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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  Loving This Car So Far - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By onthevirg - June 14 - 5:16 pm

  I shopped around, and the Volkswagen GTI seemed to offer the best bang for the buck as far as features and options are concerned. I had a 2002 Turbo Beetle, but this car is much more fun to drive and more comfortable to boot. It has no turbo lag, tons of torque, handles well, and interior is very nice. I like having the 6 speed transmission to run on the freeway at much lower RPMs. I only have 250 miles on it so far, so my initial impressions are all positive, except for the stereo, which lacks bass on the low end. The Monsoon sound system in my Bug sounded much better. The steering wheel they threw in this car is nice too.

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  Love my Jetta - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anthony - June 14 - 4:21 pm

  I bought my 16 Jetta TSI about 6 weeks, and 2,000 Miles ago (I do love driving it.) You may ask, why didnt I rate it 100% in everything? Heres why: -Shifting: clutch feels very springy to me, drive by wire accelerator is hard to get used to, constantly over revving during shifts. -Getting in/out: Transitioning from a pick up truck, Im just not used to it yet. -Instrumentation: I could use a voltmeter. -Outward visibility: Horrible blind spot around the rear quarter panel/ C Pillar -Fuel economy: youre going to get good milage (30-35MPG Average) but as with any turbo charged gas engine, you want to put 91-93 octane in, it runs so much smoother. you can expect to spend about the same if youre transitioning from a 3.6 liter V6 engine (or similar) like myself. WHY I STILL LOVE IT -Fun to drive (I defiantly recommend the 1.8T) -sporty, modern AND luxurious (amazing seats, for any average sized guy like myself. There are so many seat adjustments though, Ill bet almost everybody would be able to get comfortable) -still affordable

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  Best car I ever bought - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By chris - June 14 - 11:13 am

  Bought this car used with 22,000 and five years old. Hands down the best purchase I have ever made. This car truly enjoys driving 80mph. This is my wife daily driver and used when we go on vacations and is just alot of fun to drive. We have had no problems at all and regret paying for the extended warranty since we never got to use it. This was our first VW and were looking into buying another and getting ride of my Dodge.

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  Great car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cptrguru - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Ive been VERY pleased with my Jetta. Worst gas mileage to date is 42 mpg and have had as high as 53 on the highway. I filled up before I left in Kansas City and had a little over 1/4 tank left by the time I hit Dallas, doing 80+ the whole way. Diesel engine suggests changing the 100% synthetic oil ever 10,000 miles, which saves a few bucks. Ive put 32,500 miles on since I bought it and the only problem Ive had is the radios ground cable needing replaced (which the dealership did at no cost and provided a courtesy car). Interior is fantastic and standard features are far better than comparative cars for the price. Poor- man’s BMW!

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  Love that diesel - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brian & Candace - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Have only had the car for a couple of weeks, but really like the ride and handling of it. For someone who grew up on a farm and has been around diesel powered vehicals for a while the sound of the turbo winding up from a stop light is pure music.

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  2008 VW EOS VR6 - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By shivnarc - June 13 - 7:10 pm

  Fun to drive, lots of standard features because with VR6, a lot of things are standard. using the DSG provides a fantastic driving experience. the in-dash 6 CD player is convenient as is the iPod adapter. remember this is a SPORTY car, not a SPORTS car, as long as you aware of that fact you will not be disappointed.

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  What a value! - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Matt - June 13 - 5:03 am

  This car is of tremendous value. I have no idea what Edmunds was thinking, but my Jetta Sport MT is by far the best value I have seen in its class. While the MSRP is high, the dealer incentives and negotiating ability can easily knock the price down on this car anywhere from 3k-6k depending on your geographic location. My car just barely exceeded $18,500 after negotiations and VW Credit incentives, and has a 2-tone leatherette interior, really nice sport rims, a deck lid spoiler, navigation, CarPlay, and one of the best touch screens I have seen in the automotive market. It has a backup camera and all the other bells and whistles competitors have. Driving wise, the manual transmission is a medium throw that has very positive engagement, and the cars grip to the road is solid to say the least. The engine. The 1.8T is in my opinion VWs best value of money and delivers an exceeding satisfying punch in the back off the line. The steering, however, is dull and totally disconnected from the road. This isnt a deal breaker, especially with all of the other equipment packed into this bargain car. The trunk is ENORMOUS. The seats are hugging, soft, heated, and comfortable. The rear seats have a 60/40 split fold and even have a ski shoot in the middle. What more do you want from a car? For $18,500, youd be hard pressed to find an LX civic with half the equipment in this car. Well see how the reliability is, but for the life of my lease Im not concerned. My advice is to skip the SE and SEL, and go straight to the sport model for the best value in the market. You wont regret your decision!

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  First Review - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Greyman99 - June 13 - 1:43 am

  I have only owned my Rabbit for a couple of weeks, but already know I will not regret the purchase. It is sensible for an in-city driver like me (3-5 miles/day most days). You get a lot of car for a little price, without throwing the extra $6,000 down for the GTI version. This car is very stylish and remarkably roomy inside (my parents are jealous--they have a new Beetle). Plus, unlike a lot of the 2-door Hatchbacks coming out (the Yaris at $11,000--ha--only if you barely have air-conditioning), the Rabbit comes pretty loaded at the base package. It has power everything, cruise control, etc. I am looking forward to the accessories packages to outfit the base model (be warned: floor mats are not standard, for some reason).

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  Mines been wonderful! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By agarcumaa - June 12 - 6:33 am

  Im guessing that happy customers like myself have been too busy driving and enjoying instead of writing reviews. However, Im getting ready to sell my Jetta and felt a need to chime in. Most people I know who own these, love them. Mine has been wonderful, with no more problems than what I would expect from any car. The interior is very nice and the quality is overall, outstanding. The worst problem Ive had with my Jetta has been other people hitting it with their car doors while parked. The power of the 180 hp turbo is a lot of fun. The 5-speed manual transmission could be better, but its still a lot of fun (it feels "rubbery"). I am now a big VW/Audi fan and will truly miss this car!

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  VW Phaeton W12 - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By northsteel - June 11 - 10:00 am

  The best car I have ever owned. Previous cars BMW 750il, Lexus LS 430.