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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  Going on 4 years - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By brcc - February 14 - 12:00 pm

  Bought my 09 Lux new Mar 09. Have 44K on it with absolutely no issues. Avg 25 mpg with 35 on trips. Use 89 octane and not premium with no problems. Enjoyable driving with multiple seat settings to suit longer hauls. Nice cockpit with the extended moonroof panarama. Constantly surprised by quality of the car, finding little, but substantial advantages every time I go through it, e.g. full spare, tie downs and just the material used. Recently replaced OEM Continentals which got noisy with age with quiet and nicer riding Michelins.

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  2003 VW Passat GLS 1.8T - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By vw2003passat - February 14 - 10:03 am

  I purchased this vehicle new in 2003. Its still with me: 149,500 miles later. I appreciate a car thats made it this far, and is fun to drive, but the VW Passat exacts a price: lots of problems and plenty of expensive maintenance. Ive had a bad radio, bad brake light switch, malfunctioning seat heaters, bad airbag light, three replaced CV boots, a bad oil cooler, and the check engine light is on so much Im surprised the bulb hasnt burned out. Add to this $40 wipers, $70 oil changes, and VW dealerships who are terribly nice while they rattle off a long list of questionable repairs. If youre considering this car or any VW, I highly recommend you stay far, far away.

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  2012 Touareg TDI Exec - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By treg23 - February 14 - 2:06 am

  Traded in my beloved "05 V8 Exec on this 2012 TDI Exec in July 2012. Have logged lots of seat time accumulating almost 20,000 Kms. Overall this is a very good and very capable vehicle but this one seems was seemingly built by an Slovakian on a Friday afternoon.

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  Lots of miles - 2004 Volkswagen Golf
  By mnoeltne - February 14 - 12:50 am

  I now have 122,000 miles on my 04 Golf TDI in only 3.5 years. Overall its been a great car. Excellent fuel economy, good performance, especially in the mountains, and surprisingly reliable. I say surprising because a lot of people come down on VWs for bad reliability. I can say that has not been the case for my car. Just routine maintenance, and a couple of recalls. And even Toyota has recalls. My wife has a Toyota Corolla, but I strongly prefer to drive my VW. It has a better ride, and much more comfortable seating positions than the Toyota. Once I put another 150,000 miles or so on this one, I will probably buy another.

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  What a waste of $27,000 - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By RWard - February 13 - 5:13 pm

  Air Conditioning went out 3rd year, window washer fluid pump went out the same year. Check engine light stays on all the time. The inside interior is PEELING... really? all buttons are worn off, the lock buttons are bubbling and peeling, even the ones in the back seat where no one hardly sits. Starting to rust. Bought brand new off the show room floor with 16 miles on it. NEVER buying VW again.

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  GLI Try and you buy - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ED - February 13 - 2:48 pm

  I bought this loaded GLI used with 13k miles. I knew little about the car before driving it and never had a VW before only BMWs. Bought with 14k miles for 22,900 I love it. Fun to drive, good power, good everything unless you need an SUV and I often do for hauling big things

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  Buy a Jetta! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Maxwell - February 12 - 3:00 am

  I already owned a 98 Jetta and an 83 Rabbit, so I bought this car for my wife who always wanted one. She said it was love at first site. I cannot get her to shut up about how much she loves the car. She is always bragging about her fuel economy and how the car will run forever (which it will). She said she is going to drive it until the wheels fall off. We got our car with 25,000 miles on it and now have 40,000. We have not had any problems what so ever. I would suggest changing the oil your self to save some money. You can buy entire oil change kits (filter, oil, o- rings and drain plug) for $50 including shipped.

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  Overall, A good buy. - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By jyankus - February 12 - 2:16 am

  Ive owned this car for 7 years. It is, on the whole, a very good car that suffered from periods of erratic reliability. The pluses are that it gets superb mileage. 50 mpg is not a joke, and 45-50 in stop and go commuting traffic around the metro area is really stellar. The car has been very comfortable. The car is also very practical as a hauler. Cargo capacity is great. Supremely reliable diesel engine. The minuses. Questionable reliability in some areas -- the power windows, steering rack (twice!) and the car frequently illuminates the warning lights for extremely minor problems (quite an annoyance). A great commuter car with a few blemishes.

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  Not your fathers vee-dub - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By leif - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Others have described the performance attributes of this hot hatchback. Given the acceleration potential, to see gas mileage in the mid-twenties is remarkable. Also, the ride comfort is great, factoring-in the phenomenal handling limits.

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  Excellent! - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By Daniel Y - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Its a great little car!