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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  cant beat the 1.8 - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bwrobert - October 24 - 10:00 am

  1.8t is the perfect engine fit for the Jetta. Great gas mileage and performance. The rear seat is just a bit cramped for adults on long hauls. I love the clean lines and night time blue color display. It is a fun car to drive and feels like a big car on long distance drives.

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  Nice car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By maggy - October 24 - 10:00 am

  The car drives well, plenty of performance and handling. Well designed and built solid, all of the whistles and bells come standard.

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  Great car - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By beetleboi - October 24 - 10:00 am

  The best car I have ever owned

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  My Jetta 1.8t with everything - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Furmanos - October 24 - 10:00 am

  Its awesome! It has all the bells and whistles, the stereo is amazing with an 8 speaker 200 watt amp and the turbo engine just recently upgraded is powerful and lots of fun.

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  Its the Little Things" - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By AngiMen - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this in the end of 2000. Although I find it adorable, this model still needs a little tweaking. I have had problems with the windows (passanger side broke), fuel tank lid, ignition, radio/cassette, oil is used up fairly rapidly and the oil sensor never went on. Will be taking it in for an oil consumption testto see what is up. If it werent for the little glitches this car would be perfect! Its just the little things. Id still buy another one, but a Turbo.

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  Great car, so so gas Milage - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Louanne - October 23 - 5:30 pm

  I traded in my 2001 Passat for this new Passat. Like my other, Im pleased with the handling, low road noise, roominess in the interior and trunk and overall comfort. The only downfall so far is the gas Milage. It touts 24/36. So far Im getting about 21 mph with my gas engine! Quite a disappoint. Overall great car.

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  Great car! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Anonamouse - October 23 - 5:03 pm

  This is a great car! I was torn between the BMW 325 and the Passat. After doing some research I felt that the Passat was a better value. I decided on the Relfex Silver with grey leather and its beautiful. I never thought I would use the heated seats, but now I LOVE them. They stay on 5 everday! What will I do in the summer?

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  Never again VW! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By megaroo1 - October 23 - 4:26 pm

  I really anticipated this being a car I could drive forever (at least to 150,000). Volkswagen has lost a customer. This car was a lemon. A nightmare. Last year I spent 3500 just keeping it running. All the problems everyone else reports are true! Small random pieces falling off everywhere. Cheap interior fabric ripping on, replace ac at only 75,00, break problems, tire wear issues, Burns oil like crazy, failure to shift properly, transmission issues, lots of noises. At 95,000 miles it started blacking out while I was driving, a terrifying experience. Had to cut my losses and let it go. All the while having these problems, the mechanic laughs and acts like I am crazy. Do not buy a VW!

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  New Beetle Convertible - 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dennis Souza - October 23 - 2:16 pm

  Bought this 2009 in 2010. Great price. 30 miles on it. Fast enough in a retro sort of way. Good gas mileage. Nice smooth auto with triptronic shifting. This is my 3rd new beetle. My first was a 2001 new beetle turbo and the other was a 2003 new beetle turbo s. Loved every one of them. This being the best as a drop top. Smooth, fun, and easy handling. Certainly this is not a sports car but never claims to be.

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  08 GTI - 2008 Volkswagen GTI
  By Mark - October 23 - 12:50 pm

  I purchased my 2008 GTI rather than a Mustang. I wanted a sporty, fast car. My decision was made primarily due to increasing gas prices. This wasnt solved since the car runs best using premium fuel anyway. While the car was extremely fun to drive, the ride is stiff but should be expected. Maintenance costs are high as are costs for replacement items such as tires. At 10k miles it needed a 4 wheel alignment. I always drove the car easy, no curb hopping. Sold car at 22k miles due to notification from VW USA of possible problems with the DSG transmissions. Buy the car if you have money to burn on upkeep and maintenance. I went back to Toyotas, no more headaches.