Home » Car Reviews » Volkswagen
Volkswagen
2008 Volkswagen New Beetle compact coupe2008 Volkswagen New Beetle - enlargeWhen Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 he asked Dr. Ferdinand Porsche to make changes to his 1931 Type 12 car to make it suitable as a vehicle for common people. The car Porsche designed came to be known as the Volkswagen Beetle. And thus Volkswagen translates into English as the "Peoples Car".
Volkswagen is no longer the austere, entry-level brand it once was when the Beetle was their primary product. In recent years, VW has earned a reputation for offering vehicles chocked full of luxury and innovative features at relatively affordable prices. Volkswagen is now the bargain automaker among the German near-luxury and luxury brands. It competes directly with Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Volvo.
Volkswagen's comprehensive lineup starts with the - recently reintroduced in the U.S. - VW Rabbit (MSRP $15,490 - $18,560) coupe and sedan. For those who need a larger, family-oriented four-door sedan there are the VW Jetta (MSRP $16,990 - $22,825) and Passat (MSRP $23,915 - $37,940). The Passat is also available as a station wagon (MSRP $25,115 - $39,140). Volkswagen's entry in the luxury segment, the poor-selling Phaeton sedan, is no longer sold in the U.S., but it is possible to still find new ones in VW dealers' showrooms. Volkswagen's top of the line model is now the Touareg 2 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV, MSRP $39,320 - $68,320).
The automaker also offers several fun-to-drive and fun-to-be-seen-in cars starting with the Volkswagen New Beetle (MSRP $17,365 - $20,440) 2-door coupe and the New Beetle Convertible (MSRP $23,125 - $25,625). The VW EOS "hardtop convertible" combines topless driving with coupe-like, all-weather comfort. For the performance minded, there is the VW GTI MkV (MSRP $22,730 - $24,305) coupe and sedan, the hot VW R32 (MSRP $32,990) three-door and VW GLI (MSRP $24,230 - $25,305) 2.0T four-door sedan. In the future, Volkswagen will likely add the VW Tiguan, a SUV that is smaller than the Touareg. [1]
Volkswagens share engineering, platforms, engines and mechanical components with Volkswagen's sister company, luxury car manufacturer Audi. This means VW products often get much of the performance, luxury and amenities found in the more upscale and expensive Audis, but for thousands of dollars less. For example, Volkswagens have very Audiesque interiors that are more industrial looking and do without the costly wood elements. The VW interiors are hip, yet still is elegant like the Audis', and we like that, a lot! Speaking of interiors, Volkswagens are known for their well-laid-out, user-friendly designs as well as the use of high quality materials, along with excellent fit and finish. (Sometimes we refer to the Passat as the PassAudi.)
Volkswagens ride and drive with the taut feel of the best German-designed vehicles - at least the bread and butter models from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Price-wise, the VW Passat is comparable to similar models from Volvo, Saab and Infiniti. While Volkswagens are designed in Germany, the Jetta, GLI and New Beetles are made in Mexico. The Touareg and Eos are built in Slovenia and Portugal, respectively. [2]
A 2.0-liter, 200-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine is standard in the GLI, GTI MkV, Passats and Eos. The base engine in the Volkswagen Rabbit, New Beetles and Jettas is a 2.5-liter, 150-horsepower five cylinder. A 3.2-liter, 250-horsepower V6 engine is standard in the R32, and optional for the Eos. A 3.6-liter, 280-horsepower V6 is optional in the Passats and standard in the Touareg. And Touareg has two optional engines: a 4.2- liter, 350-horsepower V8 and a 5.0-liter, 310-horsepower V10 TDI (turbocharged direct injection) diesel. But the diesel-powered Touareg doesn't come cheap (MSRP - $59,140).
The automatic transmission in the lower-priced models is Volkswagen's Triptronic, while those with turbocharged engines are often mated with a Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) with Triptronic. The Passat station wagon is available with Volkswagen's 4Motion All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and the Toureg uses 4Xmotion.
Like most European automakers, Volkswagen doesn't offer a hybrid-fuel vehicle, and probably will not in the foreseeable future. Instead, Volkswagen offers several models with excellent diesel engines for the European market. Stay tuned, as Volkswagen may bring them to the U.S. and hopefully to all 50 states, not just the 42 of them that currently allow the sale of diesel-powered passenger cars. When the Volkswagen TDI diesel was offered, it always ranked near the Prius and Honda hybrids for fuel-sipping ability. More than seventy percent of cars and trucks sold in Europe are diesel powered. If you are a long distance, highway commuter, a diesel-powered car may provide better mileage than a hybrid one as hybrid-fuel vehicles see most of their mileage advantage in stop and go traffic under 25 miles per hour. The Volkswagen GTI and Eos top the EPA's fuel consumption rankings in the sports car category, but the require premium fuel. [3]
Volkswagen's first performance-oriented model was the VW GTI - a hopped up Rabbit - that appeared in 1983. Today the GTI tradition carries on with the latest GTI MkV powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that comes in both three- and five-door forms. For those that want the ultimate Volkswagen, there is the VW R32, with its 3.2-liter, 250-horsepower V6 and all-wheel-drive - and we've never understood why these VW hot rods aren't more popular with the tuner generation for use as project cars.
Volkswagen earned its reputation for reliability, or maybe its easy-to-fix-when-things-broke characteristics, with the iconic Beetle. Unfortunately, its follow-on models like the 411/412, Rabbit and early Jetta had less than sterling reliability records. This has definitely changed for the better. Looking at Auto Information Services (AIS) data, five of the 2004 Volkswagen models rated had 5 out of 5 ratings, the best. [4]
Unfortunately, Volkswagens do not retain their value as well as Japanese vehicles from Toyota or Honda, or Germany's BMW. This is something to consider if you plan to trade one in a few years, or lease. On the other hand, this is improving. However if you are buying a used VW, they can be a tremendous bargain.
The VW Touraeg is an outstanding four-wheel drive (4WD) SUV and the version fitted with the 5.0-liter, 310-horsepower V10 turbodiesel is a fabulous vehicle - one of the best SUVs we've ever driven. Don't let its pretty looks fool you though. For the second year a Touareg V10 TDI will "Race to the Clouds" at the 85th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and participate in the grueling Baja 500. It's plenty tough.
With the exception of the New Beetle, 2007 Volkswagens tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) received it highest rating, Good, in frontal offset and side impact tests. The New Beetle was rated Poor in the side impact category. As expected, earlier models fared less well. [5]
Click here for more information on 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Volkswagen car prices, auto insurance, auto loans, car dealers, and car leases.
