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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  Great Car for your MONEY - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Installs + Plus - July 22 - 2:00 am

  this car is like a wolf in sheeps clothing.Lets just put it this way I surprise alot of drivers when they have to take a better look at the trunk emblem and see that its a VR6.I purchased this vehicle with the 17" upgraded sports package and also modified the suspension by replacing with neuspeed. When I first bought the car I loved it but it was to high. It looks like a SUV until I changed the suspension (night and day difference.) Overall the car is great. I truly recomend this car if you want something practicality and understating. I personally love the 330ci bought I want to sleep at night. ENJOY YOUR VW THEY ARE GETTING MUCH BETTER THEN THEY USED TO BE!

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  Sharpest Looking Compact on the Street - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By golfrisk - July 22 - 2:00 am

  When I was considering by my first VW, I was a little concerned about their reliability track record. Im now happy to report my 2002 (2.0 L) Jetta has run almost flawlessly for its first 30,000 miles! It is an absolutely fun car to manuever throuogh heavy Atlanta traffic.

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  Peppy car with lots of repairs - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By twincitiesvwdriver - July 21 - 2:06 am

  I bought this car in 2002 used and at first the car was fun to drive. It has a lot of pep, gets a lot of looks, exterior styling is good. I have put on 50,000 miles since I got it and have had nothing but problems since about the first 6 months. This car has had electrical problem after electrical problem. Left me stranded on the side of the road and without a car time after time. The check engine light has not been off in 2 years even after countless very expensive trips to the dealer repair shop. Unfortunately, I think this car is so fun but I have been so burned by it I would not recommend even buying a VW to anyone.

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  Dont Buy It - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mrturner - July 20 - 9:39 pm

  Since Edmunds site crashed and lost my last review this will be brief.

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  200,000 mile Passat Wagon - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Scott - July 20 - 11:16 am

  Great car! Low cost of ownership, fast, handles well, good gas mileage. Very European firm ride however. I put 165,000 of the 200,000 miles on it. Runs like the day I bought it. I guess I got a good one!

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  Best Car Owned to Date - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By bkc_wlc - July 20 - 6:20 am

  The Passat has a great feel of the road with outstanding interior fit and finish. This car is quick, responsive, has great options and solid build quality. The 4-cyl. turbo cant be topped for the price. At $23,200 new at the end of 2002. This is they greatest car on the planet and I still love it at the end of 2006.

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  Love the car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jake61 - July 20 - 1:53 am

  First volkswagen. Wanted high mileage without the hybrid junk. What we got was a very powerful car that sips diesel so cleanly you cannot tell its a diesel by sound or smell. Amazing car that is so fun to drive, comfortable, and handles like a european sports car should. You can drive all day on longer trips without fatigue or discomfort. I cant think of a single thing Id change and so far at 7000 miles not one issue-better than the Honda it replaced.

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  If you drive you will buy it - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By stluis51 - July 19 - 8:33 pm

  Ive had my Candy White GTI now for 2 weeks. Im very happy with the purchase. Researched for 6 months and cross shopped civic si, speed3, wrx and after all was said and driven the gti won by far. This car is sporty, quiet, super fun, and spacious. The comfort while driving is almost luxury car like but still very capable. Fuel economy is also very good for a car this fun. Nice shifter. Only option worth getting are the xenons and rubber mats. The rest is overpriced and you really dont need it. Also a consumer reports top pick, automobile mag car of the year. Be sure to haggle got my for $22000 with xenons and free mats also got the 1.9% financing which is awesome. No buyers remorse at all.

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  Fun, small wagon - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By eapj - July 18 - 10:50 pm

  So far, so good with my 03 1.8T manual wagon. I have had other VWs and wanted a small but sporty wagon and I picked this one up certified pre-owned in September 2006 with 34k miles on it. I have had to replace wear and tear items (brakes, etc.) but I have get to have a mechanical problem with it. Sure, it has quirks (sunroof sometimes opens by itself; cupholders are useless but I dont use them anyway; sometimes te rear hatch doesnt like to open). To me, these are minor annoyances that dont impact my love of the car. I plan to run it into the ground since there arent any fun, small wagons on the market I like (new Jetta too large). So far, so good at 82k miles.

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  Love It - 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By chris - July 18 - 7:50 pm

  Ive had my Tiguan for 4 months now and I LOVE it. I find something new to like almost every day. The pickup and handling are wonderful. Not a single problem so far. The sunroof is awesome! The seats are really firm and comfortable. I get much better gas mileage than advertised, Ive been averaging 28 MPG.