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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  WATCH THE GAS GUAGE GO DOWN AS YOU DRIVE - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By bobseelos - November 11 - 8:48 pm

  Bought this 4 Motion CC as a model left over after the 2010s had come out on a $499 per month 36 mointh lease, 12000 miles per year. the big negative issue i have with htis vehicle is the gas mileage. Averages about 20 miles per gallon. Car has lots of pickup and is usually driven about 80 on the freeways so I guess this is the reason for the poor gas mileage.

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  No regrets - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By tk - November 11 - 8:03 pm

  It is 5 days since I bought a 09 CC and it is official - no buyers remorse. It is every bit as good as it looks. Drives like a charm, fun to handle and it surrounds u with luxury that is affordable compared to BMW 328(most boring car in this price range) /Audi A4/Accura - they simply do not match the style and finish of this baby. My kids love it and for a change my wife congratulated me on the selection - well that is quite an achievement :)!

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  I will never buy another Volkswagen - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By mary jean byrne-maisto - November 11 - 9:40 am

  2/17/17: I sold the car to a volkswagen enthusiast shortly after posting this review. VW dealer offered a paltry buy back amount. I sold it for Edmunds suggested price. Since then I bought a Subaru because I live in snow country. I have to admit I miss having a peppy, manual transmission. But the VW was NOT good in snow, and I still find it exploitative that they willingly misled the consumer. I have owned the car since 2011. I bought it for the mpg and low emissions. I had heard about the expense of maintaining a volkswagen because of high repair costs but bought it anyway. Within a year the door hinges started squeaking as if the car were 10 years old. After a year, I periodically notice a diesel fumes smell when I start the car. It comes and goes. When I asked the dealer about it, they didnt understand the reason and said they never found it. Finally, a professor at SUNY Morrisville in the Auto Tech school identified that it may be some type of self cleaning filter. There is no repair for it. It just happens. The road noise can hinder conversation. The car has needed more small things done in a shorter time than any other car Ive owned. Ive had 2 Subarus and Hondas and Toyotas. The dashboard is an odd mix of basic, old fashioned dials and updated more technologically advanced controls. I didnt mind that at first. I figured thats how they kept costs down. If it aint broken, dont fix it. But the first time I needed to adjust the heating system while driving, I changed my mind. The icons around the dial for heating and AC are small and not easily visible from the drivers seat. They are located at the bottom right of the control panel under the radio. The defrosters are not sturdy or efficient enough for the winter climate where I live, or even spring and summer foggy, humid rainy weather. Windows stay fogged for a long time, and the edges of the front windshield never fully clear of snow or slush. The back seat windows remain fogged. The heated seats are nice. It is not a great snow car despite excellent snow tires. I have learned to avoid particular hilly streets in the snow. I never had to do that with my other cars. It sits very low to the ground which can make exit and entry awkward and gives little clearance for dirt, mud, snow and gravel. The doors are also very heavy. There isnt much headroom but Im only 57" so I fit. My father at 5 11" did not fit easily. Driver visibility is poor on the right and left of the front windshield. Ive had multiple mechanical problems in addition to the door hinges that I did not experience on other cars at the same ages. The car is a difficult to repair. Frequently small parts cannot be acquired individually but must come as part of an entire assembly which elevates the costs of repairs considerably. Add to all of that the deceptions VW deliberately committed regarding emissions standards and the appeal of the car hits rock bottom for me. I will never buy another volkswagen.

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  Routan is the best van out there! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Kris* - November 11 - 6:50 am

  It drives like a solid car, more like a luxury car - very well made. And so i often forget its van. A brand new design and German engineering shows everywhere, leaving odyssey and sienna out in the dust.

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  Easy to Drive - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jordanv2323 - November 11 - 2:06 am

  Probably the eaisest car to drive. It is great for its day!!

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  Beetle Turbo S (Spicy) :-) - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Siman - November 10 - 5:03 pm

  I just bought it today and I drove it around the city with heavy rain. The performance is top notch! Very nice interior and exterior as well. Love the whole Turbo S Package. I got the dealer came down $1K below the sticker price! :-) YIHAA!

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  Great Car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By asl157 - November 10 - 3:46 pm

  In almost 80,000 miles of driving, I can honestly say this has been a great car. My dealership has been outstanding. Except for the two recalls that were handled promptly, all other service visits were for wear and tear items like normal light bulbs burn out, vacuum hoses need to be replaced, etc. Im not trying to be a VW apologist, but in my opinion a lot of the things that people complain about in this forum are maintenance issues, not reliability issues. Regarding the turbo/oil system issues, I have had no oil problems with this car, but I have used synthetic since I purchased this car. I think this should have been standard with a turbo engine, anyway.

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  Touareg the perfect 10 for midsize SUV - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By gisela - November 10 - 2:56 pm

  This vehicle is a perfect 10. Quality and performance what one expects from a solid, no mistakes superior build german vehicle. I know what I am talking about. I own a collision repair facility. Seing how some vehicles perform in crashes made me look even harder when I decided to by an SUV. I am absolutely thrilled and do not regret buying this vehicle one second. Recommend this vehicle highly. The fuel economy exceeded the posted sticker by far. I decided on the V6 with Pkg# 2, plus Sound System. Thats all I needed. Have several other vehicles, so this one is for my pleasure only. And what a pleasure to drive it is. Advise: Buy it!

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  Fun to Drive/Dog to Own - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By SPS - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I love to drive this car. Unfortunately, I cannot relax in this car due to the problems that I have experienced. When I picked up the car, the sunroof did not work. The brake light on the spoiler shorted out in less than 1 year. With premium gas, still had a bad fuel injector at 22,000 miles. Went for my first post-service warranty oil change to find out that I was short over 2 quarts of oil in less than 5,000 miles and required an engine flush. Mechanic thought car had 100,000 miles, not 30,000. I have taken excellent care of this car - I now check my oil at nearly every gas fill - and I get the feeling that the engine could go at any time.

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  No where to go - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Slugbug flu - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Problems from the start. The gas cap will not release. Battery died just after 2 years old. Dont ever jump start! A/C fan is dead. Starter dead. Brake cover fell off as did the mirrow button. Now the car has been in the shop 5 times for a over heating problem that they cant even seem to fix. The car has been a problem from the start. I have so many other things just no more room. VW hirer better engineers.