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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  Ram 2 Rabbit - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Mike in PA - January 3 - 10:13 am

  I traded a Dodge Ram 4x4 for this Sage Green Rabbit. The other cars in my house are the 325xi and 525i. This is no BMW, but it is one heckuva fun way to get 30 mpg and decent urban transportation. It has tons of room for 6 2" me and even my 6 kid in the backseat. My first fill up was 28 mpg and thats with an automatic. It is a little noisy on the highway, but its a $16,000 car, not a $40,000 BMW. Its utility, mpg, maneuverability, and feel are great.

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  Dealer upgrade all VW needs - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By Bill T - January 3 - 10:00 am

  My GTI GLX has been an absolute pleasure to drive. The dealership experience however, is not. The metro dealer, Jim Ellis, can not get a car in for an oil change without an appointment at least a week + in advance! Since the VR6 engine has a unique oil filter design, and the Jiffy Lube types struggle with getting a domestic cars oild changed without forgetting something, the dealer is it. I have had good luck at Harrison and Heritage VW stores, however. Im now in need of a larger vehicle and will likely consider Honda or Nissan as their dealer networks are much more robust.

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  Best Car for the Price - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Trykeman - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car after my last lease (99 Z24 Cavalier) expired. I have driven tonns of cars in the past and really researched the market before I bought this car. Drives and performs like a dream and so far (knock on the wood) "Kein Problem!". Highly recommended for anyone looking for serious value for the money.

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  mixed - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By knothead - January 3 - 10:00 am

  In two years and 15000 miles the following problems: 1. gas cap remote did not work at time of delivery; 2.drivers side door grip flaked off; 3. drivers side window control died; 4. mass air sensor went out.

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  Cant Beat the Mialege - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mutbreath - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Great car, fun to drive. On the first full tank I got an outstanding 33MPG/city. This car is easy to drive and very comfortable. I am 62" and have pleanty of leg/head room. It is quick and responsive with a touch of "frugal" (gas that is).

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  False Advertising Adds Large Unexpected Expense - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By angry17 - January 3 - 6:35 am

  The Tiguan sales brochure advertises "Trailer Hitch Preparation". After purchasing the car, I was told it would cost $1,000 for a hitch, five times the amount charged by other manufacturers. Non-dealer cost is not less expensive because of the cost of special parts and the labor needed to remove all the interior behind the rear seat to install the part. Complaints to VW about the cost and the implication that the claim is "Trailer Hitch Prepared" fall on deaf ears. After reviewing complaints from others, I realize that VW is poor on warranty work as well. Accordingly, I will never buy a VW again despite the fact they build excellent cars.

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  Love driving the car but would not buy another - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By sordway - January 3 - 2:09 am

  I bought this car brand new & have had to many problems to list.I used to own VWs and always loved them along with the service. Their service and reliability is nothing like it used to be.I have taken my car to 2 different dealers and both gave horrible service. My car has been in the shop so many times I should be able to call it a lemon, but because they would take to long to find the issues that never happened. This month alone it has been in the shop 3 times and they cannot figure out the electrical issues or a clunking noise. I have had to take it in for leaks 5 times so far. Wish I had more room to tell all problems roof,electrical,stereo, trunk,tranmission, etc

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  Some Irritating Quality Issues! - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By prospective - January 3 - 12:56 am

  Hey Everybody… I just leased a 2012 Passat S… Although I absolutely love driving this car, I have noticed some irritating quality issues that VW America needs to be aware of. My Passat is just over a month old and currently has just almost 1,400 miles on it. My irritations are as follows: 1. The seatbelt light and chimes come on even though my seatbelt is fastened and I’m the only person in the car. It’s very frustrating to hear the chime and see the dashboard light illuminated. I’ve pulled over to turn off the car and restart. I’ve unbuckeled and rebuckled. I’ve stopped to get out of the car and start the whole process over and nothing seems to solve this problem. It’s kind of like driving down the highway and having someone ringing your doorbell every 10 seconds. My main concern is that this may be a safety issue? 2. Drivers seat rattles. with only 1,400 miles on this car, Is this a quaility issue? Keep in mind, I’m not a heavy set person. It seems like the seat is just not secured properly. I’m hoping this is a quality issue and not a safety issue. 3. Trunk lid is not aligned properly. I have to slam the trunk lid closed in order for the trunk lid latch to catch. You should be able to gently push the trunk lid closed in order for the latch to secure itself. I also have the same same problem with the drivers side front door. I have to slam it shut or the open door light illuminates. Both of these are frustrating as my wife thiks I’m mad everytime I have to close the door or trunk. These are both very minor quality issues but the liitle issues are starting to add up. And, I’m getting tired of hearing my wife say to me “What’s wrong” everytime we get in the car together. 4. Suspension noise from front and rear corners seems to be getting worse as the days go by. This is especially prevalent at low speeds when rolling over speed bumps or climbing the curb to pull into the driveway of my house. If this were a 1995 Ford Tauras with 120,000 miles on it, I’d be more understanding. But this is a brand new 2012 VW Passat and I expect better from a German car company which touts German Engineering as it’s tag line. Once again, I love driving this car… The handling, power (I have a 5 speed manual transmission), body style, bluetooth connectivity and generous back seat legroom make this car a beautiful ride. I just hope VW America understands and responds to my concerns to correct these minor but irritating quality issues. Luckily, this is only a 24 month lease, so if VW America choses not to respond to my quality claims, It’s a short term relationship and I can return to a car company like Honda who has a history of solid quality control. My concern is that after leasing Honda’s over the last 10 years, I’m not used to having to deal with these types pesky quality issues. I understand this 2012 Passat was built in America (which is a big reason why I chose to lease this vehicle), but it seems to have some quality issues that still need to be ironed out. I’ll be interested to see how VW America responds to these issues… Will they ignore me? Let me know these are normal inconveniences that I need to tolerate, or will VW America correct these issues to make sure I stay a loyal VW owner for years to come? I’m big on long term relationships. I don’t know the answer to my questions but I’ll make sure to update everyone on how this turns out!

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  Really like it. - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By flbntz - January 2 - 11:22 pm

  Elegant design, inside, and out. Understated. Stereo is great. Feel much smaller to drive than it looks. Feels very light, easy to drive. 1.8l turbo has some punch, especially with what feels to be the vehicles light weight.

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  Great Car - Best In Class - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By MWT - January 2 - 2:53 pm

  Test drove 2004 745LI, Audi A8L, Lexus 430 and the Phaeton is the better car. It took me 4 months to get over the VW emblem on a 73K car and to finally lease it. No major problems at all in 3 months of ownership. Dealer has been fantastic in their treatment. It really is a shame that the Mgt. at VW had to put the VW logo on this car. It should have been a separate line. However, VW just did the reverse of everyone one else. Lexus, BMW and Mercedes keep coming up with small cars to slap their logo on, and VW designed one very fine LARGE, ROOMY, SMOOTH AUTO. I have owned a BMW740IL, Mercedes E- 320, Lincoln Towncar. This Phateon by VW is the finest auto I have ever owned.