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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  More than pleased with my New Jetta TDI - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Yves Blanchet - May 23 - 3:56 pm

  I love to drive my Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It is quiet, yet we can feel the road. The interior is beautiful and practical and uses only quality materials. The trip computer is a real pleasure. I liked my previous car which was a Mercedes-Benz C240, however this Jetta TDI takes the crown. I do not know why I would pay more when I have it all with this Jetta at $24,000. I have driven it over 7,000 miles in five months and my average fuel economy is 49.6 mpg so far (yes almost fifty!).

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  Fantastic Car overall - I love my Rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By admission - May 23 - 3:53 am

  I drive mostly city in San Francisco, and it handles the bumps just fine. Zips in and out of traffic. 5sp manual is much easier to manage vs. my old 2000 passat 6cyl. Lacking torque just a bit at the very low end, but you can start from 2mph in 2nd if its flat terrain. Interior materials are fantastic. On mostly city driving with hills, Im getting 17mpg (but its San Francisco). I estimate pure hwy at 29, but I got 30 in my Passat V6. Same passenger volume as in B5 Passat! This is ingenious! On reliability: had valve problem - dealer replaced entire cylinder head, and car was in shop for 3 weeks.

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  this car is perfect until.... - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By hippo1105 - May 22 - 8:29 pm

  I wonder if anyone has this problem. This car worked perfect until last year. The car will suddenly shut down with no reason. It has happened for serveral times now. Since my extended warrenty is still good, they suggest me to bring it back to the dealers. However, the dealers cant find any problem, plus charge me $100 for checking it. I tried to call VW customer couples time and told them the problem. They keep asking me to go to the dealer. Sure I have already paid $100 for it, why would I keep paying VW for their faults. I bought it new from the dealer in 2007. Now they just cant provide any service. What is the point to buy the extented warrenty? No more VW for me!

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  VW=excellence!!!!! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jsonaday - May 22 - 8:05 pm

  this car is the best ive owned.! great amount of power from the 2.5 5cyl. it can be small at times but remember...its a coupe convertible...no car will be big in the back. i hav not had to replace anything except for the brake pads but its the first time for that and i hav and its got 35k miles on it

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  Good Solid SUV - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Bill M - May 22 - 10:33 am

  We have 43,000 miles on the Touareg and still enjoy driving the car. We especially like the quiet solid ride. Handling is shape with good braking. Transmission shifts smoothly in drive drop down to the sport position and the performance gains are note worthy. The power is excellent with a average of 17.5 mpg in SoCal driving. We just replace the front brake at the VW dealer $600 the back brakes should be good for 60,000 miles. The tire were replace at 36,000 miles. The GPS lacks detail but the backup camera make the GPS a fair value. Much better car than the FX45 we traded in. The interior has shown no signs of wear, the heated seats can bake your backside in short order. GREAT SUV

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  What a deal!!! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By trbochrg - May 22 - 10:00 am

  The Passat wagon blew us away on the test drive. We couldnt believe that all of this car was avaialable for the price. We have logged over 5000 miles on it already and it has been great. The only annoying thing is a rattle from the dash. Overall, we are very pleased, the turbo engine is quite peppy, and the cargo area is a great size..

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  Fun to Drive - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By peanut - May 22 - 10:00 am

  This is the 2nd VR6 I have owned and have had many other high performance cars (BMWs etc) but VW seem to build a fun pocket rocket. This car is first class - a real pleasure to drive, well built and excellent value for the price. The only things that would make this even more fun would be 4 motion (like the european version have). The six speed is well suited for short smooth changes and the car handles the power well.

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  go go go diesel - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By chiefreg1 - May 22 - 10:00 am

  I have put 900 miles on in the first 4 days of ownership. First half of tank of fuel got me 47 mpgs and the second half got me 50.5 mpg. Without being broken in I cant wait. Good speed on highway needed to buy radar detector. It seems to like 75 to 85 mph. Vw dealership was easy to work with but would have been nice to see more then a couple of these great cars.

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  Save your $ - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Harry36 - May 22 - 10:00 am

  This car has cost me more money then anyother car that I have owned or what my family has owned. The 19 miles per gallon is a crock. I fill my tank up at least every five days, and I am on the average driving it only 20 miles a day. Save your mony if you think you like it. Looks dont alwasy mean eveything!

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  2003 GLX - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By vam - May 22 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive but Lots of road noise. Comfort is excellent. Bad Triptonic future