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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  Good coupe with 56k - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By Luis - July 10 - 5:44 pm

  Stylish good gas mileage. .however make sure if you buy one comes with full service records very important the way the cc is maintained exp trans fluid change service at 30k $600 bucks regular oil changes at 6k dont wait for the 20k please. ....and you will have a great CC enjoy.. got mine with 20k now i have 56k no issues. .did have the ac control replaced under Warranty. ..

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  Fun car. - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By lubdosedubs - July 10 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new in 2000 and have had it for over 10 years now. Other than a few dings, the body still looks great and the interior is fresh. It goes like stink and handles extremely well, yet is comfortable for long distance driving. The only niggling problem I have had is the airbags; have fixed them 3 times and now the light is on again.....

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  Love this car - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By Amy - July 10 - 10:00 am

  No mods and Im terrible at maintenance. I pay about $1000 every other year on maintenance, usually get get rid of the check engine light. Love the car. Im going to keep it as long as it keeps going. I cant find another car with all the features this has. Manual is the way to go. Even as a used car I would recommend. Quite reliable.

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  THROTTLE SURGE-LAG - 2011 Volkswagen Golf
  By Gman - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Automatic transmission from a dead stop especially on a slight incline. If you get off the brakes and on the throttle too quick just a light touch on the throttle it causes an immediate Surge then Lag all within one second. Rather annoying and dangerous when in a parking lot or close behind another vehicle in stop and go traffic or pulling into your garage. The service guy says it is because it is the flywheel engaging because it is really a standard transmission with electronic control rather than an automatic transmission. Whatever, just fix it. Yamaha fjr1300ae uses a similar electronic transmission set up and is smooth as silk in 1st gear. Love the vw Golf other than that.

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  It is spacious inside! - 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Anna - July 10 - 10:00 am

  For a long time, I didnt think this car would offer enough space, so I didnt bother to look at it. I considered Subaru Outback, Volvo, and simply did not bother to check what this car has to offer. Turned out, it was just what I needed! Rear seats slide forward to offer more cargo space, the leatherette trim is easy to clean and didnt cost any extra (for 2011 model), the AWD is just fantastic. The car drives like butter, and is quiet. My previous Jetta was just the opposite. Lots of annoying, unnecessary beeping sounds. The Tiguan is smarter, it knows not to beep when I unbuckle on a parking lot! And for all the moms out there - there is plenty of space

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  Great Purchase - No Regrets So Far - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By ATLDriver - July 10 - 8:50 am

  I have always been a VW fan since my 84 GTI that I never wanted to get out of. I owned a Jetta and Golf during the 90s while living in SF but moved away from the brand for about 15 years but found I needed something a bit more economical on the gas. I had gone in to look at the new GTI but found myself drawn to the CC. There really is no other car at this level in this price range. Ive read the reviews - about a million times - and am a bit confused that no one has mentioned the jumpiness coming out of first gear - or maybe thats just my car? Been to the dealer to see if I had a transmission problem but again - maybe my car is an anomaly? Will post another message if it needs to be fixed.

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  Follow up review - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By fshifteh - July 10 - 4:53 am

  This is a follow up to my earlier post. I have had this car for 9 months now. There has been a few areas that I had issues. First all my brakes had to be replaced at 10k miles due to vibration in steering. The dealer did this under Warranty. Second, I has issues with putting the 2nd row seat back, as it was stuck and could not remove it or put it back, as a result the dealer replaced the seat frame free of charge. The 3rd issue was some creaking noise that would come from drivers door while driving on certain bump which was very irritating and after taking to 2 different dealerships, the second dealer lubricated the driver side door hinges and that took care of the issue.

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  Wow what a deal - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By passatdrvr2 - July 9 - 6:46 pm

  As a 21 year old I was stuck between sport and luxury and since this was my first brand new car it was a very hard choice. I drove so many cars, and I was down to three cars, the Acura TL, Subaru WRX STi, and Nissan Altima SE-R, but none of these compared to when I decided to just go see the Passat. As soon as I saw the interior I was sold. When I drove the car, I was mesmerized, I love the sound of the turbo. It drives like a dream, they have this car almost perfect. My friends swear it looks just like an Audi and my friend who owns a Audi A6 says its identical in drive feel. This is the best choice that I could have made.

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  Dont buy this car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tony - July 9 - 5:16 am

  From day one this car caused problems. I almost backed into a wall a month after owning the car - the brakes failed. I was told it was an air bubble in the brake line. Brake rotors changed, pads changed, and eventually problem went away. Gas cap light came on from the day the car was purchased. It was not until the car had over 50,000 km on it that they found that the gas tank had a leak. Bearings went on the car just over 50,000 km. Stereo CD player had to be changed out. For a high end vehicle the car had too many issues and spent a lot of time in the shop for repairs. This was my fourth VW and my last.

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  Fun to drive - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Matt - July 8 - 3:26 am

  After two years of ownership, everything has been good. We were hesitant to purchase a VW due to past consumer issues. The zero down sign and drive is actually a pretty good deal. So we leased it and at this point I think we may buy it at the end of the lease. We were able to negotiate the price of the lease down, so make sure to explore that road. We have been very happy with it so far and would consider another one.