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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  My VW Passat Stinks - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By mypassatstinks - April 13 - 10:03 pm

  The performance of my Passat is lacking because the turbo lag is huge. It lacks comfort, it really bounces over bumps. Its fuel economy is less than half of the EPA estimate. It is fun to ride in...if you like bumpy a rollercoaster. The interior design is very complicated. You need A roadmap, but the 200 page manual will do nicely. Exterior design...who who needs to see the front or rear while driving. The build quality is poor as well. It has rattles, thumps, and squeaks, not to mention the uneven spaces in the body panels. This car has been extremely unreliable.

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  Disappointed - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Tanya Roberts - January 24 - 2:35 am

  Three times in shop already. Gear box and passenger side window broken when car was purchased. Learned no key to unlock lug nuts was provided after having flat tire. Took 3 times in shop to get right window piece. Horrible grinding sound when backing off incline. Dealership couldnt recreate the sound, so nothing fixed. Advised grooves already in rotors, but nothing they can fix until it has more miles. Picked up brand new from lot on 9/8/17. First and last vw. Everything reported to vw, but still had to drive away from dealer service today, hugely disappointed

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  Do not buy a Routan! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Jweldon - January 5 - 8:23 am

  Never buy one of these cars. A complete waste of money. The vehicle is unsafe and a hazard to your family. One of our children has actually gotten his head trapped in the sliding door b/c they do not work properly, they open and close on their own! VW does not care. We have had the car in for service too many times to count. It is there right now and I do not want to bring it home. I miss my Honda Pilot. This car is a nightmare.

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  Worst Car Ive ever owned - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ashley2008 - December 21 - 8:13 am

  This has to be the worst car Ive ever owned, it makes my 1999 Dodge Neon look good. I now have 14k on this car, at 4k I started having problems with the DSG Transmission banging into gears and slipping. After several repair attempts including replace a $3k Mechatronics unit, the car is back in the shop! This time been there 4 days and they dont know whats wrong with it but it still keep banging into gears progressively getting worse. Trim pieces in the interior randomly fall off and heater mirror cracked.

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  Volkswagen Passat - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By anthoney costa - October 31 - 9:16 am

  This car is horrible. Never in my life will I ever purchase a Volkswagen again. It has been nothing but a horrific expereince. I have had to make so many repairs to my Passat that I have almost put in a new engine. Volkswagen was very non-responsive to my needs. I had to replace wires that broke due to corrosion. This car is horrible, horrible, horrible. Anyone thinking of buying a Volkswagen should think long and hard and I promoise you, I am not making this up. Buyers beware. I hope that I am helping someone with this review.

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  Lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By PassatLemon - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Owning a Passat has been one major headache. The car spent over 40 days in the shop during the first year of ownership. I hope to sell the car before the warranty expires. I will never buy another VW.

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  Bad VW Service - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By temnek@hotmail.com - August 25 - 1:55 pm

  Budget vehicle to get from A to B. Cheap interior. Ive leased it because this is my first VW. Ive heard from friends that VW service is bad. When you lease a car, most of the services shall be free. Not with VW. Dealer (Kings VW in Gaithersburg MD) tells me that NOT EVERYTHING IS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. And I get "contact VW on the phone" , and " we are not fixing this for free". And I dont visit a dealer anymore. Not changing oil (dealrs fee is $86 + tax). Nope. I am going back to Toyota, when your Toyota dealer has free coffee, juice, and water while I am waiting and the oil changes are $19.99 + tax ( I miss those days). Ive leased 3 Toyotas in the last 10 years. Toyota people are great. I have 9K miles to go and when I go, I never buy or lease another VW.

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  Bad VW Service - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By temnek@hotmail.com - August 25 - 1:55 pm

  Budget vehicle to get from A to B. Cheap interior. Ive leased it because this is my first VW. Ive heard from friends that VW service is bad. When you lease a car, most of the services shall be free. Not with VW. Dealer (Kings VW in Gaithersburg MD) tells me that NOT EVERYTHING IS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. And I get "contact VW on the phone" , and " we are not fixing this for free". And I dont visit a dealer anymore. Not changing oil (dealrs fee is $86 + tax). Nope. I am going back to Toyota, when your Toyota dealer has free coffee, juice, and water while I am waiting and the oil changes are $19.99 + tax ( I miss those days). Ive leased 3 Toyotas in the last 10 years. Toyota people are great. I have 9K miles to go and when I go, I never buy or lease another VW.

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  Noting but issues - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Howie - August 19 - 6:33 pm

  We have had this car for 6 years now, consistent problem with the fuel systems it’s been in the dealer 5 time for fuel injector issues only. Recently the fuel pump went out, oil leaks, control arm and much more we have spent $2500 in the last 6 months with all of the issues we been having.

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  Stop now - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Richardson TX - August 18 - 10:00 am

  This car is brand new and in and out of the shop. A real lemon. Buy anything but a Volkswagen.