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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  Jetta is a Great Buy - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta S - October 15 - 1:36 pm

  I leased my Jetta because VW offered a too good to pass offer. I got an S model with roof and wheels. It is a great looking car and I get a lot of compliments on it. It is a lot of fun to drive. I have the 5 spd. and the performance is great. I am a former SCCA road racer and this car handles and drives great. The features this car has at this price point is unbelieveable. It is one of the best cars I have ever owned and there is nothing about it I dont like. Porsche obviously has fixed the problems that VW was known for, and this car is a huge value for the money. I have driven many more expensive cars, but few have more features than this VW. A great buy for the money.

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  Passat Value - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By BILLARAUZ - October 15 - 10:56 am

  This is an under rated car - if you really compare vehicles youll find that for the money this is a superior buy. If you want to go for the brand names go ahead and spend 20-30 thousand more and youll find that you didnt get much more car.

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  Impossible to fix - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Kenneth - October 15 - 8:20 am

  This was a good basic car. However, all of the items meant to make this a luxury car did not work (auto-wipers, auto-AC, etc). I could only get parts at the dealer and only the dealer could work on it. But, even the dealer couldnt fix any of the problems. I sold it with all of the problems that supposedly had been repaired. I did not have a trip to the repair shop cost less than $2,000. From new to sold (including repair costs) I lost approx $30,000 owning this vehicle.

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  Great Car, but Wish I got the Turbo Model - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris - October 15 - 6:03 am

  I purchased my Jetta 2.5 in May, and have been pleased so far. Now, with 6,500 miles on it, the gas mileage is up to 28 mpg on the highway at 75-80 mph. The interior is great quality, but Im a little worried about the lack of heated seats for the winter. Overall, its a very well-built, solid car. The engine has great torque, but isnt as quick to rev as Id like. Also, the 5-speed shifter isnt quite sporty enough. If I had it to do over, Id cough up the extra dough for the Jetta 2.0 turbo with the 6-speed transmission.

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  Bad Decision - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By K Wirth - October 14 - 5:03 pm

  I bought my VW Passat in August and it has been in the shop more than on the road. I have taken the car to all the VW dealerships in my area for repairs hoping that the service center was to blame for the poor quality. The low quality and poor reliability of the Passat have been more than disappointing. Especially when you consider the higher price of the Passat compared to the other vehicles in its class. VWoA has been difficult to work with.

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  Love my Tourey the Touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By demlg - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Love the car -- so much fun to drive. Got the V6 and both my husband and I are more than pleased with the power it has. Looked at BMW X3, Acura MDX and Lexus RX330 and when we compared everything felt that the Touareg was the best value for the money. The gas mileage could be better. Bought the car in 5/04 and at least in our area they were very willing to deal with us.

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  Lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By PassatLemon - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Owning a Passat has been one major headache. The car spent over 40 days in the shop during the first year of ownership. I hope to sell the car before the warranty expires. I will never buy another VW.

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  My first Car - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By laham - October 14 - 10:00 am

  My dad bought me this car as my first one. It is better than any other car we have at home. I love it so much with its cool dark blue color. I love the fact that evem the base GL model had more stnadrd features than the Honda Civic EX which is the top of the line model that we were going to buy.

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  Excellent Safety - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TMack - October 14 - 10:00 am

  After my wife got a new car, a 2001 VW Jetta VR6, I got a little jealous. So when it came my turn to buy a new car I bought a Loaded 2003 VW Jetta GLS 1.8T. Unfortunately I just got into a major car accident on Fathers Day (2004) that ended up totalling my Jetta. And after everything was over, I walked away with very minimal injuries, a little cut on my wrist from the front air bag, and I hit my knee on the dash. All six air bags went off, and this car saved my life. And guess what, Im going to buy another one! Great gas mileage, and a blast to drive!

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  my dealer called me - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By ynotryme - October 14 - 2:08 am

  and told me that he could put me in a 2012 CC Lux for 50 dollars less than I was paying on my 2008 Passat Lux. Both cars are wonderful but the touchscreen stereo not only sounds better with better bass but it has a port for a sd card. the sd card I use is 32gb thats holds over 2200 songs 800 cds. needless to say I no longer have need for SiriusXm or cds. It also has Hd radio and bluetooth for hands free use of your phone. plus it has 3 year free maintenance.