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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  Jetta GLI 2005 1.8 Turbo 20 Valves engine - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ismael_1966 - January 23 - 8:16 pm

  I bought this car from new. Have some problems thats was cover by warranty and others that not since the car does not have warranty any more. The car has around 90,000 kms. Since new the car gave me a lot of problems with the windows falling inside the doors. Plagued with Door Locks problems. Radiator fans damage, the fuse box on top of the battery got damage. Brake light switch has damage two times. The engines has some problem to start in the morning, coolant temperature sensor has been replaced 3 times. Rear brakes make awfull noise 1n reverse. The car spend more time in the mechanic than with me. If you get a VW, sell it as soon as the warranty is finish or you will go broke!

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  Wheres the love the the new Jetta - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vagcom13 - January 22 - 9:00 pm

  The funny thing about the new Jetta is that almost all automotive reviews knock it while almost every consumer review praises it. I bought a 2012 Jetta two weeks ago for my Fiance and so far we love the car. The styling is great, the engine is more then sufficent for daily driving, and for the price I really dont think this car can be beat. So much nicer then a Civic/corrolla/alantra and actually probably just as roomy and superior to the camery/accord/sonata. The asian counterparts are simply not as fun to drive!!! Yes the interior is a mild downgrade from the last Jetta, but its still superior to the competition. I wish the journalist would show a little love towards this solid car.

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  Fun to Drive but pricey to maintain - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vwscal - January 20 - 10:00 am

  This car is a lot of fun to drive and responds / handles beautifully. I dont think anyone can dispute that. But this car is expensive to maintain! Every repair is pricey! The moldings on my car fall off anually. Ive had window regulators repaired and the ignition switch replaced and have had numerous electrical problems that took numerous visits to diagnose and fix. A lot of other interior things to numerous to list that scream - poor workmanship.

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  disappointment, had to sell - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Last VW forever - January 20 - 10:00 am

  check engine light @ 36K miles (new coils $700) and again @ 50K miles (both occurred two days after a 300 mile trip) Both instances took two visits to the dealer to fix. What a pain. I cant rely on it for trips greater than 30 miles.

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  Great value and fun to drive too! - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Steve - January 20 - 7:40 am

  Just leased the 2010 LE automatic last week. I have to admit this is one fun car to drive. Fit and finish are on par with BMW and Mercedes. I just came off of a 5 series BMW lease, and my wife drives a 300 AWL Benz. I actually prefer the ride of the Jetta to the Benz. Not quite a challenge to the BMWs handling and performance, but for less than half the price its a pretty good trade off. The cabin is extremely quiet, even over rough pavement, and the car corners through turns very confidently with just modest body roll. Acceleration is reasonably quick. The car has a heftier feel to it which belies its actual weight. This translates into what feels like a more substantial road presence.

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  Surprising - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John Smith - January 19 - 6:14 am

  Bought this May 20th after looking at several different choices; lowest out the door cost, good dealer experience and great interest rate sealed it. Pros: Great fuel mileage and good performance from the 1.4 (surprising considering the size of the engine). Wanted a TDI but last re-released 2015 was gone before I could get it; with this engine I dont miss it (40+ MPG on 87 octane). Surprisingly comfortable and equipped, even in base trim. Most people pan the interior; I like a more basic car, much like what was the norm 20 years ago. Seats folded, this thing holds a ton of cargo; hauled several fence pickets, a couple of bags of mulch and potting soil plants and a few groceries with room to spare. I even appreciate the exterior styling; not bland, certainly unoffensive. The MK IV Jetta may have had more Audi styling, but they also suffered from a ton of fit an finish, as well as mechanical, issues this car seems to have avoided. Now for the Cons: Car handles like youre driving through a wind storm; constantly have to make steering corrections to keep in my lane. I blame the Ecopias, steering and suspension eco-natured and commuter friendly tuning; a set of springs and 205/50 17" tires would greatly help here. The drivers door rattles when shut, like the panel is loose, and the dealer plainly stated that every new Jetta does it, and there is nothing they could do to fix it. However, its a sub $20k car; I recently drove a couple of BMW F10 cars, and their doors had worse rattling issues than mine, which is unacceptable in anything that costs $51k. The radio is a little too basic. At the price of entry I would expect alloy wheels and a 6 speed manual. As expected, turbo lag and economy gearing do little to get this thing off the line, which can be dangerous if youre local traffic is as bad as mine. The interior light gray seat fabric will get dirty in a very short amount of time; invest in a good set of seat covers. The rear headrests greatly hinder rear visibility; I cant remove them due to my chosen rear seat cover, which utilizes the headrests as a mounting point. Overall, there may be better choices out there, but the dealer experience won the day. And, considering the cost, I believe the S is the best value; moving up in trim only gets more equipment, and not necessarily a better car (the GLI excepted). Higher trims in non-GLI either get the same 1.4 combo (stick or auto) or are saddled with the much thirstier 1.8 and auto combo.

