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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  Disappointed - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sick Of It - September 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my 2nd Jetta and Im extremely disappointed. Cupholders have been replaced twice. Glove box replaced twice. Battery died after 12 months??? Trunk motor went on the fritz, causing the trunk to continually pop open. 02 Sensor issue. Interior seat material does not wear well at all. Brakes needed to be replaced too soon for me. Too many little things for a lease car. Im willing to pay anything to get out of it. Never again!

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  my car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Titus - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had my car for a while now, and the attention to detail that VW has put into the car amazes me everyday. The features theat the car has is great, from heated seats to self adjsting mirrors, to automatic windshield wipers. THE car is perfect, the R6 engine sounds great but it does comsume a whole lot of gas. I average about 20- 25 miles a gallon.

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  Comfort (Yes): Dependable (No) - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Yvette - September 10 - 6:56 am

  I love the feel and ride of the Passat. The ride is comfortable, smooth and quiet. It would be a great car if it were dependable and VW would stand behind the "Warranty". If VW could match the dependibility with the style and comfort of the Passat VW would be unmatched.

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  Great Little Sedan - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Venus - September 9 - 7:46 pm

  I love this car! I admit I wish it had more power like the VR6 but it still has some kick to it. It is my first car and I can honestly say Im hooked on VW design and reliabity. It gives me a sense of comfort as I have not had to repair any thing major (one small thing only). This car has the great styling only a European car can offer without the expensive price tag an Audi has.

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  VW CC is a big mistake - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By joel - September 9 - 6:33 pm

  I have owned more than 20 cars in my life time. This car has been nothing but trouble... it cost me more than 15,000 in service since I purchased it new VW is cheap wanna be german car

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  Summer Fun - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By bnw514 - September 9 - 1:43 pm

  I just got my eos 3 days ago and have been driving top down the whole time. I like when I stop at the store people stare because theyve never seen it before. Then I put the top up, just to give them a show and make them gawk. Then I zip off with the sound of the turbo. Although, 1/2 a mile down the road I have to pull over and let the top back down, just because its a nice spring day. Plus all the guys dig it because it has the turbo. Hope that doesnt get me in trouble because it has more power than any other VW iIhave owned. Trust me, so far, the best car I have ever bought. And this makes #6. It reminds me of a less boxy Mercedes SLK.

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  Blast from the past - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Kathi - September 8 - 5:10 pm

  I have only owned 1 previous VW. It was in 1968. I wanted a new one every since I saw the new design. They just keep getting better. The gas isnt what it use to be, but the quality out weighs that. What a pleasure to have this automobile. Driving it is so much fun. The only thing that I didnt get when I bought it was the wind stopper. Other then that I wouldnt have any other car. I picked the black over the silver convertible because it seemed so rich looking. It is everything I ever could have imagined. I love this car!

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  no longer a vw lifer - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By nyc owner - September 8 - 9:40 am

  Had VWs since I was 16 and loved them all. Grew up, made some money, and went upscale. I loved this car a lot when I bought it. Its no tin can, its a solid car (reminded me of a Mercedes) with a smooth ride. So why did they cheap out on the interior with all the plastic? Then there was the overall durability. Seems that the car cant handle its own weight, and the NYC streets killed the tires and axles. Also, the engine strained to get the behemoth moving, and I learned fast that it did not stop on a dime like a Jetta. Then, the problems. Annoying rattle in dash that VW refused to fix after 3rd attempt, Then the cars 4 faulty ignition coils, ea caused separate trips to dealer

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  It’s not the German VW - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sam - September 7 - 7:33 pm

  Bought this 2.5 Jetta new over 32kCND in Canada in 2006. First class maintenance with VW dealer and paint looks like new. Most of the drive on Hwy and no drive on manual mode. The fact is the transmission slips at gear 3, 4 and then 2 at 192k km (120kmiles). It’ll cost too much to rebuild or replace the transmission (VW quoted over $6kCND +tax replace). I expected to run this VW 250-300k km but only 190k km. So, it’s almost no value now. It is a good looking small VW. Pro: Looks like very well made car even after 10 years. Con: Loudly drive, too much bumping on Hwy. Overall: cost, small, vibration

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  Im in love with my 1st VW and with VW service. - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By perezo72 - September 7 - 4:14 pm

  After a year of researching and testing cars, but avoiding germans, since I always consider them to be out of my budget, I finally decided to give the VW Jetta a try. And oh my gosh! I was so impressed that I bought the car without even do any research on it (I really took a dive on this one) But the reality is, this car feels amazing, I mean, if you drive a Mazda 6, Camry, Honda, Hyudai, Kia, Ford focus, etc... and then drive a Jetta, all you can wonder is, how come this car compete in this class? I love the car! If the reliability is just as good, then this car should be in everybodys garage. Only time will tell. For the time been I have become a VW fan!