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:

• 

  Not a fan - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JKling - June 2 - 7:23 pm

  This car has a few MAJOR flaws. The electrical system is junk. I have had the left rear power window go out several times. The wiring is poor. It is also expensive to have repaired. It drives well and gets reasonable gas milage. If I were to buy another (which I wont) I would get the basic version. Less things to have problems with.

• 

  Agree with poster JLM from 10/01/2008 - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By MG - June 1 - 1:46 pm

  Same problem as poster JLM.Totally dissatisfied and would not buy it again. Car in dealer for at least 10 biz days for a problem that I believe VW know about all along. The DSG transmission is the culprit and appears in all VWs-not onlyt he EOS. Check the VWVortex website for similar stories. I wish that I had before I bought this mistake.

• 

  My Engine Just Blew - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By V6 2007 Treg - May 31 - 7:40 pm

  Car is at the dealer and waiting for a new engine. 4 months left on the lease and I cant wait to give it back.

• 

  Good car with major flaws. - 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By LNorman - May 29 - 3:12 pm

  This car is a good car; nice looking, nice interior, great sunroof. The car is not so good on fuel, engine is loud and there is a serious engine hesitation that may get you seriously hurt. When rolling to a stop sign and accelerating to turn left (mostly), the car stumbles and pumping the gas pedal to get it going doesnt help. One day, Im going to get hit by somebody. Ive taken it to the dealer and they cant fix it. The service tech owns the same car and has the same problem.

• 

  Piece of Junk - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By KAS - May 28 - 12:03 pm

  Since I bought this car (6 months ago), I have spent almost $2,000 on service and repairs. Now it is burning oil at an alarming rate and overheating. I have had it looked at by three mechanics and none of them can figure why it is doing this. This is the worst car I have ever owned. I cant wait to get rid of it and buy a Honda.

• 

  Will not own VW again - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By KdnyNurse - May 27 - 5:30 pm

  I brought a VW at the advice of a friend. After owning Hondas since I was able to buy my own cars. Since I have owned this car it has been in the shop more times than the previous four Hondas I have owned all put together. The skid plate was "fixed" four times. The Monsoon audio system had to be replaced. The fabric is worn. The black covering on the door handles is peeling off. The trunk does not close and latch anymore, etc. I now have an infant and its time to get a bigger car. I am going back to Honda and wont drive anything else again. Maybe I just got a bad Jetta but I dont want to take the risk and try again. No VWs are recommended by Consumer Reports. I wonder why.

• 

  Crappy Car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Aril86 - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Had to fix numerous times, otherwise good performance and fun to drive.

• 

  Beetle Madness - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By wlplumb - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Wifey loves it! Clutch went at 8K mi. Dealer wanted to blame me. Roadside service provided damaged car but would not repair. Second clutch OK at 52K. Pieces fall off all the time. Cosmetic engine cover snapped in two in cold weather. Headlights fail frequently and cost $55 to replace due to stupid design of light housing. Front grille fall off all the time due to stupid design of fasteners. Interior: no illumination on half the dash so you cant operate the HVAC at night. Dash protrudes so your hand collides with it when shifting (its a 5-spd.)

• 

  So disappointed - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Andrea - May 17 - 6:30 am

  This car was bought with 32,000 miles. It now has 56,000. Let me put it this way, I will never buy a VW again. I hope this will help some poor soul from making a $5000 dollar mistake. That was $5,000 dollars in repairs. Too many to list. Worst was mass air flow sensor and fuel injectors. Who ever heard of replacing fuel injectors!?

• 

  Too Much for too Little - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By JHK - May 16 - 6:53 am

  This truck is supposedly built on the Porsche Cayenne platform. It is okay, but it came from the factory with alignment problems that VW knew about, ignored, and refused to pay for. This ate up the crappy tires it came equipped with. It also has crappy brakes with poor stopping power despite ABS - Ive had many near misses. Buy a car the manufacturer stays behind. There are better options out there for the money.