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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  97 GLX Reliability issues - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Scrappy - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Door alarm problem - car arms itself whenever the rear door is opened or that electric window is operated. Need 2 keys to get it started. Engine Sputters - Car sometimes hesitates and runs poorly for a few days then is fine for weeks at a time. Side door molding strips keep falling off. Buy some doublesided tape ahead of time. No big deal to fix. No place to put stuff. Ex: Cup hldr under ashtray so unusable for anything taller than soda. though. FIX ELECTRICAL PROBS! VWs notorious for this. Youd think theyd have solved by now.

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  fun little car - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By alyse - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Lots of leg room for 61" and 65" drivers. No room in back, though. Cup holders are awkward. Expensive to repair and scheduling service is a pain. Non VW stations cant service it because the malfunction codes are standardized (I believe there is a pending lawsuit about this.) Service Engine light goes on if you dont click the gas cap. Get the manual shift if you want any power.

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  2000 jetta - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Oxbig - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Overall, it has been a fun car to drive, although underpowered. No mechanical problems, but small things go wrong. Interior reading light never worked right. Glovebox was flimsy and hinge broke on a cold day. Passenger side power window doesnt work. Also seems to burn a lot of oil. I would gladly have traded free servicing for a longer warranty. Car was purchased and driven in Canada.

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  Safe Car - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By KCVW - October 19 - 2:00 am

  This car is a very good deal. It comes with ESP and all of the safety equipment, top crash and dynamic safety ratings for $17,500. I like the car overall. Its front seat comfort is only so-so for me, but the ride is very good. Its performance is fine, but its gas mileage is just OK. Nothing feels better at highway speeds (any speed you choose) than a VW. That makes them great cruisers. For the money its quite a deal.

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  Great family car, love the excellent mpg - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ed from San Jose - October 17 - 1:04 pm

  Purchased this car after the recall of my Jetta TDI . I upgraded to the Passat because I wanted more space and the Passat delivered. I miss my manual drive and wish the Passat came with Manual and a sunroof. Because the manual drive did not have sunroof I went with Automatic. I live on a steep hill and I use the Automatic with downshift option when climbing this hill in particular. The fuel economy is terrific and I get 40mpg with normal driving. I highly recommend. The passat has a backup camera which I use daily to assist in parallel parking outside my home. It is a great car and I highly recommend. I take to the mountains here in CA to go skiing and the car performs well climbing into the mountains and handling on the winding roads.

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  New fan of Volkswagen - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By new old owner - October 16 - 1:06 pm

  I purchased my Passat from a lady a few months ago. It is a very nice car. It looks good on the outside and has a killer sound system. All my friends love it, and I cant get enough of my heated seats and sunroof. Before I knew this car, I didnt like VWs, since the Beetle had always annoyed me. Now I am a new VW fan and love my car! The only thing I need to get used to is the low gas mileage (my old car got about 38 mpg). This car is fun to drive and the 4WD makes me feel safe. I tested it on a curve with and without it on, and boy does it make a difference! This car is pretty fast too, especially compared to the Toyota Corolla that I used to own.

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  Cute retro looking car. - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lovebug05 - October 16 - 7:55 am

  Ive had my 05 Beetle for about 2 years now. I got it with 116k miles and 17k miles on it with no major issues. Although Ive had to replace my battery twice within a year and & half. Major pain to take out and re install. The h1 bulbs for the headlights & fog lights burn out often. Major MAJOR pain in the a** to take the headlights out to put the new bulbs in. The interior dash scratches very easy and the car always smells like crayons in warmer weather. I had to put 1k in replacing the timing belt, water pump, belt tension er, serpentine belt, new tires, brakes just for preventive maintenance.

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  A Fun, Solid, Useful Little Package - 2008 Volkswagen GTI
  By PASNBYU - October 15 - 12:00 pm

  Im coming up on my 3 yr ann. with my GTI and have only very few / minor complaints (see below) to go with my many miles of spirited driving. Even though torque steer is non-existent, Ive decided I just dont like FWD cars - the balance is just not there, especially at turn-in. Luckily for VW (and me!), from what Ive read, my wants / needs are all met with the 2012 GTI-R / Golf-R / R20.

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  A car for grownups - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By LouisvilleSteve - October 15 - 10:40 am

  Just got the R32 and cant wait to drive it every morning. In the past I have owned a 2002 WRX and a 2004 STI. The WRX was a fun zippy car to drive and the STI was a very serious brute that has incredible performance, but my passengers hated it always complaining about how uncomfortable it was. To me the R32 is the perfect blend of the two. This car is a pleasure. I enjoy every moment that I am in it. It is much more comfortable then the older Subarus and still has the performance edge that I require. The DSG transmission is as good as the hype and really makes this a practical and fun to drive car. For me this is the perfect everyday driver

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  Great Car - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By happyjetta - October 13 - 11:30 am

  Minor mechanical breakdowns but they were completely covered under the warranty. Warranty even supplied a rental car when it was being fixed.