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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  Awesome Car for the Price - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Matt - August 14 - 2:40 am

  For $18,295 plus ttl, this car is phenomenal. It is roomy, comfortable, and has awsome lighting inside, THIS CAR ROCKS. It has solid handling, and has the BEST interior materials that Ive ever felt...get one!

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  Great Car with one question - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By Kev - August 13 - 10:10 pm

  I just bought this car today 2/12/10. I LOVE the styling of the car and the way it drives. Its the 4 door, DSG fully loaded. My question is this, as I was driving home after leaving the dealership, the little "engine" light came on. The car seems to run fine but that light wont turn off. Is it possible the dealer filled it up with regular instead of premium that caused this to happen? I hope so..I hate to be without the car for days while they fix it.

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  Update from 2010 - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By rilezz13 - August 13 - 12:53 pm

  First let me say, I have NO complaints about the 1.8 Turbo 4-cylinder engine. It has been a wonderful, reliable, engine. I have always used synthetic oil and its just been great. My only nitpicking would be that it "sounds" like a 4-cylinder when idling (sewing machine?). Next: The Aisin automatic transmission. WOW!. About a year ago, the car (long story short) got bottomed out and the transmission got slammed into the road. I didnt think anything of it as it continued to work fine. When I took it for servicing much later on, the mechanic discovered that the transmission casing was cracked and like half of the fluid was gone! The transmission still worked fine! (but i did replace it).

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  So far so good... - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 23hammer - August 13 - 4:29 am

  I picked up this Jetta because of rising fuel costs and a long commute. So far I have nothing bad to say about it. The car is comfortable, quiet, solid, and performs well. It does take a little adjustment if you are not familiar with a diesel. I am impressed with the interior and how much I like the "leatherette" I was expecting a lot less from the cars interior and performance after reading the reviews on Edmunds, but I must say I am completly impressed by this car. I am averaging 45 MPG in mostly highway driving. I am 64" tall and 250 pounds and I fit well in the car with my spouse and 2 kids.

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  Lemon - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Paisley Jane - August 12 - 3:43 pm

  I only had this car for 6 years, 2 of which it was only driven about once a month by my parents because I lived out of the country. Despite this, it had 1000s of dollars worth of repairs needed every year. One month after purchase it needed $1000 worth of repairs. The final straw came yesterday when they told me I needed $5000 worth of repairs to ABS system, some fuel thing, etc. I took it directly to Toyota and traded it in.

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  Simply a great value - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By larmen - August 11 - 11:30 pm

  I just returned from a 1200 miles trip incl 568 miles in one day. I did all of the driving and the seat comfort was outstanding (dont have to see my chiropractor), the mileage was great (32.4 mpg), and the handling and performance in the mountains was first-rate.

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  farfegnugen - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By brittany - August 11 - 10:20 pm

  This car is so much fun to drive, and easy to learn on. Parts are a bit expensive,but it hasnt really broken down. One tail light keeps going out, but thats about it. This is an excellent car and I love the turbo. The only problem I have is that it requires premium gas, which is more expensive than diesel. I only get around 22-26 MPG, so I would recommend getting a TDI considering gas prices right now. Also, it gets dents and scratches very easily (like from dogs jumping up). Overall, this is a great car.

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  Say It With Me Now, L-E-M-O-N - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By courto - August 11 - 3:00 pm

  Where to begin? Ah yes, my Beetle has miserable failing sensor lights-replaced too many times to count. The radio volume button is obsolete, turn it up, it goes right back down. It also has collapsing windows. The a/c blows the stench of the dead. It has broken knobs, buttons, switches, handles, and peeling rubber coating. Things that have had to be replaced include the turbo, electronic immobilizer, headlights once a month, clutch, brakes, brake lines, thermostat, and water pump (which caused a blown head gasket and a cracked head b/c by the time your thermo sensor goes off, already too late). Volkswagen dealership service stinks. They charged me for 5 hours of labor for just trying to figure out what was wrong, then said that they were "pretty sure" the turbo was out, then charged me to fix that too.

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  Rarely Seen - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By jamarvcel - August 11 - 1:46 pm

  I purchased my 2012 cc r line about a week ago. I had already bought the 2012 jetta tdi for my wife and then I fell love with the r line. I love the kit on the r line and 18" alloys, and I love the fact that its a RARELY seen car. Its a affordable and luxurious car, and very sporty. Alot for the american dollar. It rides really smooth and is a eye catcher. It has a desent acceleration for a 2.0t. Overall I am very satisfied and the tdi is nice too. Id recommend this car to anyone and to be honest I am a very picky person but I have only good things to say about this car.

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  Oil burner - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Steve - August 11 - 9:30 am

  This car is fun to drive but I would not recomend the automatic transmission, it slips and they say it is normal. DO NOT GET THE 2.0 Liter Engine... Burns OIL BADLY (1 qt every 900 miles) and they wont fix it, Cruise Control is broken from the day I bought it. I am 62" and do not fit well with the leg room, so I hope you are less than 6 tall. Great Car until something goes wrong. Also the heated mirriors never worked so I cant give an opinion about them.