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:

• 

  why poor value? - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By batcycle - May 25 - 1:43 pm

  This is the most reliable car I have ever had. It has all the bells and whistles and then some (besides the lack of a cup holder), great comfort, great gas mileage (30+mpg), and now 63000 miles and counting. Why is it not retaining its value when it is so well rated?

• 

  Mixed Feelings - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By JPel - May 25 - 2:00 am

  This is the first car I ever purchased. I am a first year college student, so the 19 grand I dropped on my new GTI was a lot. I loved it until everything started to go wrong. I have had water in my brake lines (which froze so I could not stop or shift), a broken fuel pump, broken ABS module, broken window mechanism, broken clutch cable, broken dome light switch, and a problem with the door locks. I will never buy another VW unless the company restores my faith in a serious way.

• 

  cute and fun - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By mindfulone - May 25 - 2:00 am

  This car is a great! It is the only sporty convertible I could find that handles well in the snow. The electric top is convenient in that I do not worry about what is inside that someone might take. Another feature I looked for was enough space to pick someone up at the airport and have their luggage and my dog fit at the same time. The trunk is much bigger than the Miata or the BMW which were my other choices. The Cabrio is also much quieter than the others due to the multi-layered top. It is a lot of fun at a fair price

• 

  Jetta GLS 2.0 - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gary2003 - May 25 - 2:00 am

  great car, fun to drive, had no problems so far have 53000 miles

• 

  So far so good - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Stephen Paczolt - May 25 - 2:00 am

  After 1500 mi., this vehicle has been good (keeping my fingers crossed). There are only 2 complaints. First, the sport seats are a bit snug, . My second complaint centers around the disingenuosness of Volkswagen. One of the selling points of this car was that it had a full-sized spare tire. The tire is full-sized all right, but it is a 16 inch tire while the other four tires on the wheels are 17 inch. I feel that VW should have been up front about this instead of giving the consumer the "stealth-silent" treatment.

• 

  Bad Decision - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Amy - May 24 - 2:36 pm

  Bought this car used with only 26,000 miles on it. It has always been very fun to drive and the handling is great (except in the snow). But the reliability is the worst of any car I have ever owned, and I have had some bad ones! The list of problems includes the permanantly on check engine light, replaced fan control unit at 65,000 miles, air bag problems, broken fuel latch and trunk latch, knob for mirrors fell off, broken arm rest latch, steering rack replaced twice, air conditioner went out at 68,000 miles, broken knobs on the stero, some dash lights are burnt out, etc. I could go on and on forever. And NOTHING on the car is inexpensive to fix. It even requires premium gas because of the turbo. Dont make the same bad decision I made.

• 

  Nightmare since Day 1 - 2013 Volkswagen GTI
  By jkaw44 - May 23 - 3:06 am

  I leased my 2014 GTI in February of 2014 and it has been nothing but problems since day 1. My heater did not work properly and my front tire was losing air about every 5 days from the day I purchased it. To make things worse the dealer wanted me to pay to fix so I had to contact customer care. They eventually did pay to have these fix but I have now had 3 more problems since, including having to put in a new water pump twice. I am tired of having to take my car into the dealer every month and this seems ridiculous to me for a car that is brand new. The reliability of this car is very poor and its sad that Volkswagen does not stand behind their vehicles. Customer service has been terrible.

• 

  Cant find anyting to dislike - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By WSZsr - May 22 - 10:16 am

  Very quiet on the highway. Solidly built. Great stereo. Fantastic interior quality. Great paint job. Too soon to tell about reliability.

• 

  Jetta TDI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By alex - May 22 - 2:30 am

  If I try I get close to 850 miles per 15 gallon fill-up (yes, you can squeeze more than 14.7 gallons) in mostly highway driving. The interior is made of quality materials and all features are first-class for a car in this price range.

• 

  Happy 2nd birthday to my Turbo S - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By RRRRRED - May 22 - 12:20 am

  Had the Turbo S for 2 years and havent gotten a speeding ticket yet. The mpg was what I expected, but the appointments came as a surprise. What a thrill to drive. (Wife hasnt driven it yet). The Monsoon w/ cd changer is an exceptional sound system. Quiet, stable and a real zoomer. The heated seats are great in the winter, and the AC blasts you out in the summer. The best VW Ive owned.