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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  2010 Passat Review - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dano - February 21 - 8:53 pm

  Traded an 06 Jetta on the 2010 Passat. A great improvement over the Jetta. Good power and handling and better fuel economy. This car has a lot of road noise.

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  Great Little Car - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jerry - February 21 - 9:46 am

  Great car fun to drive

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  2000 Passat Wgn, Automatic w/Turbo - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By David - February 17 - 2:43 am

  I love the vehicle however I was upset when very soon after my Certified Warranty expired that I had an oil seal leak and had to fork over $450.00 to have it repaired.

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  Beware of the service department - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeff Gingras - February 16 - 2:00 am

  The best all-around compact sedan for $20,000: Faster than most small cars, good fuel economy for such a powerful car, handles good but doesnt ride harsh, very good interior quality and ergonomics (besides the cupholders), and a long list of standard features. Of course nothings perfect: Quiet cabin helps rattles from the dashboard and doors sound more prevalent(door rattles can be dispatched by wrapping electrical tape around the "U" shaped door latch). Service departments are lousy. This has been verified by numerous owners around the country.

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  90K miles, still excellent! - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By VPA - February 14 - 7:53 pm

  The 2007 GTI is a very well made car, the only significant repair after 90K miles was rear wheel bearings. There was also a problem with the PCV valve which was fixed under a service bulletin. The car also loses or burns some oil - not unexpected for a turbo, I guess, but you must check the oil regularly. Numerous interior squeaks and rattles were corrected after I replaced the horrid stock Continental tires with BFG SuperSport A/S and then Goodyear Eagle GT A/S. Ride and handling are great, the stability control is excellent. No steering feel due to the electric steering, but you learn to live without it. An almost perfect, practical sporty 4- dr hatch at a reasonable price.

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  2001 VW Jetta GLX - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Hairleftmorningwet - February 14 - 10:00 am

  I Bought this car from an induvidual for 13K , with 47,000 miles on it . The car was in outstanding condition . Having heard the horror stories of reliability , I purchased a 4 year Extended Warrenty with unlimited miles. After six months Ive not had any troubles what so ever . The cup holders do block the CD player ,the break pedal sits just a hair to high , and on uneven roads the dash around the cupholder rattle the slightest bit . The car is a blast to drive , and the interior is beautiful . The inerior is on par with the Audis and BMWs Ive seen . The Leather Seats are beautiful . Braking is great. I get 24\25 MPG on the hwy , and 19\21 in down , thats with correct tire pressure .

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  Very good so far - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mikemarcus - February 13 - 2:53 am

  Excellent ride, performance and response. Great looks and interior design. Not very good gas mileage but worth it

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  Its a good SUV except.... - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By David L. - February 13 - 2:23 am

  I was driving a 2011 Chevy Suburban which I loved but I didnt need such a large vehicle anymore and I wanted to get more than 12 mpg. I loved how the new Atlas looked but Ive always heard that you "shouldnt buy the first years edition for a new car model because they need to get the bugs out". I ignored this advice and jumped into a 3-year lease of the SEL with 4Motion. Before I even drove it off the lot, I noticed that there was a gap between the bumper and the grill on the drivers side that didnt exist on the passengers side. The VW staff took some photos that they were going to send to VW Corporate as they thought it was a manufacturing issue that needed to be addressed. I brought the car into the dealership a week later so the issue could be resolved...not a big deal to me. I have now driven the car 2000 miles and here are my thoughts on it. Overall I like the vehicle but I HATE, HATE, HATE the automatic engine turnoff feature that activates whenever the car comes to a stop. The car has an on/off button for this feature on the dash but it turns itself back on every time the car in started. I am hoping that at some point VW will offer an update so the feature can be permanently disabled in the settings. I am guessing that this feature is to help save gas but it is very annoying at times and I tend to feel that it may be a safety issue in certain driving situation...such as when trying to make a left turn across lanes of moving traffic. The on/off feature causes a slight hesitation before the vehicle begins moving again which could be the difference between being involved in an accident or not. If the feature cant be permanently turned off, it would be good if it was deactivated whenever the turn signals were turned on. Another feature I didnt like is the lane departure correction. Depending on the when the painted lines on the road start, stop or swerve, the lane correction feature can quite quickly steer the car to one side unexpectedly. It can be very startling at times and again I feel that it can cause an accident in some situations. Luckily, this feature can be permanently deactivated in the car safety settings...which I did.

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  great little car - 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By SRQFL - February 12 - 2:04 am

  i traded a 2004 Z4 for this new beetle convertible as i needed to have seating for 4 people. yes i miss the Z, but this beetle is well built, solid and has the germanic driving characteristics i have grown to love. the car has plenty of pep, easily seats 4 and has exceeded my expectations.

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  Great compact SUV, except for the transmission - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By tom365 - February 11 - 9:27 pm

  This is an excellent SUV; great build quality, fun to drive, practical, rides great at highway speed and has that Volkswagen feel. However, VW has greatly modified the shift pattern of the transmission for 2012. The car tries much too hard to be in the highest possible gear, like 5th or 6th gear between 30 - 35 MPH. This results in severe lugging of the engine which causes the vehicle to shudder and actually shake. It also makes an annoying low-pitched rumbling sound at these speeds. I would strongly advise anyone considering this car to test-drive it for several miles at speeds around 30 - 35 to see if the shaking and shuddering bothers them.