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:

• 

  surprising beetle... - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By kathryn - April 1 - 10:00 am

  I also always wanted a beetle, and when they returned a few years ago, I couldnt wait to own one! Its adorable, and the test drive was amazing- how it hugged the road. I love the sound of the engine. I bought a black one, and all was well until...a front headlight burned out after owning it for only 3 months?? Next? A light came on indicating that I could not drive without damaging the engine...most recently? The car died- fine one minute, dead the next. It needed a new battery after 18 months?? Oh- and the other headlight burned out. I do still love the beetle. Would I buy another one? No. Its unpredictible.

• 

  Wish I had the autobahn - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By ad_roper - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Sweet car to drive, absolutely delighted I purchased the passat GLX. I considered the Mazda6, and Altima and after a rigorous test drive the Altima was out of contention. Both the Mazda6 and Passat were delightful on the course but the feel of the VW was better. The standard safety features eliminated the mazda. Highlights: Cruising at 120 using a BMW as a very fast rabbit while having a casual conversation with my daughter without realizing how fast we were flying. I let the rabbit go - there was more play to be had if I desired. Stopping on a dime after traffic came to a dead halt without the slightest hint of danger.

• 

  perfect commuter car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jay Elle - April 1 - 10:00 am

  After waiting for almost 4 months it finally arrived last December. 13000 m on the o. now. Getting 53-56 miles per gallon.

• 

  I like it better than my ML350 and Q5 - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By tvevans1 - March 31 - 11:00 am

  I have about 2000 miles on the vehicle and I am very pleased to date. I hope writing this review doesnt change things! I have owned numerous Audis (A6 and Q5) and still have two Mercedes (M Class and E Class) but this is my favorite vehicle so far. Probably because its my first diesel and I am averaging over 30mph with 70% non-highway and 30% highway driving. The power is awesome and the engine is very smooth. It is unbelievably quiet inside, no road or wind noise. It drives more like a SUV than a crossover but still has a car feel. Steering is very tight, turning radius excellent, handling outstanding. The brakes are good but have a little spongy feel. Not sure on reliability.

• 

  I Love the Jetta III - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By chriscois - March 31 - 4:46 am

  Our 1997 Volkswagen Jetta has been great for us. It is very fun to drive as its the 5-speed. We replaced the front brakes and timing belt at around 90,000 miles and recently had a power window regulator go out that I couldnt fix myself. It is kind of hard to get to all the plugs during a home tune-up, but this is still a good basic engine thats relatively easy to do general maintenance on. This car may have been built in Mexico (or maybe not), but you can feel the good quality German engineering thats gone into it. Its my favourite car of the ten cars that Ive owned in my lifetime!

• 

  VW Touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By joeynh76 - March 30 - 10:20 pm

  The Touareg is a great SUV! The only problem is that VWs maintenance schedule at 40,000 miles requires a tune up ($500). Also about this time the brakes need to be replaced, which means pads, rotors and sensors (again all according to the dealership). That costs about $1,400. New tires about this time about $600 +/- oh yea and the (synthetic) oil change $80 sooo lets see I have to put about $2,500 in to a new SUV...what the heck?! I can buy a used beater for that money! If VW told me I was going to have to pay this price for maintenance..I would have told them to take a long walk off a short pier! I love my VW and have had no problems with it until this 40,000 maintenance but thats just because of the cost.

• 

  VW WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fred - March 30 - 11:00 am

  I beg anyone reading this to please DO NOT ever buy a VW. This car has caused me so much stress. I will go as far as to say it has ruined my life. Buy this car if you want to cough up about $300- $600 every 3 months for repairs. NOTHING is cheap to fix. I have had this car for 5 years & have spent well over $5000 in repairs. You name it, Ive replaced it. Its in the shop AGAIN. I am done with this car. I dont care if I lose money I am going to buy a Toyota or Honda this week. I never thought a car could be such a nightmare. VW customer care was a joke so dont even bother trying to contact them about any problems you may have. They may be cute & fun but they are not reliable at all.

• 

  Amazing Car - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By CPB - March 30 - 2:33 am

  I have driven performance Audis since 1996 (S6 avant, S4, and a chipped allroad). This car compares favorably to all of them. The fit and finish is right up there with Audi at half the price. The gas mileage is awesome. This car handles well and has great performance once off the line. If you need more power, chip it for $500 and increase the HP to 133. I drove the Prius, it wasnt fun to drive and the mileage was not as good (see Autoweeks comparison). The Jetta TDI is comfortable, refined, fun to drive, looks good, is a bargan at $22,000 and gets 40+ MPG when you drive it normally. This is a great car on its own merits and you can feel good about helping the environment by driving it.

• 

  GTI Rocks! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By GTIROCKS - March 29 - 4:16 pm

  Even though Ive only had it for 3 weeks, its an absolute blast to drive! Now I understand V-Dubs "drivers wanted" tag-line. My wife bought a 2005 MkIV in 2/06 and that turned me on to the GTI. The car is perfect and fast as heck. Im 54 yrs. old and have had Cadillacs, an Olds Aurora, Mazda6 (good car) but the GTI is the fastest, best handling car so far. Period.

• 

  Great car - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By phaeton - March 29 - 3:16 am

  I gave my Volkswagen Phaeton V8 ratings of build quality and reliabilty lower marks because the memory settings for seat, mirrors etc are very unpredictable. They dont seem to hold the settings. The dealer is working very hard to train me or fix the problem. My dealer is very good. Every thing else about this car is the best a very nice luxury car. People do notice and say "This is a Volkswagen?"