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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  disposable car - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ruizd - February 26 - 2:10 am

  I bought a 2003 convertible beetle with 60k. one week after driving it i notice a hard shift, a few days after an oil leak was noticed. I took it a Volkswagen dealer and they did a diagnostic and confirmed what I told them, suggested that I do a transmission fluid check and it could fix the problem I said BS. I had read all the complaints about this car and my mechanic also told me that I should have never bought it, he pointed out the the transmission could not be serviced and all of the hoses are made of plastic that with heat they become brittle and break.. so I took my loss and bought a Honda accord. dont buy this car is disposable. I would never buy a volkswagen again..

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  Love/Hate Relationship - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Sarah - February 24 - 1:03 pm

  I bought this car just 3 months ago and the love of the car died very quickly. 2 weeks after having the car the check engine light came on and it needed a thermostat and temperature sensor ($600), then a few weeks after that the oil light comes on, cant figure out why, now 3 months later the moon roof has decided to pop up and down all on its own, its creepy, I have just gotten to the point that I laugh at the car when one of the lights comes on. I love the look of the car and its fun to drive, people wave at you and smile when they see you but Volkswagen did a horrible job at making this vehicle and really makes German engineering look bad. I will never buy another Volkswagen product again

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  After owning the Touareg for over a year - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By lhoward - February 20 - 10:20 pm

  This was my favorite of all time vehicle to own...for about a month. Before purchasing be well informed and do much investigating. Visit both nhtsa.dot.gov and peruse the complaints. I would also suggest the Forums on this site: visit the VW Touareg: Problems & Solutions forum for more insight before investing in this vehicle. This model has some very serious problems some of which involve safety that are not being acknowledged.

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  Ugh, was nice until...... - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By murkman - February 19 - 2:06 am

  Picked this car up in the summer of 07. Was a great car from the start until the first 10,000 miles, after that the the cash started flying out the windows. Oil changes every 5k miles cost around $80, every 10k miles major maintenance is recommended for around $300 - $500, headlights and taillights go out every 10K miles (especially after visiting the dealership), the airbag harness in the steering wheel snapped that was $600 (fought with VW corporate and explained that it was a safety issue not caused by me), Rear brakes had to be fixed at 35K miles for $400+, O2 sensor went out before 40K miles for around $400, Fuel additive maintenance $250, Front brakes just went at 65K for $400+....

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  Never again - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tang - February 16 - 9:00 pm

  The car was brought brand new, driven with great care, never been in accident, oil changed every 4000-5000 miles. But it died twice and had to be towed in 3 years, same problem - the secondary air pump filled with water! The drive train was covered 100K / 10 years, but that pump was part of the "emission system" so I had to pay $750 each time to have that fixed. The second time it happened I traded it in for a new Toyota 2 days later and never will walk into a VW dealer again.

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  1 yr with a CC - 2014 Volkswagen CC
  By vincevw329 - February 13 - 10:55 am

  This is my 3rd VW lease and 2nd with the 2.0turbo and DSG transmission, my 1st CC. I commute 7 miles 1way to work 3days a week and take a 200mi road trip 1-2 times a year. The strong point for the CC is the styling, progressive, swept back, very nice looking car inside and out. Driving is also a strong point, precise steering and a responsive turbo 4 and gearing coupled with a just soft enough euro ride lives up to "drivers wanted" campaign slogan that VW no longer uses. Overall its a comfortable, easy to drive car up for both highway cruising and commuting. Transmission can take some getting used to and VW should emphasize this more, occasional slow shifts in traffic can be dangerous.

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  Japanese for me - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By No Good - February 9 - 2:00 am

  Just like all of the other reviews here on Edmunds - drives and looks great with poor build quality and reliability (2002 model). In two years I have had it to the shop 7 times, including 1 tow. Lots of rattles from the dash and vents, broken radio and window motor, frozen doors (it snows/rains in Germany, right?), wouldnÂ’t shift out of park so I needed a tow to the dealer and now I have noticed the burning oil at 27K (smells like a 2-cycle motor the first 10 sec after starting in the cold). Average 24mpg with 70% highway driving.

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  Never stranded, but always annoyed!!!!! - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By IhateEngineLights - February 9 - 2:00 am

  I like the car. It is decent for milage and gas and getting me from A to B. I do not like going to the dealer to drop $160 so frequently to get a new Oxygen sensor. What the heck is that all about? Why do I have to see my obnoxious little engine light on **SO** much???????? It is too bad you can return cars, because I would have out of shear frustration.... Too new for these problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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  vw ok but too little - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By marenG - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I have to say I have not experienced such terrible luck. We bought the car at 20,000 miles and the O2 sensor problem was already fixed. We have had the drivers window drop into the door and had to replace the motor- a problem I hear others describing. The dash cupholder is junk- broken by 35,000 miles. Otherwise our Jetta has been mechanically fine. We are about to sell it to its 3rd owner but only because baby #2 is coming in december and the backseat is too TINY for 2 car seats! In fact few of our friends are able to sit back there b/c its so small. We find that the passenger has to sit with knees right against the airbag- and we are not that tall!

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  Nice Car but Under Powered - 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By gregw01 - February 5 - 8:04 am

  Ive had my 2013 Tiguan for 2 months now and the new car shine is wearing off. The car is under powered and lacks any pep. Conversely, to another reviewers comments about the weird shifting being improved. It must have been really bad in the past because my Tiguan really shifts weird, especially on hills. The Tiguan suffers from an issue in the 4Motion control in that it cannot distinguish between a steep hill and unsafe driving conditions. The car slows down dramatically taking away acceleration control up/down on steep hills. Not a car for the mountains!