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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  service sucks!!!! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By uggghhhhh!!!!!!! - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy this car unless you already have a good mechanic. vw dealership service sucks. Car has some flimsy features that malfunctioned less than a year of ownership. the other reviews were probably written by vw salesmen. the car is okay but there is no support from vw or dealerships after ownership...service really, really sucks!!

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  I HATE MY NEW CAR! - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Steven - October 12 - 5:56 pm

  The one I bought is NOT like the one I test drove. Mine drives like a boat, or more accurately, my grandmothers Caddie. This does NOT drive like previous Passats (Ive owned three). I dont know what the rationale is, but it is NOT the car youve heard of; its redesigned by VERY old folks. Do yourself a favor: get the BMW 328i for the same price. If you "must" have a VW, get the sports package. The next four years are going to be the most miserable driving years of my life. I plan to drive my wifes older car as much as possible.

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  When isnt my 2007 Passat in the shop!!! - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By nm124 - October 4 - 7:15 pm

  After having it for not even a year. The Ambient Sensor was reading -5 degrees in 100 degree temp. When my sensor was reading wrong my AC would not blow out cool air. Car was in shop for about a month. 2 months later its back in the shop for the smae issue. This time they replaced the Instrument Cluster. So far its ok, BUT now my GasCap light goes on every morning and when I go to start my car it struggles to start. The moonroof doesnt close all the way sometimes. The car shakes now when its in park... The list goes on! I dont put the cheap gas either I put Chevron gas Premium. This is the MOST inconvenient car i have ever bought! I cant wait until I can pay it off to buy a Infiniti!!!

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  Serious Safety Problems - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Kriss Mellor - October 1 - 4:10 pm

  I owned my 2007 VW GTI for about 6 months and its been in for repairs well over 2 months in total. The information center was defective. It took over a week to replace. Most serious problem could be related to the engine, transmission, turbo - dont yet know the source. The dealer cant identify the problem and VW tech support has been useless. Possibly related to heat, since it occurs most often when the temperature is high. As you step on the gas the car drops out of gear and will not respond. It feels like you are slamming on the brakes, according to my friend who was driving with me during one of these "seizures". This is a very serious safety issue. Car was bought back by the dealer.

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  Dont buy unless you love your mechanic! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By H8MYVW - September 29 - 11:00 pm

  I bought this car certified pre-owned. I have had two prior VWs. I knew parts were pricey, but since Ive owned this car, its been in for a variety of non-maintenance work! The catalytic converter was recalled and VW refused to fix it unless I paid $200 for a diagnostic test. The window brackets failed and the window fell into my door ($300) plus labor. The supposed great Monsoon stereo/CD player fails to work at times. The blinker stalk clicks at random. There is a constant squeaking when I drive over bumps that no mechanic can find the source of. My seat heat also just burned through the leather seats! And this is off the top of my head... just think long and hard before you buy!

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  Good car, but bad reliability, warranty - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Carlo Mirak - September 29 - 12:56 pm

  I have had this car for one year, and put 40,000 miles on it. The radio stopped working several weeks ago and a radio should not stop working after only 12 months. My warranty was up at this time because I am at 40,000 mi. And was told that it would cost me $980 not including tax and labor! I called the 1-800 number and was transferred to a "customer advocate" to hear my problem. I explained to them that if it was a moving part in the vehicle I would understand but this was outrageous to pay for something like the radio which should last longer than one year. I love german cars, however I am never going back to a volkswagen. No wonder they have 200 complaints out of every 1000 cars sold.

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  Not so safe? - 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Chris - September 24 - 3:32 pm

  We wanted a new car for our daughter, as she is headed off to college... four and a half hours away from home. Our wishlist criteria was AWD, decent gas mileage, reasonable price, safety, safety, and of course safety. We looked at Nissan, VW, Toyota, BMW, Audi, Chevy, Ford, and Honda. The Tiguan was the only small SUV we tested that was not even available with any of the current safety technology. We wanted active braking assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, cross traffic monitoring, rear camera, adaptive cruise control, etc... Unfortunately, VW has deemed it unnecessary to offer any these features on this vehicle. I guess our kids dont need safety features. Other brands we looked at were nearly as bad, since they only offered the safety features on the high end models. Shame on them... to think less-affluent people dont deserve the option of safety features. They require you to purchase all the high end whiz bang gadgetry before being eligible for safety features. Supposedly, Honda is going to offer the safety suite on mid-level brands soon, but we dont have time to wait for that. Fortunately, Toyota has pulled its head out, and now provides a nice suite of safety features standard on its Prius. We dont get the AWD, but three out of four aint bad.

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  CabrioDog - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Quigley - September 24 - 1:33 am

  It truly is a dog. And VW service is atrocious. What has gone wrong: catalytic converter; exhast hangers broke; drivers wind failed THREE TIMES; one tire (wheel) goes flat for no reason (even after replacing the tire). One of the more recent events was a violent shaking upon acceleration. The dealer replaced mass air flow sensor and some other electronic components. Got back on the road and he problem was still there. That is pure incompetence.

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  Why I wont buy another VW - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By DrRix - September 23 - 12:40 am

  I have been leasing the 05 VW New Beetle Convertible, a special edition in dark flint with a red top, red wheel trim, red leather seats. Ive never gotten more compliments, and never driven anything that completely feel apart on me before, even when I had an old Toyota truck with no power steering and a leaking oil tank. Parts just fall right off this car - seat headrests, the glove compartment handle, the sideview mirror adjustment knob, random plastic parts that I dont even know where they came from. German cars used to be good, but these arent made in Germany anymore, and they are CRAP. Dont buy!!

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  DO NOT BUY A VW - MY BIGGEST REGRET - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By BLANCA - September 22 - 8:00 am

  This is the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. The car has been in the shop over 15 times & about 6 months total. WE have spent over $5000 in repairs for this BRAND NEW car. It is worthless and full of problems and recalls. Entire steering column has been replaced twice w/in 14 months; entire radio/cd had to be replaced; air conditioner went out after only 2 years; brakes had to be replaced after 2 years; It is a worthless car and I am scared to death to drive it anywhere because it continuously has Service Now lights on; check engine light; beeping all the time; warning lights; Please do not buy a VW. VW of America does not care about their customers; they have shut us out.