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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  Love and Hate Relationship - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By tmf12192 - November 20 - 11:28 am

  I loved my Passat, but hated when it went in for service. I work at a VW dealer so Im thankful for an employee discount otherwise Id had to get rid of this car long ago. It didnt matter if it came down to something as little as an oil change there was always something wrong. I owned my car 3.5 years and through 4 PA state inspections and it didnt pass any of them on the first try. I bought the car with 70k and trading it in on Tuesday with 115k on the odometer. Currently no check engine light, but to pass emissions it needs an O2 sensor and possible vacuum pump. After 3.5 years and almost 6k spent on service Ive had enough. I loved the look and feel of the car just not the upkeep.

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  POS in nice skin - 2014 Volkswagen CC
  By geo40 - November 20 - 11:07 am

  Its a money pit. Talk about high maintainance German cars. Have to replace the tires every 30K miles. Water pump went out at 60K. Oil leak at tensioner at 65K miles. Rear break pads wearing out before fronts. Each of those cost me over $1K a pop. Not good for a $35K vehicle when purchased new. Long time ago, I had a 1980 Datsun 510, carburator, manual. It went to 200K miles with oil changes only. Think the Germans have learned how to make reliable cars? They have not. They have learned very well how to drain your bank account. And for reference, Ive had a BMW Z3 and A Mercedez C240. Same high maintainance POS in pretty skin.

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  TDI - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Hunter - November 20 - 8:46 am

  Bought solely for the TDI and it has been flawless. However maint issues, susp noise, glove box latch (4th Ive seen), rear window leaks when lifted up via the wiper mount. Overall has been a good car, sat, CD, seats, and we love the sunroof. Mileage, best has been 42 hwy wo ac, 39 with, hoping for better, but it only has 9k miles. Free maint is good, but should cover more. Had to shop for a fair price so be careful, some dealers will bend you over the table. I would suggest highly an extended warranty, not feeling to safe. Sold my 08 TL Type S due to gas mpg and job change and wish I still had it due to the maint issues already on the VW.

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  Poor Mans Porsche...... - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Peter H. - November 19 - 12:20 pm

  I purchased my 2005 Volkswagen Touareg in July of 2005, just before the fuel prices hit the roof. So going into this from a Passat was a wallet killer, but I found if I turn off the anti-slip feature I get about 20-23mpg. I feel that this vehicle sat in the lot for a while, the paint on this vehicle is way below what youd expect for a SUV listing at $39,000 and that the dealership just wanted to get rid of it. But besides the dealer, I am very happy with the vehicle. It does great in the snow and ice and its such a mile eater on the highway I never feel tired after driving a few hundred miles at a time, its very refreshing. I wish it came with air conditioned seats, especially for the summer. Overall this is a great vehicle.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By cc - November 19 - 9:40 am

  I have been waiting for this SUV. I have always driven VWs, I traded my 2007 Rabbit for the 2009 Tiguan and I am thrilled with my purchase!!!

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  Consumer Reports Top Pick? - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By gojo - November 18 - 7:20 pm

  Two weeks after we bought the car, we were smelling oil. It took the dealer two weeks to fix all the leaks, they had to redo the top half of the motor. We later found out it was the second time these repairs were made in 40,000 miles - luckily all under warranty. It needed a new air sensor, two new air pumps, new a/c hoses, and new rotors. Both the front blinker assemblies fell out while driving the car (within eight months of each other). The parts man at the VW dealer said this happens frequently. All of these problems in 50,000 miles. Now it needs over $1,000 in preventative maintenance. What do you think?

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  Long term value - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By javoice - November 18 - 1:08 pm

  Lets see what I should say about this car: with $10,000 HPFP failures, sunroofs which doesnt close, doors which doesnt shut right, intercoolers which ice up in cold weather, rear cupholders which get stuck even after dealer fix it and more Fact: no car is perfect but also the fact is how many cars are out there which can devlep a mechanical failure which cost more than 1/3 of the price of the car to fix it? Another sad fact is the company which doesnt take responsibility to admit to the problem and blames the poor quality fuel. It is not like that the fuel quality was good here before! I made a mistake to buy one. Thats all! READ VW FORUM

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  Unfortunate Experience - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Former Passat Lover - November 18 - 11:00 am

  Everyone told me that I should expect at least 150,000 out of this car. Well, it just died at just over 100,000 miles. Perhaps that is not just a bad story, except that I had to get the engine rebuilt at 75,000 miles, the oil pan replaced at 50,000 miles (the dealer gave me a hard time about the warranty too!), and just about everything else replaced along the way. Since owning the car, I have spent probably about half of the purchase price just trying to keep it in working order (and I am a responsible driver who takes it in for all the checkups). Drivers beware.

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  Extensive repair time - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By charles gill - November 18 - 9:36 am

  I have had two instances of extended repair time due to lack of parts. The first, two weeks, was due to an air bag fault. Parts were not available. Six months later, another airbag fault, plus repeated fault warnings of various kinds, which disappeared after a short time. It was determined a new alternator was needed, Lowering the engine 6 inches was required to replace the alternator (2 day project). This did not fix the voltage problem and cables needed replacing. The cable need to be manufactured. I lost use of the car for over three weeks. I guess the cost of loaner vehicles is less than the cost of stocking parts. The low voltage, cable situation created the fault alerts.

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  Drivers Wanted......Driver Found - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Boldenwh - November 17 - 6:30 pm

  VW guys did their homework with 06 Jetta GLI. I purchased the 6M w/sunroof, leather and spoiler. This car looks great inside and out. Its balance between performance and fuel economy is hard to match. It is a very safe, quick, luxurious solid car with all the right touches. I like the painted brake calibers, mirror turn signals, etc. It is a perfect balance between sport and luxury appointments. This car simply turns heads. It delivers excellent power from the turbo. Other than that, the GLI was my clear choice over the 325i, Altima SE-R, Saab 9-3 and others. Great job VW!