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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  Switch from toyota - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By donnievalens - January 5 - 11:56 pm

  This car had the drivability to almost instantly take me out of the Japanese market over such brand as Honda and Toyota.While those cars are good the VW instantly sets itself apart with the performance and safety features you get as standard equipment, while with Toyota and Honda you have to pay extra for these features. Also the car seems to have a stronger feel to it, not just in the engine but overall the handling feels tighter, there is less road noise, even the doors feel like they actually have some meat to them.Thats probably why it does so well in the crash ratings.Overall I just feel like I got more for my money with vehicle and I look forward to my next one in another four years.

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  Great car, would buy another - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By galluscio - January 5 - 9:10 pm

  I boughtmy 2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS VR6 in early 2004, at the time it had 38,000 miles on it. I now have 65,000 miles, and am pleased to report I am happy with this car. I did have the notorious coil pack failure a while ago, and the cold-glove-box issue, but other than these Ive only done routine maintenance (oil changes, etc).

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  If I listened to what they told me - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Roni - January 5 - 7:53 pm

  Everyone said dont buy one..."Theyre unreliable... Read consumer ratings"...etc. I was overwhelmed with the specifications, styling and detail, appearance and ride. I have owned 3 Jeep Grand Cherokees, a Land Rover Discovery, and few Mazdas. Other choices were BMW X3, Acura MDX, Volvo XC. This car has well exceeded any of them in engineering and detail. I havent owned it long, so I cant vouch for the long-term reliability factor, but I have never liked a car this much. The car is loaded with standard features -- I only opted for the power seat upgrade. There are so many electronic features and controls that I am having to do my homework and read the manual / watch the video.

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  love mpg, hate electronic issues - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By CAgirl - January 5 - 2:33 am

  I have had this car for 4 years and I have had some issues with the dash mpg display, when the car is hot its half faded, the light doesnt come on when I open the door - I have to wack it to get it on and the lights for the temp controls dont come on anymore. I have taken it in to complain about it but each time the techs tell me it was working fine for them,fog lights and headlights burnout fast. I do love the fuel efficiency, I average 37 mpg on the freeway which is great on the wallet. Leather seats little uncomfortable during a long drive. My daughter kicked off the ashtray and elec plug cover with her legs due to center carseat position. I think this will be my last passat.

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  Problems After Warranty Expired! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JaimeJ - January 4 - 9:23 pm

  The first four years that I owned my 2002 VW Jetta I didnt have any major mechanical problems. I havent been super happy with the car in general. I drive a lot for work, and its annoying that the car is loud on the highway. The main issue is that my warranty JUST ran out about two weeks ago and all of a sudden the driver seat adjustments stopped working and my power steering went out last night. I was driving downtown San Francisco and I heard "pop" and then all of a sudden it was like I was driving a dumptruck. I am sure that VW is going to kill me with the charges for this repair. I had planned on keeping this car until it stopped working, but now I may buy something else and never return to VW.

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  Wittle Wed Wabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By kynative - January 4 - 5:40 pm

  Overall, it is a good little car. It has enough power to get you going, though you do have to hammer on it to get a immediate power. It is terribly uncomfortable on longer drives, but you cant expect luxury comfort out of a $18k car. Gas mileage is ok, you can get over 30 out of it when on the highway and doing near the speed limit, if you open it up, it acts like an 8 cyl.

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  Not completely decided yet - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By csxtrader - January 4 - 8:59 am

  I bought my Jetta about 2 weeks ago. I bought an SE with convenience and sunroof. The power is decent, and the fuel economy has been good "right out of the box" so-to-speak. I think it drives like a larger car than it is. I am experiencing a whistle from either the drivers side mirror or a-pillar. Most blogs Ive read suggest that this is kind of common, and with no known fix yet. Well see what my dealership says. There has been some obvious cost cutting compared to previous models. Yes, the price dropped significantly; however, some cust may not be worth it; and may have been things that people would pay a little extra for.

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  Happy in VA - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Dick M - January 3 - 11:40 pm

  I love my Touareg! Ive had it a little over a month, and it does everything as advertised. Whatever problems VW had in the first year seem to have been solved. The V8 is great - nice growl when pushed and strong acceleration. Fuel economy is what I expected - 13 around town, 17 on the highway. For the price of a base Porsche Cayenne S you can get this one loaded. Easy purchase decision.

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  The Perfect SUV - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Steven - January 3 - 11:03 pm

  My VW Touareg is just awesome. It drives like a car on the highway. It hits high speeds with no trouble at all. It is better than a car because it is also one of the best off roading SUV ever made. It is just a great SUV! The V8 engine is lots of fun to drive! It has a great transmission with sport mode, which is great for passing.

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  I love it!! - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By visinew - January 3 - 9:52 am

  I really wonder how smooth feel when driving. I had Infiniti and really happy to change it.