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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  STOP the HATE - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mike - September 4 - 4:43 pm

  The 2001 VW Jetta is awesome. It is fast as heck, the interior is awesome, and VW dealerships have great customer service. Its fuel economy isnt great, but thats the only down fall.

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  Good Car, But dont buy it - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By zluan - September 4 - 12:22 pm

  Its rly a good car, but the small problems will make u in trouble, i m going to sell it b4 60k miles.

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  EPA Has Neutered this Car - 2013 Volkswagen Golf
  By bigal11 - September 4 - 10:55 am

  Wonderful build quality, ride, and handling. Uses 25% more fuel than my 01. About the same MPGs as my kids 08 Civic and 12 Elantra GT, which use 15% cheaper fuel. DSG is much nicer than anticipated for a guy who usually only buys manuals, but I dont relish the thought of the very expensive tranny fluid change at 40K miles, notably just outside the free factory service interval. This car is pricey, no doubt. You pay for the structural rigidity and interior finish quality. Fr a long term car it is worth it. Do not trust stated invoice. I paid fifteen hundred under, or twenty five thousand flat after two other dealers dropped out of the bidding. The invoice is well padded from factory.

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  Lemon of a 2000 passat - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By tbond - September 4 - 7:43 am

  I forget how many times this lemon of a car has gone into the shop. Bought used from some person who much be must happier now. "Emissions workshop" several times . Water pump dead at 35k. Heater doesnt work. New head gasket required at 70k. Coolant leak. Radio died. Rear seat cupholder broken. Thousands of dollars in repairs that simply should not be required in the first 5 years of a cards life. Great car to drive but wouldnt want to own one.

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  Jetta TDI wagon - a confusing experience - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nick S - September 4 - 12:40 am

  The vehicle is great to drive. We live in a mountainous area and it eats hills. We can drive from Kamloops to Vancouver in 6th without much problem. It has loads of passing power. Even with hills and high speeds combined fuel use is 6.7 L/100km. That said, vehicle totally failed at 1000km and had to be towed to a VW dealer for repair. The problem was identified as a leaking turbo hose. This was fixed but the engine warning light subsequently came on frequently until the engine computer was "re- mapped". Carpet in rear is coming out from the interior sill and the carpet on the back of the rear seats is falling off. This is all scheduled for repair but is a bit disappointing.

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  Do NOT buy this SUV if you live where the wind blows! - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By geophyz - September 3 - 3:04 am

  I have had my beautiful Touareg for a little over a year. The colour is lovely, I love the leather seats and the basic layout. The car gets good gas mileage and has loads of get up and go. BUT, if you live anywhere that the wind blows do not buy this car. It does not hold the road in the wind and is so light you feel like it is going to blow off the road. I am trading it in for a good old heavy SUV this weekend!

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  expensive repairs - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By FRANK - September 2 - 7:33 pm

  i bought this car brand new. loved the design and the roomy interior. the glx has many options that the 2008 have. the front brakes were very expensive $750 at the dealer and rear brakes $600. the electronics gave me lots of trouble a module failed and cost me $800 and engine light $300.

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  EXCELLENT VALUE in TDI form - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By mtlangley - September 1 - 7:16 am

  Fit and finish is great, as with most german made autos!! Drives like a sports car, but feels like a luxury car on the inside. If your going to buy one you should opt for the TDI it gets real 48 mpg on the highway!! The TDI also comes loaded, the only options I added was moonroof and bluetooth at 1200 extra for both. If your thinking hybrid, take a look at this clean burning diesel (WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR) you wont be disappointed!!

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  Great SUV - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By RVW - September 1 - 1:56 am

  I bought the 2004 model (V8) earlier this year and I love it. Excellent build quality, ride, and interior comfort. I live in Brooklyn and it is still turning heads when I drive it. Only two problem - the Radio/CD player and a quick hood latch issue. The Radio / CD had to be swapped out three times, but this does not surprise me as I had the same exact issue w/ my 2002 1.8T Jetta. I dont know where VW sources their radios/ CDs from, but they need to check build quality or installation. Hood latch was fixed in ten minutes & otherwise a non-issue. Clock also runs fast about 1 min. per week - I always have to reset it!

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  Fuel Filler Issue - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Roady - August 31 - 2:10 pm

  I like my TDI very much but there is an issue with finding a small automotive diesel fuel fill nozzle in rural areas. The big nozzles used at truck stops and most small town gas stations that sell diesel will not fit in the TDI fuel filler opening. When in dire need I have held the big nozzle against (not in) the opening and slowly added fuel. This is hard to do because the truck flow rate is also much higher than the VW can accept - so an overflow onto your shoes is very likely. Because of several bad experiences I always start looking for an automobile diesel pump way in advance of running out. McGyver-types will figure out how to survive but this is something that needs consideration