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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  Read the Fine Print! - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Guil_4D - October 6 - 10:00 am

  Pay close attention to VWs warranty and document all of your service visits (maitain complete records of all scheduled and non- scheduled maintenance). My failure to do so taught me an expensive lesson. At 39,000 miles my wagons cam shaft siezed. VW voided the powertrain warranty because I was unable to provide documentation of 30K and 35K service. Factory rebuilt engines cost $6,100 installed. OUCH!

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  Whats up with the front AC?? - 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Kim - October 1 - 7:57 pm

  I seriously just wanted to point out one thing, the front ac vents are crazy limited as to where to can aim them. They literally only blow on my face. You can spin them and angle them. But that angle is so limited that it makes no difference. So on a hot day, I can either choose to cool down my face and/or my feet. But thats it. Wont even reach my shoulders. I have to drive with my elbows up to my ears if I want to cool them down. VERY DISAPPOINTING!

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  STOP AND READ BEFORE YOU BUY! - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Karen from CT - September 27 - 11:46 am

  There are several issues with this car. 1. When the key is removed from the ignition, the front windows drop slightly, thus when it is raining you get poured on. You get soaked inside the car whenever it is raining. 2. The radio antenna is in the trunk. The reception for FM and Satellite radio does not hold. While you drive the radio stations fade in and out. 3. The EOS is horrible in snow. We had to add sand bags to the trunk to allow traction when driving. In addition, when it is below 32 degrees the trunk freezes up. I now have to prepare myself when bad weather is approaching and put my snow scrapper in the back seat. Please read this before you buy your EOS, I wish I knew this stuff.

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  Buy Something Else - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By marlok - September 23 - 4:00 am

  This is by far the best looking SUV on the road and it stops there. VW went wrong or someone did not follow how an SUV is supposed to last. The brakes are a big problem. You will replace them every 5,000 miles and it will cost you $600 or more to have them repaired. An oil change can cost you upwards of a $150 due to the design of getting to the oil pan. Everything goes wrong with this SUV. Stay away from the Touareg.

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  Looking for something reliable? AVOID AT ALL COST - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By cliney - September 22 - 5:21 pm

  We bought our 2003 Passat GLS 1.8T wagon with a little over 70k miles on it, which I guess is high mileage for a VW. If youre a real enthusiast or VERY handy with a wrench, then by all means get one of these. Otherwise, be advised to stay the hell away from these pieces of cr*p. Every year is thousands of $$$ to keep it on the road. The car has a complicated and involved service procedure, so anything under the hood will be expensive to replace. Two shops quoted me $500 just for the valve cover gasket, and most of that was labor. German engineering = myth.

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  Great car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By VWGuy - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 2002 GLS Passat about a month and a half ago. It is a very solid capable automobile. I love the body style. I love the solid feel of the car. It is terrific on the highway. Around town the 1.8T is terribly anemic with the automatic transmission.

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  confused? - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By GENIVGOLF - September 22 - 10:00 am

  i cant believe the problems i have had with this car. ive had my o2 sensor changed twice in the past 6 months. my mass air flow sensor took a dump on me at 30000 miles. my instrument panel for my a/c, heat jammed up and had to get that replaced. my coolant sensor went bad at 28000. i cant believe a car that carries the vw badge could preform so poorly. i should of bought a honda!!!

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  One Big Lemon - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Totally Disappointed - September 10 - 2:00 am

  One problem after another - 1st, the secondary braking system. Soon after, the stereo just went dead. The dealer blamed a loose connection. Okay, so they fixed it. Next problem, what do you know, the stereo dies again! This time the dealer replaced the stereo. That was a week ago. Today, I had to cancel a hike with our 2 labs; another warning light! "Alternator workshop!" This wonderful news was accompanied by an appalling smell from the engine compartment. Well, looks like another trip to the dealer. I have to admit that the VW service people are a great bunch - Im sure Ill be getting to know them very well.

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  6 months on and still have build quality issues - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bobgoblin - September 3 - 4:27 am

  If youre not driving on a newly paved road the ride is appalling thanks to the old-timey torsion beam rear axel. Mine was even worse thanks to VW not installing the rear shocks properly. VW claimed thats just how the car road and refused to even look at it. I had to take it to my body shop guy who found the problem. The windsheild cracked at 500 miles when I hit a pothole & I had to get my lawyer involved to fix that since VW initially refused. Constant stalling problem which took VW a month to track down: stuck fuel pressure release valve. Is a 6-speed transmission that came with a 5-speed gearshift: it took a month to convince someone at VW why that was incorrect. etc.

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  Good car, very bad reliability - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By sunray - August 30 - 2:23 pm

  In general, a reasonable price/performance ratio. The reliability is bad, automatic windows, brakes, and instrument panel are replaced.