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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  As good as it gets - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By dkfjakdajekjaf - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Very practical. And a pleasure to drive.

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  wont buy one again - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By used to love vw - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with my 01 GLX VR6 sedan. The biggest and most frustrating problem I have had is everytime I would use my rear defroster, the radio would go complete static. VW worked on this for over a year taking my car in over 10 times and finally this month just fixed the problem after a brand new radio ( that wasnt the problem) and finally a new rear window. The first week I had my new car the snaps that on the mats all broke off, my car wouldnt run one night because it was raining and they had to put new coiling in the engine, the drivers heated seat has not been working, the engine is not smooth and many times "skips".

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  Fun and dependable - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jvoelzow - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, handles great, goes like hell.

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  good car, xcept for the dash buzzing - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By catbox - March 5 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Jetta, the other a 2000 GL. This Jetta could also use another 100 pounds of barite-loaded foam on the floor, door panels and fender wells. Lots of road noise filters in from the super thin (cheap) side windows and windshield. VW could take a lesson from the 1968/69/70 AMC AMXes on this issue. Windshield is already (1year) scratched and hazed and I use lots of wiper fluid. Dealer complaints: did not honor the zero percent financing, although my credit rating is the highest for my salary range. I will probably dump this car to an individual in another year. Im looking at Subarus next time.

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  German Engineering? - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By julse520 - March 4 - 12:02 pm

  I bought this as my first car thinking I was being smart by buying something with good fuel econemy and reliability. I love to drive the car when its working properly.For the first two months or so, she provided me with all of that until one day, during rush hour traffic, the car lost ALL power completely. After that, car SLAMS into gear. Now, the car likes to do that randomly in awful places. The turbo lag on a hot day is ridiculous. I feel like Im going to be killed sometime soon. And also, all the plastic finishes in the interior break. Car is made extremely cheep. Oh yea, german engineering? Its made in MEXICO if that explains the awesome reliability haha

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  What a blast - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By albatem - March 4 - 9:23 am

  Very fun car to own! Great interior and exterior design with all the 20th ae bits. Seats are comfy, but can get hard on long trips, the turbo is fun, but does lag at times. Has some aftermarket goodies (chip, turbo-back exhaust, bov) which help it a bit. The jazzy blue is great and real head Turner. Got many compliments. Reliable car, but had an issue with 2nd gear, but may have been related to driving style. Mpg was okay 20 in city and 26 or so on hwy. Overall fun car less the transmission issue.

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  2013 VW Tiguan - 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By lgpod - March 3 - 11:18 pm

  I love my 2013 VW Tiguan S. Its build with quality, and great design on both the exterior and interior. With the manuel 6 speed transmission, the pick up and handling are excellent, which makes having to use premium gas much less painful. The engine is extremely quite and very responsive. Cargo room could be a bit more generous. Overall a great vehicle!

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  Excellent Performance - 2005 Volkswagen GTI
  By Kevin - March 3 - 10:46 pm

  I realized that I was going to purchase this car about 5 minutes after test driving it new from the dealer. After my typical painstakingly analytical comparisons of the GTI against its competitors, it boiled down to one simple emotion - the GTI was a blast to drive! That factor, and exceptional build quality convinced me to purchase the car. Ive had the car for about 2 1/2 years and have absolutely no regrets!

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  I Love My Passat - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tweetgurl - March 3 - 11:33 am

  I went from a Mitsubishi Lancer to a 2005 Volkswagen Passat. Every time I looked at a Passat on the road, I was envious. Finally, I bought a 2005 Passat that had been a dealer demo so it had less than 5,000 miles on it even though I bought it December 2005. I love my car! It takes some time getting used to, but I enjoy the experience. The ride is fairly smooth and I feel important driving this car. I checked out the 2006 Passat and was appalled at the price. I was able to buy my 05 Passat for thousands of dollars less than the current rate for a new 06 Passat. I dont like the new body style of the 06 Passat, though I do like the chrome in the front. Overall, Im satisfied with my purchase.

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  ride professional - nav amateur - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Paul - March 3 - 11:13 am

  I tested many SUVs and my two finalists were the LR3 and the vw. The LR3 was lots of fun, but the vw had much superior handling. The drive for a vehicle this size is amazing. Not like the 530i I had just left, but much better than anything else I test drove. Still after 8K, it is a great driving vehicle. The gas mileage is very poor. The radio/navigation system is so poorly designed that I need much more than the 700 words alloted. If a fifth grader designed it he/she should not get to the 6th grade. I tried to get to VP Len Hunt in charge of this area, to tell him about the design flaws, but was told he does not take calls from owners. Now I know why this will never improve.