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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  Do not spend any dime for this junk - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Luk - January 27 - 2:06 am

  Junk junk junk nothing more I can tell you. My car is is nice looking but I have a lot of friends in service. They saw me that many times. Turbo, ac, lights front, inside too, battery, starter, turbo valves, transmission. And much more. I grow up and I trade next week soonest when I pick up from a shop.

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  I will not get another VW again - - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By jaypc6711 - January 24 - 2:20 pm

  As a prior VW fan (4 times) ..It was with great regret I had to report back to Edmunds how shoddy I thought the Tiguan 2009 model was. I see were well into the 2011 timeframe now and newer versions are out, however, problems still persist. Sure, the service teams get it taken care of and paperwork is smoothed over. Driving it out of the dealership on Day 1 was pure bliss, but one seriously short-lived. The issue is with engine / instrumentation and vehicle performance. I had multiple Electronic Power Steering and Engine checklights appear during the past 2 years recently towed back by VW. I would be hard-pressed to get another VW

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  Would not lease again - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Alan Pedersen - January 15 - 3:33 pm

  Overall the car was comfortable with a few exceptions. The brakes when applied normally seemed to grab too hard at slow speeds. The front passenger seat was too low and not adjustable for height. The windows would fog up when it rained. The A/C would come on as a remedy (poor design). Offered no help when we asked to turn in lease early. Went to Hyundai dealer and they took care of the remaining payments and mileage overage, rolled them into the new Hyundai Tucson lease at a reasonable rate. I received a Turn In Settlement Invoice with a charge for One (1) tire that was apparently below tread spec. Seems odd. And if the other 3 tires were in spec it would seem to me to be a good customer service decision to drop the charge. I called and VW was completely rigid regarding this. Ill never set foot in another VW dealership as a result of the poor customer service.

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  Although I loved my Jetta... - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Colorado Driver - January 10 - 6:13 am

  The look and handle of this car (when its actually working properly) is great! I loved driving it and thought that it got very good gas mileage. Bought the car used with 26k on it and at 55k the water pump broke under warranty, replaced the driver side window (fell thru the door) the driver side rear view mirror (started falling off). All this was under warranty. Afterward the timing belt, alternator, battery, and fuel pump went out all before 84k! Also lost the CD player and AC converter has been problematic as well.

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  No Fun Any More - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By No Fun Any More - January 7 - 8:10 am

  I keep hearing about how great this car is, how long it will last. But I dont think my bank account can hold out that long. Initially, I loved this car, though I had little things go wrong. And the service is expensive (just to reset the engine sensor!). Now more and more major things are going wrong and I cant wait to unload it. What a disappointment, cause its fun to drive and gets good mileage. But not reliable... makes me nervous.

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  Over priced with all short falls - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jarnold - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Good, not great overall. GPS is accurate but has very poor software, lacking information that most other software(DeLorme) offers at a very resonable price. Buy a palm and software from DeLorme for less than half VWs cost and get ten times the information. Problems with rear seat belt and tricky back seats to lay flat. GM is much easier. Go with V8 not V6, more money but much more satifaction. Both engines get poor mileage, under EPA rateings. Premium fuel. Been back to dealer several times, still needs work. Very poor trade in value. How did so many people mistankenly decide this was a supposed outstanding vehicle?

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  2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By mia D - January 4 - 6:26 pm

  I am the 1st and only owner of vehicle. The car has had problems early on and at least one recall for an ignition coil. The check engine light keeps coming on and wont go off. I have had several repairs made to remedy problem and it still will not go away. Dealers just keep trying different things. The low oil pressure light came on and I had to make a $500.00 repair to get the intake valves replaced. I had the O2 sensors replaced. Camshaft sensor and adjuster replaced. Pretty soon I will have had to replace the whole engine. I also had front brakes and rotors replaced. Repairs on this car are very pricey. I even had a problem with water pooling in the back on the floor. Very problematic.

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  Beware the first model year of a VW - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ORDuck - January 4 - 8:00 am

  Ive had this car with Package 2 for about 3 weeks. Stereo made front doors rattle something fierce. Developed buzzing noise in dashboard. Took to car wash this weekend. When air drying portion hit the front doors I thought the panneling would come off it rattled so loud! And, the next day I discovered that it retained water INSIDE the back doors. Oh, and the outside mirrors make quite a wind noise at speed.

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  Buyers Beware - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By Remorseful Buyer - January 4 - 6:06 am

  I bought this car brand new in 2002. At first, everything was great. Good gas mileage. Sporty little car. Great for zipping around town and did well on road trips. However, it started having all sorts of problems after about 18-24 months, beginning with the "small" and annoying (head lights constantly burning out, display lights inexplicably going off and coming on, airbags needed replacement without ever having been used or the car being in an accident). Then, around 65,000 miles, the check engine light was constantly on. Then, the transmission blew and it needed a new timing belt, air sensor, alternator & more. It has cost me thousands to repair and has become a money pit.

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  My first and last VW - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jmay1 - January 2 - 10:26 pm

  I traded in my 2007 Volvo XC90 for the 2012 Touareg TDI and, 7 months later, I am trading it in with only 8400 miles on it. Since I bought it in September of 2011, I have had it in for service 6 times (AdBlue pump issues, check engine light has come on many times and the brakes squeal when in reverse). I love the styling, comfort and gas mileage, but its just not worth the headache and trips to the service department. I would have thought for what I paid for it, it would have been better in its class. I chose this over the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3 (which cost less) and I couldnt be more disappointed.