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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  Best of everything - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By m3arctic - March 29 - 3:00 am

  I ordered this GTI with all the options, 18 inch wheels and factory navigation. It is a perfect car. It has plenty of power, build quality and the user interface with the navigation is incredible. The DSG transmision is superb, you can use the paddle shifters or you can let it shift by itself. Either way is just as fun.

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  Well Designed - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By daddde - March 28 - 10:02 pm

  I just purchased the gas model Passat 2.5 SE and have been very delighted with the car. highway mileage has ranged from 36.5 to 39.7 based on travel. Trunk storage is amazing. The seating is comfortable and extremely roomy. I do agree that the stock tires are a bit noisy, but that has nothing to do with the high quality of the car and i would highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  Re Knock Sensor issue - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By lawr9349 - March 28 - 2:53 am

  I have driven 10,000 kms since Sep 2008 and I generally find my Rabbit fun to drive. On 4 separate occasions though I have had the experience of putting my foot on the accelerator and got ZERO response. Fortunately, to date, this has only occurred from idle (ie car was stationary). Having read your review I will take it to the dealership again and ask them to check the Knock Sensor. Thanks

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  Best Car on the Market in The 20K Range - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Scotty D - March 27 - 1:33 pm

  This car is my first diesel and the best value youll ever get in the $20,00 range, especially now with gas prices over $3.00 per gallon. I have had the car for four months. I recently took a road trip of about 280 miles, mostly highway and got an unbelieveable 43.2 MPG! Why does the sticker on the new car say 27 - 38 MPG? I average 34 mpg around town. This car is not lacking in power and built with quality standards. It drives and handles every bit like my 1999 E320 Mercedes-Benz. Now I fight my wife just to drive the car every once in a while. You get an extremely safe car with 6 airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control. Also, the stock stereo systems is like the high end models on other cars. The trunk space is huge!

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  Well, No More German Cars For Me - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By NowAChevyDriver - March 27 - 11:40 am

  My friends family all drove Volkswagens and I thought that this would be an excellent high-performace step, but it wound up being an expensive car that, although drove nicely, continually had expensive repairs. Most devastatingly, my timing belt failed on the interstate before it was even supposed to be *checked*. This was the last straw. I now own a Chevy, have few problems and only need inexpensive parts when I want to fix them.

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  Steering wheel shake - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By shakes1 - March 27 - 7:57 am

  I purchased a slightly used 2013 VW Touareg VR6 LUX approx. 4 weeks ago. Upon driving home from the dealer I noticed that between the speeds of 60 and 75 mph the steering wheel would shake back and forth. This was confirmed over many miles and all types of road surfaces. The car would also pull to the right as well as exhibit a vibration in the seat. The car has now spent 3 weeks at the dealer and after approx. 20 tires and countless road force balancing the issue still exists. VW, in an apparent attempt to limit their liability, is blaming the tires. They now refuse to attempt any more repairs and have told me to pick the car up. They acknowledge the issue to still to be present.

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  Beetle Turbo - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Turbo Beetle - March 27 - 5:06 am

  Third Beetle Ive owned, and all have been superb vehicles. All were bought brand new, and kept trading up. Have had this current Silver Turbo model for 8 years and have never had any serious problems with it. It is used over the last 4 years as a daily driver and between its traction in the winter and its speed/pickup in the summer, the vehicle is probably one of the best ones out there for the dollar. Maintenance is done on the vehicle per specs, and outside of a couple of door dings by jerks in parking lots, the car looks and runs as new. Probably the best value for the dollar car weve ever bought and owned.

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  Excellent Car - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Deadeye - March 26 - 6:00 am

  I traded in a 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning for my Volkswagen GTI and I dont miss it at all. This is the best deal I have ever made.

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  very poor, DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gixxersixr - March 26 - 2:00 am

  i have had nothing but problems with this vehicle, the window regulator will go out, along w/all general electronics on this car. if you are even thinking about buying one of these, email me and i will dissuade you. BUY A TOYOTA OR HONDA!!

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  jetta 1.8t - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By csprakyfly - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I got the jetta 1.8t because of my love of turbocharged engines. If you love performance, this car does a good job. The real performance comes when you get a aftermarket chip for the car, makes it a totally different car. The only thing that has happened to me was some of the stitching for thr front seat that holds the back in started to come undone and puffed out. A quick stop by the VW dealership quickly fixed this and they even got me a rental car. Good job, VW! :-)