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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  2000 Volkswagen Jetta - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tbone - March 14 - 9:10 pm

  This car is a lot of fun to drive and gets great MPG. Weve taken many long trips and use it as the commuter car (300+ miles per week). The paint still looks good after 7 1/2 yrs. Dont like the cup holders quality or placement above the radio (hard to use radio controls).

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  Excellent purchase! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By vampirecat019 - March 14 - 1:06 pm

  Ive had my Passat for two years now, and besides regular maintenance and a few repairs I could do myself (Aged plastic hoses, etc.) which ANY car would need replaced at 120,000 miles, it has been an excellent purchase! There are a lot of reviews on here saying the Passat is junk, but if you cant properly inspect a car to see if it has been maintained like any car should before you buy it, youre a moron, and have no right to slander a perfectly good car. After initial purchase with 110,000 miles, I changed the water pump and timing belt myself. Yes, I had to take off the front bumper. Boo Hoo! This is one of the EASIEST cars Ive ever owned to work on. Ive had an RX-7, Impreza, Accord.

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  Love/hate relationship - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TK - March 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Jetta. I have replaced the water pump, power steering pump (all under warranty), ignition coil and wires (cost $400!). At this point, I only have 30,000 miles on the car and I worry that it will turn into a major nightmare. I have a current problem with a very rough idle and start, but the dealer says there is nothing wrong with it. I love the design, handling and performance, but I am disapointed with the quality. My cupholders, and armrest have all broken and been fixed. My back seat cupoholder is now broken again. My other problem with the car is that it squeaks and rattles a lot....good thing for the nice monsoon stereo.

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  Smooth and reliable - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By hiwaysanity - March 13 - 2:00 am

  In the past 2 years the car has performed nearly flawlessly. The only warranty issues were a broken rear seat belt guide, and a dissembled rear ashtray. It starts and runs willingly, accelerates energetically and handles predictably and securely. On the highway it cruises very smoothly, and has exceeded 30 mpg on several occasions. The cruise control is the most accurate I have ever used.

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  Rattle and HUMMMM - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brad M. - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Overall this is a very well designed and built car. For the money it feels and drives like a more expensive car. However, my car suffered from door rattles over bumps which the dealer was able to fix after two attempts. WIND NOISE is a problem the dealer has not been able to fix. The drivers door does not seal properly agains the frame of the car causing excessive wind noise above 50 mph. Also, the dashboard is not properly aligned between the doors resulting in a considerable gap between the drivers door and the dash. CHECK FOR THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS BEFORE BUYING.

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  Fun Car to expensive - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ant - March 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in 01 but the 02 were out so I got a deal on it. Its fun to drive handlkes great but the interior catches evcery piece of lint, cup holders suck, the radios rear speakers seem to have a problem; brought them back twice dealership cant figure it out, and two days off the lot i had to bring it back they replaced all the brake pads. VW makes a decent car but they charge for a great car. Either they need to lower the cost or increase quality.

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  Good price for a good car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Xin - March 13 - 2:00 am

  A very valuebale car!

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  Good deal on family sedan - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ingrid Gardner - March 12 - 6:12 pm

  Actually I originally purchased this vehicle to do a business. After the business did not work out profitably. i found myself thinking of selling the car for about a min. After really thinking about the fact that the trunk room is enormous , leg room in front and rear are adequate road for someone 6"4 like my son can actually lay down in the back seat. I could not part with it. It is clean bland and German . Classic lines no complications or surprises. Great gas mileage , take 87 unleaded can get at least 458 miles on a full tank before refill, Great road car . Great individual climate controls, sunroof. Can add navigation later from dealer for about 1800.00. It is not diesel so whatever the problem is with emissions complaints with the diesel you will not have that problem with this car. Plus it just looks like it will look good for a long time. Im going to pay additional to put a clear coat on it. I like the chrome grille and the chrome around the car windows it gives it a real refined look. When I want fun i just jump into my 06 Infiniti . This is a safe , practical grown up car. Im retiring soon so this just suits me fine. Check it out for yourself. An actually wheelchair plus luggage can fit into the trunk.

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  Was at the top of our list - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Ken Busi - March 11 - 1:18 am

  Overall I thought this was a great option, one of the best in the class that we tested. We did not buy as at the time we were shopping it was a brand new vehicle and there were no deals to be had. This size SUV is in a crowded field and there are many other options.

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  My Touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By KAILITTLE - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This car is well made and a great performer. The interior is too small in the back seat and it has a very small area in the back for hauling/luggage. If you have small children and dont need to carry much, this is the SUV. It is dependable, easy and fun to drive. You get more options for the price than other SUVs in this category. The VW SUV has more horsepower than the Lexus SUVs and VW has a strong history of reliability.