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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  Too many problems to mention - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jasonspen - August 23 - 11:53 am

  The car is really fun to drive and looks great, but build quality is terrible. The A/C went out the first week I bought the car and still doesnt cool properly. Heater smells like its burning something. Door locks rattle (only when locked). Power windows "pinch protection" makes the window reverse and go down when you try and roll it up (and nothing is is the way). Engine cuts out when started cold. Floor mat retentions broke off. Center console latch broke off. If you rub the plastic inside it will rub off too.

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  2nd GTI - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By FamilyMan - August 23 - 10:00 am

  The best balance of reasonable cost, good mileage, space, looks and fun. The GTI can fit my family of 4 comfortably, gets excellent gas mileage, and is a blast to drive. My kids had originally wanted the 4- door, but ended up voting for the 2-door for the sportier looks (my choice too.) We are able to fit my daughters standing bass by folding down half of the back seat, and still get three of us in the car. Fit and finish are outstanding, much improved over my previous 95 GTI. 6-speed is precise and easy to shift; driving position is ideal - lots of adjustment options. 25 mpg in spirited city driving; also, the suspension is still comfortable with large, Midwest potholes, rough roads

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  Tdi tremendous - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Roger Heaton - August 22 - 11:56 pm

  What a waste. This car is being recalled. I love driving it. Vw has nothing close to replacing it.

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  American made with German design - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By Matthew LaChance - August 22 - 8:45 pm

  I really enjoy driving this car, very precise. Not the flashiest car in the segment but to me it is about function and feel not fashion.

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  I Love the Volkswagen Passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Kenneth - August 22 - 8:30 am

  I Love this Volkswagen Passat based on its performance style and appearance. Some people have even said that my car look so sophicated for the road.

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  Could have been a contender. - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bing - August 21 - 10:36 pm

  I like the way she drives.. I bought the car with 106k miles on it. Salvaged the ailing (automatic)transmission with transmission conditioner. The window regulators are garbage. They break often and run you over $350 a pop to put in. Dont let a substandard shop work on the car. They will cause you more problems. The car has broken motor mounts, they cause a shimmy when accelerating and cause the CV joints to wear quickly. The engine and Transmission still run really strong with 170,000 miles. Just dont think the rest of the car will last. With TLC early in the life of the car I think it would be running and looking great in every facet.

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  What the heck? - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By pandmonk - August 21 - 10:08 pm

  This car is fun to drive and gets good fuel economy. However, it has a loud cabin and wind noise is loud. The fuel economy is great. However, the back up camera and audio system are so slow to respond, you want to just punch the system in frustration. My Ipod cable doesnt work after two cables were tried, my back up camera takes 15-20 seconds to kick on when I put the car in reverse. Lastly, for a vehicle that is fully loaded and MSRPs in the $32K range, it doesnt come with a USB Port? Even a work truck Silverado comes with 2 USB ports. Overall, I cant wait to get rid of this car. I will never buy or recommend a VW product after this experience.

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  Third VW - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By VW Owner - August 21 - 9:13 pm

  This is my third Volkswagen and I love the little things you get with a VW. these nice touches include the spring loaded grab handles, soft to the touch dash boards, turn signal side indicators, sunroofs with a dial, 8 speaker sound systems, upscale dash lighting, heated seats, cool key, etc etc..

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  Poor Quality - 2015 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Ron - August 21 - 7:09 am

  My 2015 Touareg has transmission issues, and issues with the Infotainment Center. I actually backed into a car because the backup camera shut off as I was backing up. Bluetooth quality is poor. Transmission does not shift well at lower speeds. My car has developed rattling noises that I cannot track down. I dont know what happened but VW seems to be cutting corners in the wrong areas. Quality Control is suffering. Dealership told me too bad. :(

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  I love this car - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Mr Bill - August 20 - 10:03 pm

  My dad had a Rabbit diesel and that car provided about a million miles and years of service so I had my eye on this Golf when I first saw it. I got it with 60k miles and it now has 100k miles. It is 6 years old but still looks great, and the brake pads have never been changed! It gets about 36 mpg which is right with what the window sticker says. This is a low maintenance car, all I do is change the oil around 5k miles and drive it.