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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  Exactly what I wanted... - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nicholas - March 15 - 3:10 am

  The Jetta Wolfsburg was a welcome choice among the many configurations of the Jetta. It has just the right combination of options for the price, and is substantially less expensive than if you put the same option packages on the regular 2.5. The car is adequately responsive in the economy driving mode, but shift into the sport mode and it becomes a MUCH more powerful animal. Living in California, I find the Tiptronic to be especially useful for keeping the RPMs up for easily passing other cars on the many freeway mountain passes. While the last generation body style was more inspired, the current Jettas lack of exterior edginess is more than made up for with its SUPERIOR interior.

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  Mr. Reliable - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gumbo2 - March 14 - 9:37 pm

  Im going on 316K miles with this car and averaged over 53 mpg on my last tank of fuel. Yes, there are flaws in the interior design (cup holders in particular) and yes, its difficult to perform maintenance on it sometimes but how can you find fault with a car that is so reliable? Oil changes every 10K, timing belt every 80K and everything else like brakes, tires, filters, etc., are done simply as reqd. Ive had the clutch, water pump and other components each replaced once but this engine is a beast. Maintenance is certainly more expensive when required but fortunately, I have a local (non-dealer) repair shop that specializes on German cars and that helps keep the bill down.

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  The best car I ever drove as a commuter - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dasautoistgut - March 14 - 7:37 pm

  Its the 2014 S model, 5 speed manual 2.0 L no thrills version of this vehicle. Paid $18,600 new. Because its a manual, it actually is quite spirited even though it only has 115 horse power and not sure about torque, but its a little rocket considering. It has now 70,000 miles on it and I do my own maintenance. Car has had no issues. Its assembled in Mexico, so quality of build will be different from anything coming from Wolfsburg, Germany, but its working great and overall good. I am sure I have the cheapest interior, but its holding up. I am not an oversized XXXXL individual either, so I cant wear out the springs haha. So if you are a normal build person, the car holds up. My mileage is probably around the mid 30s, not bad. Wasnt worth for me to get the TDI, which I owned before this one. Couldnt justify the more cost of a Diesel at the time of purchase in Oct 2013. It looks sharp for what it is and the trunk space is amazingly roomy.

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  Fun to Drive - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mira Mesa VW - March 14 - 5:50 pm

  I have had the car for over a month. I own three other vehicles, a Mercedes sedan, Toyota SUV, and a Nissan van. This car is very fun to drive. Its an excellent commuter car.

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  2010 Routon REL - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By no_more_vws - March 14 - 3:06 pm

  Bought a used (20k miles) one and its nothing but problems. Doesnt start all the time. New battery, new starter...wont start. While in gear and idleing forward it shakes the vehicle. At highway speed it surges like tranny slipping. Rear electric seat stopped working and its rarely used. Sliding door on passenger side makes a horrible noise when opening, was told its fine. Pulls to the right. 2 sets of tires in 40k miles. 3 alignments. I think this vehicle was wrecked and they didnt tell us. Bought one year old from dealer for $29k (less than book value) one year and 20k miles later its worth $19k??? WTF!! still owe $26k. Odyssey is next.

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  Great Fun Car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fredflintstone - March 14 - 10:00 am

  This one is a lease we will buy when over. This has been a great car with only one exception. The break light switch goes bad very quickly and the dealership did want to cover the 3rd one. One quick call to VW customer service and they made the dealer cover the switch. This car handles great and has tons of features that you would have to spend thousands more to get on a BMW, etc.

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  In love - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By herksrus - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Couldnt be happier. It also helps to have the worlds best VW dealer, "Sterling VW".

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  Volkswagen Jetta 2004, four door GL - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By echo - March 14 - 10:00 am

  The Jetta is a wonderful car, it has all the safety features I wanted, along with great style, great preformance, great stereo system, interior comfort, exterior appeal, extremely fun and comfortable to drive, very dependable.

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  Been good for ten years - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By sunman42 - March 14 - 12:26 am

  I realize I probably drive this less than most, being blessed with a 2.5 mile commute (each way), but its gone ten years with no major work due to anything other than stupidity (mine, in barreling into a deep pot hole this year that required a new catalytic converter) or age (the impeller in the water pump broke in two this year, and I took the opportunity to have the timing chain replaced - all small engines need it sooner or later. I have lost no switches or other details, but would have preferred (1) a remote that actually opened the hatchback, rather than leaving it partly unlatched but closed on cold days, and (2) a drivers window that opened a bit faster. Good, safe car, fun to drive

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  Great Car for today - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Mike - March 13 - 2:13 am

  I bought this car with 19,000 miles, trading in a BMWX3. If you drive it conservatively, its comfortable, economical, the hatch makes it versatile and it provides a lot of amenities that you get with more expensive cars. When you want it, the power and handling are terrific. The ride is a bit rough on rough roads but that was expected with low profile tires. I have had owned several sports sedans but always thought the power came at the expense of handling. This car makes a lot of sense and I could not be happier. Finally, one unexpected benefit is the cloth seats which are cooler than leather in the summer sun. The car cools quickly after a stint in a parking lot.