• 

  Surprising - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John Smith - January 19 - 6:14 am

  Bought this May 20th after looking at several different choices; lowest out the door cost, good dealer experience and great interest rate sealed it. Pros: Great fuel mileage and good performance from the 1.4 (surprising considering the size of the engine). Wanted a TDI but last re-released 2015 was gone before I could get it; with this engine I dont miss it (40+ MPG on 87 octane). Surprisingly comfortable and equipped, even in base trim. Most people pan the interior; I like a more basic car, much like what was the norm 20 years ago. Seats folded, this thing holds a ton of cargo; hauled several fence pickets, a couple of bags of mulch and potting soil plants and a few groceries with room to spare. I even appreciate the exterior styling; not bland, certainly unoffensive. The MK IV Jetta may have had more Audi styling, but they also suffered from a ton of fit an finish, as well as mechanical, issues this car seems to have avoided. Now for the Cons: Car handles like youre driving through a wind storm; constantly have to make steering corrections to keep in my lane. I blame the Ecopias, steering and suspension eco-natured and commuter friendly tuning; a set of springs and 205/50 17" tires would greatly help here. The drivers door rattles when shut, like the panel is loose, and the dealer plainly stated that every new Jetta does it, and there is nothing they could do to fix it. However, its a sub $20k car; I recently drove a couple of BMW F10 cars, and their doors had worse rattling issues than mine, which is unacceptable in anything that costs $51k. The radio is a little too basic. At the price of entry I would expect alloy wheels and a 6 speed manual. As expected, turbo lag and economy gearing do little to get this thing off the line, which can be dangerous if youre local traffic is as bad as mine. The interior light gray seat fabric will get dirty in a very short amount of time; invest in a good set of seat covers. The rear headrests greatly hinder rear visibility; I cant remove them due to my chosen rear seat cover, which utilizes the headrests as a mounting point. Overall, there may be better choices out there, but the dealer experience won the day. And, considering the cost, I believe the S is the best value; moving up in trim only gets more equipment, and not necessarily a better car (the GLI excepted). Higher trims in non-GLI either get the same 1.4 combo (stick or auto) or are saddled with the much thirstier 1.8 and auto combo.

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  My GTIs Big Brother - 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By npsgti - January 19 - 1:33 am

  Just got the 13 Tiguan S w/panoramic sunroof & mat kit for my wife and we love this car. Small CUV that handles like a sport sedan with all tried and true German automotive attributes: sophisticated & understated interior and exterior styling, satisfying performance & handling and rock solid build. After driving both the S and SE, the S is already so well equipped incl. leather wrapped multi-function steering wheel, MFD display, bluetooth etc. that we couldnt justify the extra $5k or so for leatherette and lower profile tires. Great ride, great family car, excellent lease deals to be had.

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  Upscale features for a compact SUV - 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By mds - January 18 - 1:11 pm

  I have owned my 2015 Tiguan for about 1 month and find it quiet, smooth and nimble. My biggest complaint is the seriously under powered stereo system on the SE with Appearance model. There is an upgrade to the stereo system but only for the SEL and R line option packages. The instrument panel is also very dated. The gauges and instruments look just like the 2010 Jetta! In a world where electronics technology is constantly evolving and getting better, the stereo system and instrument panel are antiquated and need the immediate attention of the VW engineers.

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  Six letters....DSG & TDI - 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Rickallen - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I was initially impressed with the amount of room in this car. Im 64" and to have the drivers seat comfortable and be able to tolerate sitting behind myself is rare. Drawbacks: One, this car needs a DSG transmission. The 6-speed auto feels elastic and "gummy". Getting back in my Jetta TDI with DSG felt like night and day. Two, the TDI engine would be the perfect combination of torque and efficiency for this size, yet its not available. With DSG and TDI combined this would be an amazing vehicle, yet VW wont sell it here. A real shame because without those the car is mediocre. Ill gladly pay the cost diff to have them. Listening, VW?