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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  gas gauge - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sorryIbought - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had every part of the the fuel system replaced. the gas gauge moves from full to the 3/4 mark after only driving 20 miles. I never know how much gas I actually have. I am currently trying to get rid of it. My fourth VW I guess I was do for a lemon.

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  NOT A RELIABLE CAR! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By saint13 - January 1 - 1:11 am

  I have a 2005 Volkswagen jetta GLI. At 65,000 miles, my timing belt snapped and it left me on the side of the highway. Had major costly engine damage. Since then the fabric has been coming off all over the interior of the car. It constantly needs to be in the shop. It worked great but its not reliable due to the fact at 60,000 plus miles its a mechanical nightmare!

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  AMAZING CAR!!! - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By Artem - December 31 - 5:14 pm

  Simply best in its segment. Test driven many competitors, but VW PASSAT definitely stands out. Excellent handling and brakes, awesome road experience, quality interior, great infotainment system, catchy design (I leased the R-Line model), and many more. Definitely recommend this car, especially with current deals from Volkswagen.

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  Disapointed in Volkswagen as a first time customer - 2016 Volkswagen Passat
  By Patrick Hay - December 31 - 3:08 pm

  I purchase a 2016 R-Line Passat within the first week was back for alignment and not 4 weeks after owning found spots on hood and the dealer wants to keep a 4 week old car for a week and a half to repaint the hood. The biggest disappointment is the misleading pricing by VW and complete lack or support and knowledge of the car wanted to have Remote Start installed relatively common and listed as option on VW sit for $246 MSRPP. Dealer wanted to charge $1200 saying multiple parts needed to be replaced. I found VW published document that stated that was not needed the document was attained from a VW site and was copyright protected by VW. VW denied that it was their document and incorrect. After a month trying to track this down Dealer finally admitted the VON check was coming up incorrect in the system not reflecting the lighting package. Now the car has been at the dealer for 2 days they cant get the remote starter installed and now need to get a part that is going to have to come from Germany and take 15 days to arrive. I have Contacted customer care and have been told for week they will get back to me next business day and they have not provided anything of substance. Terrible experience as first time VW customer the support is horrible!

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  Strive for Perfection - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By sedan - December 31 - 6:50 am

  Recaro seats would be a nice addition to this car. I find that the upper leg support in its current seats is not right. By extending the lower seat length frationally along with better upper and lower side bolsters the driving experience would be better. A DSG transmission would be a welcome addition. My wife is a curb lover. Is there any way to design a wheel that could help prevent this prevent this problem? We have found in this recent 100 degree weather that keeping the car cool is rather difficult, especially in the rear. My personal driving experiences with the car have been very enjoyable. Its drivability has been taught yet compliable. Its performance has been excellent and trouble free. Keep making cars that exude quality, reliable, and are fun to drive!

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  Could be better. - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RN - December 31 - 5:13 am

  I have owned this car for approximately 3 months. I have 10,856 miles on the odo. The average "real world" economy w/o soft peddling (driving like hybrid owners) is 36.5 mpg combined cycle of which I would say 80% of my miles are highway. I feel that this car could give much higher fuel economy by simply adding a 7th gear or OD for the highway. If you drive the vehicle, you will notice that the engine revs at a higher rpm. With diesel engines having very good low end torque, dropping the revs by 400 rpm could boost fuel economy to a level that could surpass any hybrid in the market.

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  Right Choice - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By HappyInCbus - December 30 - 9:56 pm

  I am a recent college grad. who just started his first real job, and needed a new car. My old car was on its last leg, so I started test driving everything (Camry, Avalon, G35, Mazda6, Altima, A4). I was all set to lease an Altima, but the CC was my last car to look at, and it blew me away in person! In my opinion, it is one of the top 3 or so best looking cars, regardless of price. I have already had 5 different strangers come up to me and ask what kind of car it was (nice ego boost by the way). Its a blast to drive, and nice to have a "worry free" warranty that lasts for the life of the lease (3 years, 36K mi.).

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  Fun but tempermental - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By tim d - December 30 - 9:36 pm

  Bought this car new in 03. Blue Anthracite with Grey Leather. Very well appointed and good performance. Drove great, had the feeling of a safe and heavy car. Had problems that I would not expect of a fairly new car: Short Brake Life, including warped rotors. Bad Breaklight Switch, $900 alternator replacement, a battery that only the dealer can replace (not good when it goes out on Sat. night). 2 bad CV boots. Oil leaks. Improper alignment burned up 2 new tires. Ridiculous price on 40K and 80K maintenance. When this car was getting near 80K, I sold it on Craigslist and bought a Honda. I could not stomach another trip to the dealer for them to find more stuff wrong.

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  Buyers Beware!! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Peter - December 30 - 7:50 pm

  I bought my 2002 vw used in 2005 from a dealer with and purchased a 5 yrs/100000 miles extended warranty and it was a "certified used vehicle". At 72000 miles (2007), the engine was replaced and at 75000 miles (2007) the transmission failed becasue a bolt which hold the transmission to the engine was missing!?? Dealer said the warranty has expired on Jan.2007? Came to find out that the extended warranty that vw offered covers not 5 years from the date of the purchase, but 5 years from the model year 2002- 2007!?

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  2003 Volkswagen GTI - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By TMullen - December 30 - 2:00 am

  The 2003 Volkswagen GTI is a very quick, very peppy car. It is absolutly a blast to drive and also a very reliable car. After Im done with this one, I plan on buying another.