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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  JettaTDI - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nalfs - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Primary reason for buying was to avoid semi-weekly gas station fillups as I have a 100 mi. daily commute. Milege is better than advertised. I get 49-52 mpg. Paying dividends now with gas > $2.00 and diesel @ $1.70! It has been extremely reliable, it has never broken down or failed to start, even in subzero New England weather. Never any problems with electrical. Glow plugs had to be replaced once (not needed to start car) and were rather expensive, but you can find them cheap on the internet rather than pay the dealerships insane prices. 135K miles to date and many more Im sure. Great car.

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  My Black Stink Bug - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BMO - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Too many repairs at 45k mi!! Yesterday the drivers side window got stuck down in the door--either motor gave out or window clips broke. Two weeks ago I replaced the battery and also recalled part changed. Already replaced the brakes at 30K. Broken window switches, replaced engine belts, replaced relay sensors for horn to honk again ($500). Peeling interior. Stiff suspension and bottoms out easily. Trunk doesnt always close easily. 6-CD changer doesnt always register. Have a crack in windshield but costs me extra to replace d/t over- size. The worst part is the sucky dealership service. HATE VWs now. Im dumping this thing for a generic but RELIABLE Honda

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  NEVER AGAIN!!!!! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Piperboi - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I had nothing but problems since day 1! The dealer had my car more than I did. I take very good care of my cars, this one just did not see to want to hang in there. my egnition coil, window swithches, brake light switch, temp gage, emergency brake handle, glove box lever, cooling system, power locks, moonroof/shade, and gage cluster all went bad or broke! To replace a headlight you have to go to the dealer!! ($50.00) Breaks are VERY expensive too! I will never own a VW product again! If you are in the market for a bug..THINK TWICE! DO NOT BUY! The warrenty is awful! even with an extra warrenty i bought, i put in $3000 more!

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  Nice Car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By GLK - January 24 - 10:00 am

  This tastefully designed car is built on a stretched Audi A4 platform and utilizes A4 & A6 underpinnings. The interior is seriously lacking in storage space & the Monsoon stereo doesnt have strong bass, but interior quality is first class. Likewise, the exterior build quality is as good as it gets. The turbo 4 is both strong and weak depending on when the boost kicks in. Utilizing this engine to its best advantage takes practice. The driving dynamics are where this car excels as it feels taught, solid, and connected to the road. However, the brake pedal feels a tad mushy. Overall the car offers more panache than its competitors and represents a good value.

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  Good buy for the price - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By richoos - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Very well priced German car when compared against other like models. I have had both an auto and manual, highly recommend the manual for more pick up. Considered buying a 3-series BMW though I did not see the added value in the lower end 3-series for the extra money. The Passat has lighter handling than the BMW, due to not having sports suspension, and you pay for this with slight roll in the coners. For a 100% german car it is great value, especially now Ford have their hands on BMW.

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  shoulda got the pt cruiser - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By sam spade - January 24 - 10:00 am

  when the roof is open it sits too high. it obstructs view of rear view mirror. when roof is closed there seems to be several clunks and rattles every time i go over a bump. the ignition key seems to be in a hard to reach position, makes it hard sometimes to get the key out. rear seat folds out which makes little sense. it should fold the other way to make more room for hauling. the little side doors that open for the roof to close and open seem to be awful flimsly to me.

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  Love it, love, it, love it - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Girl Racer - January 23 - 8:23 pm

  Until a few weeks before I purchased the car, I even didnt know about the car nor seen before. I fell in love with the car right away. Its such a cute car. I get a lot of attention on the road. I really enjoy it. Small car with a lot of power and charm.

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  VR 6 the only way to go - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Justin - January 23 - 5:18 pm

  For what it is its great. Fun to drive it defiantly gets out of its own way and after you hit the apex of a corner just punch it and let the snappy vr6 with traction control launch you through. All the while riding in a rich fully loaded luxury class cockpit

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  No more ICE - 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf
  By Minka vB - January 23 - 11:17 am

  Never go back to internal combustion engine(ICE)!! Electric is here to stay and will get better every year.

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  Worst VW Ive Owned (out of 3) - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dsmark - January 23 - 1:47 am

  Without a doubt this is the worst VW I have owned. Had a 71 Bug in high school and I would rather have that car back then this 2004. We bought this car in 2006 for my wife, she loved the red/black coloring, and the convertible top. Since buying the car we have replaced the water pump 3 times, drivers side headlight keeps going out, convertable top was vandalized (not VWs fault) the power windows dont auto close correctly. Its just one problem after another...I will never buy another VW