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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  Only 200 miles in... - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By prufrock69 - March 18 - 8:00 am

  ...and its already in the shop. Evidently the radiator fan doesnt come on when the car is idling. Its quite a sight to see the engine temperature gauge go from 190 to 260 within 3 minutes. Another example of VWs world renown "quality" or just an isolated incident? Who knows. Just be aware. Up to that point we were waiting to be towed to the nearest dealership, I would have to agree with everyone elses initial impressions. It seems like a quality car, handles like a much smaller car, and is just a pleasure to drive and use. The tight design of the exterior really belies what is a comfortable interior.

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  2002 GLX V6 - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By JOHN - March 17 - 12:33 am

  Bought vehicle with 22k miles I have put 30k more on in the past 8 months. 52k miles I have replaced tires, brakes, axles (twice on one side) heater core, vacuum lines, air pump. Nice vehicle when its not in the shop.

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  Not bad, but not great - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Sean - March 16 - 7:46 pm

  I owned my 03 VR6 GTI for just over 2 years, putting around 32K miles on it. Overall its a fun car to drive, but I had quite a few quality issues, especially with the paint (pearl indigo blue). The VR6 has great low-end torque, but it is very heavy which is really noticeable when cornering at high speeds. The car handles fantastic at high speed on the highway, with very little cabin noise even at 85+ MPH. The Monsoon stereo system is fantastic, the heated seats are great because you can adjust the heating level, and the cruise control is much more user friendly than on other cars I have driven. Overall, its a fun, versatile car that is a good deal for the price.

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  8-Way Power Seats a Must! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By EB4VEEDUB - March 15 - 4:06 am

  I purchased the vehicle on 01/29/10, and have received several compliments on the look of the vehicle. The ride is solid, especially in bad weather. The dash is easy to operate, and has a stylish appearance. My only complaint is the manual seats that require turning a knob for the backrest, and cranking a lever to go up and down. After 30 days I still have not found a comfortable seating position. I have to do yoga stretches in the morning before I get into the car to help ease the discomfort

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  Norm from Mississauga - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nplatt - March 15 - 2:53 am

  I have a 2011 Golf Sportswagen (Jetta in U.S.A.) and knew precisely what I was getting into. I was aware of the DSG problems that have been fixed . I knew that these were perhaps the finest seats that you can get in a car because I have a very bad back and these seats were the tonic. I loaded up the options list because I travel a lot each year - about 60,000 miles per because we have a home just north of Maine and I drive about 16 hours at a stretch. My only complaints have been the trim seals for the rear doors that were fixed under warranty. Other than that I knew to get a mid cycle refresh model so that all the bugs were worked out.

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  great car, not so great service - 2012 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By kayakhow - March 14 - 4:12 am

  Love the car, I get mileage thats better than advertised. I had a hitch installed with enthusiastic encouragement from the dealer , thats when the fun began. I had a brake light issue, and although I was told the wire harness was properly installed they did not honor the warranty and hosed me good for the repair which was a labor only repair. So avoid installing any after market equipment on the car, especially where towing is involved. If your car is out of warranty, go for it, there are techs out there who work cheaper than the VW shop. Basically, the service experience soured me a bit, thery treated me better at the Chevy dealer when I had the truck.

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  Worth the Wait - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By jn - March 14 - 1:20 am

  I was set on buying a GTI until i found a dealer that was selling their last 2 R32s for $4K below the list price (including the VW rebate) instead of $4K over like my local VW dealer. I ended up paying $29.3K (without Nav.) which is only about $3-4K more that an optioned up GTI. So far the car has lived up to its billing. The power is more than adequate for in town driving, the handling is great and the exhaust note is pure magic. The gas mileage is even acceptable as long as you keep your foot out of it. It was the Readers Reviews on Edmunds that convinced me to got for it and i have not been disappointed.

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  Great car for my money! Feature loaded. - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By RMccauley - March 13 - 12:26 pm

  Definately a poor mans BMW due to similar handling characteristics, features, and styling. The 1.8T GLS- auto is more powerful than one would expect from a 4-cyl engine. Although a 4-cyl, it drives and feels as smooth and potent as any V6 Ive ever driven, especially in Tiptronic mode. The car is downshift-happy in auto mode, which is why Tiptronic is the only way to go for gas-mileage savings and smoothness. Gas-mileage is good, but could be better for a 4-banger. Ive had the car for almost 2-years now...been in for unscheduled service 3 times (blown speaker, air- conditioning odor, trunk not staying up). Build quality is OK, but what do you expect for an almost fully-loaded $24k car?!?

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  passat gls v6 sedan - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By my hands are clean o - March 12 - 4:03 pm

  I ask myself why Volkswagens ads say "drivers wanted?" If your whole family is totally anal and carful with the cometics, you think youll never drive or live anywhere near deep snow and you have a a ton of extra money to throw away on outrageous repair costs then go for it! When your seat heater is on beneath the leather, the torque of the v6 is pulling back into the seats, you and your kid have two mountain bikes inside the fold down cargo space in your sedan and the monsoon is blasting, the negatives are tempurarily forgoten. Still this car has been more of a headache then it was worth.

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  If it was put together in Germany... - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By petarvn1 - March 11 - 1:34 am

  Ive got a 2012 jetta with just over 6K miles on it. For the 16 months i have owned it, i have come to conclude that its fast enogh to get you in to trouble, but controlable enogh to get you out of it. Being a new driver, getting a good, safe, reliable car was my parrents priority, so the got me a jetta, natrually. Only problem with it is that its build quality isnt tip-top. My friend has a VW golf (assembled in Wolfsberg, not mexico) and its much better put together. All together, its a good package. Id recomend the 5 speed manual with the 2.5 liter engine. For the $21,000 you pay you get a lot for your money, plus its a very sexy machine!