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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  best of the wagons - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By ralph turley - June 10 - 10:00 am

  compared with other wagons, passat is the best value. others in the same class were either too expensive or too small

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  Wish it was from Germany! - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By SignDoc - June 10 - 9:27 am

  I bought one of the first Tiguans (SEL Premium 4 Motion) in July. I have owned many other VWs (Touareg, Jetta, etc) and many other German makes. I wanted a more simple car though, one not to worry about as much as my last (Porsche Cayenne Diesel). I like the styling of the new Tiguan but have some concerns. Below is the good and the bad: GOOD: Nice styling and lots of room, safety technology on the SEL Premium is excellent it can almost drive itself with the adaptive cruise and lane departure capability, the digital cockpit is very cool, MPG is at 30mpg combined with actual calculation (hope VW isnt cheating somehow as its much better than the window sticker and I have the 4 motion too), very quite ride, relaxing to drive. NOT SO GOOD: Build quality is concerning. I feel Audi / VW is making a huge mistake producing these cars out of Puebla. It is clearly evident in this vehicle and the new Q5 as well. There are loose trim pieces on the exterior, some pieces dont line up. The leather seat quality is inconsistent. My driver seat leather looks great, the passenger seat is all wrinkled. I noticed this in the Audi Q5 too, you would never see this out of Germany. I am amazed how they left all the part stickers and identification throughout the vehicle. As for other areas that are concerning, the engine power and noise is not good, it feels cheap and under powered and its loud inside the car....not a good loud either. The steering is light and the handling is OK, but it doesnt have a VW personality or feel at all. The seats are comfortable, but not as comfortable as the seats on my sons previous Jetta....they dont have enough thigh support. The electronics are spotty, sometimes it takes a few minutes for the satellite radio to connect and sometimes the Android Auto freezes up the entire infotainment. Perhaps some of the issues are a result of the first model year of the new design, but I dont know if I will continue to buy anything that comes out of Pueblo, the quality just isnt there.

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  This car is a piece of JUNK!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DosGattos - June 10 - 2:26 am

  This car is a piece of junk. At first it was great to drive and I had no problems. Once the check engine light came on in 2008 I have had nothing but problems. I cant count on one hand the times the coils have been changed. The sunroof opens on its own, speakers are intermittent, doors wont lock, lights burn out, brakes wear quickly,etc.. Right now it is sitting in my driveway because the engine light is on again (2nd time in 3 months) and it shakes horribly and smokes. Dont buy this car!!

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  Hate this truck! - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Hate my Toureg - June 8 - 5:56 pm

  In the past 16 months we have had too many electrical problems to count; not to mention off the top of my head: 6 radio changes, many wood panel replacements (they crack in the heat & cold - go figure) a leaking moon roof, the power windows have no power at the moment, a squeak in the wheel that the service department "cant figure out", the computer system for the car reads one thing and the service department says another. We have had no luck or help from VW USA - they have "been reviewing the case" for months, no one ever calls us back after promising to do so. Dont not buy this car - i am trading it in tonight for a Ford Explorer - at least at Ford they call me back. Good riddance!

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  Solid, fun, different. - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Fahrenvergnügen - June 7 - 6:26 pm

  Ive had the Jetta for 3 years and am very satisfied. Its a good sized vehicle for me and the type of driving I do: trips around town, sometimes with people and things, and the occasional road trip. After 48K miles, Im hard pressed to find any faults at all. Its reliable, fun & sensible, but not boring and bland like the Asian competition. The 5spd and 2.5 motor have plenty of torque to compete off the line if you are a skilled rower. The interior build quality is Teutonic solid, ergonomically correct for the driver. Pax might find it a bit "stiff" (mine have, but I dont care, because Im having fun driving). Looking forward to at least 100K unless I upgrade to an Audi before then.

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  13 Months & 20,000 miles - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By socalkid - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Have had the 1.8T GLS automatic for 13 months and 20,000. My biggest concern was/is reliability. Up to present, the only realiability issue involves the driver side head light burning out on 2 seperate occasions. Dealership claims to not finding anything wrong. Well see. Love the car. Its looks, drivablity and fit and finish are first rate but I doubt it will ever outlive our Nissans reliability. My suggestion, if looks, style, sportiness and fit/finish are what youre looking for, get the Passat. If you plan on keeping the car for over 5 years, get a Toyota, Honda or Nissan.

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  Good car - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ralph - June 4 - 6:47 pm

  Easy to drive around town with lots of giddy up!

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  Only car Ill buy - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dean - June 3 - 8:13 am

  In 3 years Ive put 90,000 miles on it. I do not get below 500 miles per tank average 40 mpg city and as high as 58 hwy. There is a relief button inside filler neck of fuel tank to allow more fuel. Ive gone 758 miles on one tank of fuel. Memphis TN to Madison Wi straight! Only problem with it has been glow plugs. Luckly I live in Ca so Im not going to replace them. Other than that, expect to pay $900 every 80K for a timing belt. Im getting ready to have 2nd one installed soon. I will buy a tdi again without a doubt.

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  CC Sedan Lux VR6 - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By plee52 - June 2 - 3:19 am

  Love this car except for a couple of VERY annoying things. The main problem is the backup camera and navagation system. My backup camera takes for ever to come on. So to me, it is basically useless. I have had it in to VW 4 times and even called VW Headquarters. They replaced the whole navigation unit and the actual camera itself. NO CHANGE. They said that this was just normal for this vehicle. Only excuse they could come up with. Very sad. I feel helpless because i paid a lot for this feature. Now there is a popping sound in the windshield. I will be in for that eventually.

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  Very Wronged - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Very Wronged - June 1 - 2:00 am

  What a huge dissappointment. Bad window regulator 200 miles from home, air bag lights, engine light coming on because of new Bosch platinum spark plugs!? Tailights buring out, two radios/CD player, drivers door that rattled, glove box hinge breaking, latch for center console, door trim coming off. The screeching, crunching of the front end... where does IT end? My latest is the intake manifold having to be replaced along with a number of sensors. Thank God for extended warranties. My dealership has been fine.