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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  My Jetta Experiance - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By alysa - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I have had 2 Jettas now! I turned my first Jetta in after one year because it was in the shop so often. Always for something different, so I could not classify it as a lemon. My new Jetta (2003) has already been in the shop for faulty airbags. I find that scary, seeing how I drove the car for a full year before they realized the problem. I will never again purchase a VW. I will only recommend this car to people without children. The cars are cute but VW has some serious quirks to work out in their vehicles!

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  I love my Bug! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BugLove - March 26 - 2:00 am

  My New Beetle has been absolutely wonderful. I have driven sports cars all my life, and I dont feel that they truly reflected who I am. They were fast, not very safe, and gas guzzlers. My new beetle however, is reliable, environmentally friendly, and very very cute.

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  Smoothes out the curves - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By rjb - March 25 - 3:50 pm

  Fully loaded - leather/ sunroof, auto/manual, bi-xenon, dynaudio, nav, 18" Detroit wheels (rough riding on all but smooth roads). Sport seats narrow, unless youre very thin. Ive only had the car a week, so I cant say anything about reliability - fingers crossed. Dealer had to figure out how to take off the rear seat headrests for a much more unimpeded view - a little complicated. (Believe it or not, I traded in an 09 Acura TL w/tech. Lovely luxury but too big for me, and I wanted a more fun experience.) GTIs a blast, especially in the curves. It delivers the fun! Big smile. Worth the TL trade. Fairly well appointed interior, considering not a luxury car - looks very good.

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  I love my Jetta! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By webwevr - March 25 - 7:38 am

  I have had my Jetta going on 6 years now. Have just over 60k on it. Regular maintenance has always been done (i.e. oil changes, tire rotations). I just replaced the battery a few weeks ago. My gas mileage has always been great with age. Most fuel efficient automobile Ive ever owned. I previously drove mostly Fords (Escape, Windstar, F250).

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  My experience - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Norma Rubin - March 25 - 7:10 am

  I have 87,000 miles on my 2001 Jetta VR6 wagon. So far I have had the mass air flow sensor replaced, which VW refunded part of the money. And the coil also was replaced, but what really flip me out was that the rear brakes had to be completely replaced at 25,000 miles that cost $1000. I love the way the car performs, but not so crazy with the fuel economy; highway 22 to 25 mpg city 15 to 18. What I dont see other owners talk about is the stereo, I think it is the best car stereo a car manufacturer has installed in a car in its class. I also notice that with this five year old car that the imitation wood trim is cracking and it will need to be replaced

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  Great Car - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Neko - March 23 - 7:26 pm

  I just purchased the gls a month ago and it truly is an incredibly fun car to drive. I love everything about it: the interior design, the blue and red lights, the stereo, huge cargo space, 8 airbags, abs breaks etc etc. The new 4 year warranty is great too. The handling is amazing and it definitely feels and looks like a more expensive car. I had a strange, albeit minor glitch the first week when my alarm started going off by itself at random times whenever i locked the doors. The dealer looked at it, and were a bit perplexed, but think it had to do with the starter (which they replaced). I still am not sure, but hopefully that will be my only problem with the car.

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  fun but flawed - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By cpo - March 23 - 6:36 pm

  My 07 Rabbit is a great car, very fun to drive and handles well. My MAJOR complaint is the brake system wears out the rear brake pads in record time. This seems to be a design flaw, based on my research. My rear brake pads are completely gone after 21,000 miles.

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  Jetta 1.4T TSI - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jared - March 23 - 8:22 am

  I upgraded from a parent-lent Ford Taurus to a Jetta, my first car purchase. I absolutely love it compared to my old clunker. The ride is so smooth, the engine loves to purr, the acceleration is excellent... Theres so many good things to say. I use the Jetta to commute and it handles confidently on the highway for its compact size. It doesnt get blown around by wind and it keeps its smooth composure. The combination of fun and fuel economy (I average 43 on the highway) this car delivers is basically a steal. Theres nothing like German quality!

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  nice car - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By michael - March 23 - 3:40 am

  I love the power- makes the commute to work almost fun.

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  German Greatness, No German Drawbacks - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By Otto - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This car is an absolute blast to drive! Its responsive, comfortable, and perfect for both daily driving and weekend flogging. I got it to replace my college car (2000 Mazda Protege) and it has done nothing but exceed my expectations. The flat torque band makes it both fun and easy to drive, the interior is a wonderful man-machine interface, and the exterior is beautifully sporty without drawing undesirable attention. I have even been fortunate enough to avoid the quality issues associated with VWs. The performance is great but there are definitely faster cars out there like the 07 STI Limited and 10 Mazdaspeed3 I tested back to back with the GTI. Bottom line: test drive one! Youll see ;)