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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  Excellent 30-something Family Car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By FrankieO - June 4 - 11:36 pm

  I had my reservations about owning a -. family car. Being a "young" man I wanted something with style and get up and go. WOW was I ever surprised! I cannot say enough about this car. Its stylish, fun to drive, has all the bells and whistles and safety features, and the mechanical soundness of German technology.

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  Everything was great, until... - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lisa - June 4 - 10:43 am

  I have had this car for 5 years. It was doing great until I hit the 75,000 miles. I drive about 72 miles a day, so I understand that the ware and tear is a lot more then others. I had a warranty up to 100,000 and right when it passed 100,000 the "oil pressure STOP" light went on. According to what I have read, it looks like these models have a sludge problem. It looks like they have been having this problem for most of their passat models. They do have an extended warranty for 99-04, but not 05. Also, they make it hard to cover, because they want EVERY SINGLE piece of documentation of oil change services. Now Im stuck with this car, trying to figure out if its worth fixing or get rid of it

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  2010 Golf TDI 4-dr - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By Cincwoody - June 3 - 8:20 pm

  We sold our 2001 Golf TDI last fall when we moved to Europe, and opted to buy a 2010 Golf TDI this spring. It truly is an amazing car that delivers comfort, autobahn speed and efficiency in a very nice, well built package. The Edmunds.com review is spot-on in its evaluations. With only 2000 miles on the odometer our Golf VI TDI is getting 35+ mpg in mostly urban driving, and 40-45 mpg in highway driving at European speeds between 75 and 100 mph. Our Golf is a four door with the DSG manual-automatic transmission and the heating package and Bluetooth. Tons more fun to drive than a hybrid with comparable fuel economy. Superb car!

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  I love this car - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VR6-inside - June 3 - 2:00 am

  Well this is my second MKIII jetta. My last one was a GL and now i upgraded to a GLX. I love this car. It is so fun to drive. The VR6 is a great motor. I added intake and a preformance chip.... the car feels even better! Stock sound system is nice too.

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  The Coil Pack Story - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By popecomazombie - June 3 - 2:00 am

  If youre looking to buy a Gti, or any VW or Audi with the 1.8t or VR6 motor, then read on. Perhaps by now youve heard about VWs little problem with their ignition coilpacks. Long story short, they used a third party manufacturer and got burned. Inferior parts, a HOWLING VW customer base, and not enough of them to fix the cars that are already out there. Beware, 9k on mine, in the shop 3x now, once for brake recall, once for alarm going off mysteriously at 3:00 am, and now once for 1 of 4 coilpacks. I wonder when the three other little ticking time bombs are going to go off ? For more info, go to the forums at www.vwvortex.com

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  Fun car/Poor Qualty - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Treva Hagstrom - June 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a fun car but has been towed in several times. Several Headlights 5-8 Many window regulars 5 Electronic key entry About $350. This car has had 3 Batteries. This can only be installed by the dealer.They have to reset the computer. This cost about $135. Several other people have had the same Problem. We are not happy with the qualty.

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  Fun to drive, a pain to maintain - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By GTI703 - June 3 - 2:00 am

  It is fun and easy to drive in heavy DC traffic or on roadtrips. The car is very stable on the highway and it plows through winter weather. The biggest problem is the reliability and build quality which is horrible. The car squeaks and rattles like a 72 AMC Gremlin. The fuel system is a nightmare. My car has had constant prolems with fuel delivery. It was in the shop for nearly 3 weeks right after I bought it. When starting up, The gas revs and then the car stalls out. You have to pump the gas to keep it running The window regulator failed . It is under warranty but the dealer hasnt had one in for a month. .

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  Much bettern than Turbo - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By mike kawasaki - June 3 - 2:00 am

  The 2.8L engine revs up excellent in every gear. Had a test drive both Turbo and VR6, and I liked VR6 better because 6 manual shift was excacly cutting the butter feels.

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  Pleasure to Drive - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Satisfied in Sumner - June 3 - 2:00 am

  This platform of the Passat is based on the Audi A4 and utilizes the same Audi 1.8L T engine and 4-link suspension. The engine has great low end torque and top end speed. Matched to the 5-speed manual provides a great touring car. The fit-and-finish are typical German high-quality. Bought used w/ less than 16K miles in 2001 and have had zero problems (now at 34K miles). Great MPG for a high performance car (Note to Big 3: It can be done!). Comfortable front leather seats and interior. Monsoon Sound system is also a plus.

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  Awesome car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JARNO1 - June 3 - 2:00 am

  The TDI is an impressive car, it has more than adequate pickup for around town, and cruises effortlessly on the highway. What other car can you spin the tires in and at the same time get 53 miles per gallon on long trips. The build quality is very high, and VW has one of the best interiors ever made in this car.