is sleek. The only complaint Ive had so far is since I bought it towards the end of winter, Ive noticed that when it drops below freezing, condensation builds up inside the car and freezes on the windows. The gas mileage is not GREAT, but i guess we should expect that from a turbo engine!

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  Passat 4Motion - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By s0m1sstar - January 8 - 2:13 pm

  I loved my 2001 Volkswagen Passat 4Motion when I first got it, however, there are times now when I would happily sell it if the chance presented itself. Ive tried to have the front alignment done 2 times in 3 months and it still pulls to the right. The dealership cant seem to figure out what the problems is. The gas milage could be better. This car is defniitely not what I would call efficent. Not to mention that my gas milage has drastically decreased over the last 8 months...with no explanation from the dealership on this problem either. The overall quality of the interior leather is good, however, the driver seat is showing noticable signs of wear on the left side where one enters and exits the vehicle.

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  2007 Volkswagen Jetta - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mboggian - January 8 - 1:20 pm

  When I searched for my first new car, I had focused on Honda, as I have had good experiences with Hondas previously. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the VW Jetta. It is small on the outside and big on the inside, theres plenty of space for passengers and storage. Its a lot of fun to drive. The only drawback it has is it gets lower gas mileage than I would like. I can justify this by attributing the lower gas mileage to a heavy car body, which serves as an excellent safety feature.

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  Best VW Ever - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By GYGY - January 8 - 10:00 am

  The 2000 Passat is definitely the best VW ever built. I still love the car after 50,000 miles. Its reliability is above expectations, I only replaced the rear brake pads+rotors at 45k (500$). The car is ageing gracefully, I plan to keep it for at least another two years.