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 mileage and good car - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nimble1_42 - December 14 - 11:50 am

  I bought this vehicle to lower my fuel cost while driving for my job. I went to Atlanta to purchase because the local dealers wanted to sell above list. In 15 minutes on the Internet I had a better deal, so shop around. The car rides and drives very well. No problems to date. I really enjoy driving it and would highly recommend it to anyone. The only negatives are local dealers service and pricing. You will need to shop around for quality scheduled maintenance which is a big cost compared to other cars. That is my only negative. The car requires special oil and ATF fluid. All the changes have to be done at the dealer. Your local quick oil change will not touch it.

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  Fun to drive and reasonably priced - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike Beattie - December 14 - 6:24 am

  First and foremost, this car is fun to drive. There are a few minor shortcuts on the interior (hard plastic components), but I dont view that as much of a detractor. The entertainment features feel modern and can be amazing if youre using CarPlay. Ive always been a fan of the control layout in a VW, and this one is no different. The touch screen UI present in the 2016 models is more responsive than I expected and works well with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The biggest issues Ive noticed is that the car is a little slow to accelerate under certain conditions and the navigation system is pretty terrible (but again, amazing if youre using CarPlay — or, presumably, Android Auto). Every once in a while, I have trouble putting it into reverse, but I may just need some time to get use to it. Also note that you cant use CarPlay wirelessly: you need to plug your phone into the cars USB port (which is a touch more snug than Id like). The wireless gap is less a VW problem and more an Apple problem; I understand the standard for wireless CarPlay was released only recently. In general, Im very happy with my purchase. I feel like I got a lot of car with the features I car about for a price that was actually pretty reasonable.

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  1.8T spirit - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By faithaa - December 13 - 9:43 pm

  First new car I ever purchased - after test-drive speeding up a long hill with the 5-spd, just had to have it! Winter package great for MN. Dealership replaced ignition coils on recall w/o problem; now seat heater is on recall. This car "floats" on highway, is smooth in city, turbo kicks in at low speed. Gets respectable gas mileage - up to 39- 40 highway on cruise control. Love the nighttime lights and overall look. Large trunk w/pass-through. Only real issue is fuse on windshielf fan-blower that blew twice in two months last winter - dealer couldnt find cause.

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  Too much fun! - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Ann - December 13 - 5:46 pm

  I have to admit it...this is a fun car. The turbo gives it a lot of pick up, especially when youre merging into traffic. You cant help but feel young and happy when driving it. It sure does beat my mini-van!

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  2nd TDI I own: Spirited Driver! - 2012 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By monkfarm - December 13 - 5:43 pm

  Wonderful car! This wonderful car has it all: great braking, comfortable seats in front, great handling, adequate power, smooth shifting, great fuel economy. This car is fun to drive, it accommodates my leadfoot with great fuel economy (usually 41 with mixed city hwy with air conditioning, wife: 44.) I dont feel bad about cruising the speed I want to drive because Im not putting that much fuel in it. We have 3 dogs, and with luggage is fairly comfortable for long trips (210 miles to my folks.) The exterior design has grown on me. The back folds down into a smooth platform which the dogs love, and I carry supplies to my country home with ease. I love it!! 10,000 miles on it so far.

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  Its a good daily use car - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kevin0206 - December 12 - 1:28 pm

  I bought an used 2011 2.5 version. Its good for daily use, and it gives you power when you put in sport mode or manual. I like it.

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  I just lost $8000...... - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By T - December 12 - 8:42 am

  Dont get me wrong, I love this car. It drives great and is beautiful. But due to having a family of 5, two young hockey players, I had to get something bigger. Heres where I start to hate this car. I purchased it used just a year and a half ago for $21,000. I checked kbb and nada at the time and that was the value. I now owe the bank $18000. And the car is worth $10,000.....oh my lands! Never in my life have I been upside down in a loan. The car is in excellent condition and has half the miles its supposed to, so how the heck did this happen?!!! I will never buy another vw for this reason.

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  2007 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dj - December 12 - 1:36 am

  Overall, I like the car but, they need to go back to the drawing board with the drivers seat. It is not comfortable if you have a short torso and I have to use a lumbar cushion if I drive very far. The seatbelt receiver is very low if you have to elevate the seat (it elevates up and forward) and it is so rigid (not like the flexible, higher version used for the passenger seat) that it causes the seatbelt "handle" to jab deeply into your hip and cause severe bruising. I am an average sized person and have never had this type of problem with any car that I have driven in 30 years. Be sure that you test drive the car with the seat adjusted to your fit and drive it around awhile.

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  VW - look what you made me go through - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By E - December 11 - 10:06 pm

  Bought this one brand new, first week the wiper blade motor failed on a rainy night on fwy 101. 13 warranties were done on first two years of ownership. For the past 4 years, I had 20 visits to the dealership including oil change, recall, warranties so I am always there every 3 months. I had an oil change done on the 50k mileage and took it back to the dealer when i found oil leaks. They changed the drain plug but after 2 days I need to bring it back to the dealer for more oil leak. Brought it in the morning, then they cant find the source of the oil leak I was told to leave it overnight. Spent so much money for regular maintenance all done through dealers. So unfair, VW. Youre so unfair.

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  45 MPG at the speed of diesel - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Greg - December 11 - 3:26 pm

  The Jetta TDI is just a fantastic car. Its fun to drive, insanely reliable, easy to maintain, and well equipped. Since its a TDI, the gas mileage is out of this world!