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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  Just purchased in March 2016 - 2016 Volkswagen Golf
  By R Lynch - September 17 - 10:49 am

  Bought a loaded (except Nav) Golf 4door TSI SE in March and love it so far. I think the value of these cars exceeds the competition. The build quality seems like Audi which I have owned in the past. The dealership was also great to deal with. If you are looking for a hatchback you must include the VW Golf TSI in your test drive line-up.

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  Best Ive ever owned. - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jim Washington - September 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive driven many cars over the last 40 years including BMWs and Volvos. The Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4Motion is the best car Ive ever driven extensively. The 4Motion adds substantially to the ride, stability and handling of the car. It corners better than full blown sports race cars of 25 years ago. At 80 miles an hour it is also the quietest car Ive ever had. Seat configuration and support is so good that an eight or nine hour drive is comfortably doable. The additional winter capability of the all wheel drive is icing on the cake.

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  4 years of HELL - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By gallagherx - September 17 - 10:00 am

  This car has subjected me to numerous problems over the past four years (excluding the horrendous problems posed by the dealership!). The passenger side window falling into the door driving across Canada! The headlights have burnt out numerous times and the cost of repair is outrageous.

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  Unhappy VW owner - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ercan - September 17 - 10:00 am

  We loved the car but we had enough. First one headlight and both fog lights went out (in 6 months). Dealer HAD to remove the bumper for $500 to replace fog lights. Within 1st year motor for the rear window broke, CD player did not work for a while, some coil problem required another joyous trip to the dealer. The day running lights went out/fixed again. Just when we hoped not to see the dealer for a while we realized that one headlight was pointing down and took it back, only to be told that GREAT VW Engineering placed an ingenious $400 pulley to hold the lights, which had been broken. Now we r trading it in!

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  Sporty and reliable wagon, fun to drive - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TMcLean - September 17 - 10:00 am

  Have had 0 (zero) problems with my 03 Jetta 2.0 wagon, my first VW after many Hondas. While I cant knock Hondas, Im impressed by the Jettas step up in ride, general refinement and classy manners. The 2.0 wont put you ahead of the pack but theres plenty of oomph for the average driver. Great 5-sp shifter, superb sound from the standard CD/radio/cassette system, great bump- smoothing ride, good looks inside and out, whats not to like? And given the plethora of standard features I rate it high for value. It makes me smile every time I drive it.

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  Rough Shifting - VW Needs To Fix!!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By pj - September 17 - 12:56 am

  I would not buy another because of the shifting issue. The van surges at times when shifting into second gear and downshifting. Reported to VW shortly after driving off the lot - new. NO response from VW NA. They offered to let us trade it for a Touareg but the dealer would not work out a deal that was affordable. In the end we are upset at VW and not thrilled about the sales manager at this site. The van is a nice kid hauler. We plan to keep it for 3 years and then dump it IF VW does not fix the issue.

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  Good Car overall! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By josh - September 15 - 11:53 pm

  My car has 110k miles the engines is still strong, when I purchased it had an air intake installed so the gas mileage is not the best. I get about 315 miles per tank. It is fun to drive and lovely in the winter with those heated seat to bad I cant say the same for the summer. If you are looking for a nice (sport) car this is definitely a must. Always use gas with 91 octanes or higher if not you will lose power and also the check engine light will always be on, emission workshop.

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  Brakes - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Corey - September 15 - 10:36 am

  This is my 3rd VW Jetta. I have driven these vehicles for over 10 years now. This one is nice, but the 5 cylinder burns much more than my last 4 cylinder and without much more pep. My real complaint is the brakes, I am at 23,898 miles and about to change the rear brakes, AGAIN, for a cost of around 370 dollars. Coming from vehicles (VW included) that I went almost 50,000 miles on rear brakes this is disturbing to say the least. Still a great car, a few flaws and electronic issues as every Jetta I have owned or known anyone to have owned has had and would still recommend it if they fixed the brakes. Hope this helped.

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  VW JETTA - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Superdude - September 15 - 4:26 am

  AWSOME CAR!!!!!

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  Okay - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By srs1997 - September 14 - 10:57 pm

  A car that has good overall features for price. Build quality has been okay minus a few spots where roof cloth has come down. Easy controls, but have had trouble with manual seat control.