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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  Lemony Fresh - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Brain Police - June 6 - 10:06 pm

  I purchased my Touareg in Jan 2004, and by November had had it in the shop for more than one month. AC repeatedly loses freon, they cant find the leak. Ive had the wiring harness replaced, battery replaced due to repeated shorts in the electrical system. Compass sensor and compressor replaced.I have to carry jumper cables in the car, never knowing when it will fail to start. When the electrical is dying, numerous faults will come on and auxiliary systems will begin to be shut down. This is still unresolved. I contacted VW of America and requested a replacement vehicle, they offered to, and did, reimburse me for two months car payment. Im still working thru my states lemon law.

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  Great Bang for your Buck! - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By core3y - June 6 - 9:33 pm

  I have had my 2012 VW Jetta SE with Convenience Package and Sunroof for almost 5 months now. I love this vehicle. Overall, the features and performance of this car make it a pleasure to drive, and Id definitely recommend it over competition. keep in mind that I chose this car new over a used recent-model BMW 3-series :-)

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  Fun MPG hauler - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By fenders - June 6 - 1:42 pm

  With an imminent 45 mile commute after years of public transport, sold my 300hp awd manual Subaru wagon to look for a comfortable, fuel-efficient auto-transmission cruiser that could haul baby stuff on weekends but still be fun to drive during the week. Really wanted a GTI but the cargo area was too small. Compared the Passat to other midsize sedans and it just had the right feature set and driving vibe for me. Didnt expect to end up with a diesel; its growing on me! I agree with another reviewer that youre rewarded by staying in the TDI torque sweet-spot. Getting advertised mileage in 1000 miles of mixed driving so far, hope to see even higher.

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  Absolutly Great Car - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tom G - June 6 - 1:29 pm

  If you want room and comfort, this is the car. If you want great fuel economy and great power this is the car. if you want great style a smooth quiet ride this is it. all around great car, Hyundai sonata not even close . do not pass up a serious look at this vehicle. Maintenance is very easy on this car if you do your own.

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  VW Touareg V8 - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Roger - June 6 - 6:40 am

  I love the exterior design of the Volkswagen Touareg V8. Its build quality is excellent, but the fuel economy is bad, bad, bad. I love to drive it. Its fun, fun, fun to drive. It needs more interior room and a better navigation system though.

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  Love This Car - Hate The Damn Windows - 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
  By nola58 - June 5 - 10:08 pm

  I am a three time bug owner starting with a type 1 "66. The VW bug has been well built (generally) and I have liked the philosophy of the design through the decades. They were originally built for function and became iconic and fun in simplicity.

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  VW the new BMW - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By MVBOSTON - June 5 - 6:56 pm

  I have a BMW X5 and traded a Merc C280 4 Matic for the Passat. The Passat is the exact size of an E350, but half the price. You give up rain sensing wipers, memory seats, automatic headlights and a power rear sunshade. You get just as good build quality, similar performance in crash tests, 10 more MPG, free scheduled maintenance for 3 years, and $30,000 in your pocket. The sales experience was much better than Mercedes. I have no regrets. I love this car. What will I do with my $30,000? Good time to invest.

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  Beetle Convertible Punch Buggy - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Berni - June 5 - 8:20 am

  Great fun car with space for 2 adults and 2 children. Easy to open/close top. Lots of extras.

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  The biggest mistake - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By jason - June 5 - 3:46 am

  I leased this car over 48months... it was my first new car! When I left the dealership I had a smile ear to ear. It was 2 months later that the problems started to pop up. At first it was a problem with the drivers seat. A couple of weeks later the check engine light came on (took two years for this to be fixed). In the 46 months Ive had this car, its been in the shop 82 times for a total of 133days. That is over 10% downtime. I wish I had bought this car so I could have gotten out of it earlier. I have promised VW customer service that I will never drive a VW, Audi or Porsche because of my experiences with this piece of crap GTI.

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  Beware of the 2001 VW Passat - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Antoinette - June 4 - 10:16 pm

  Beware of the 2001 VW Passat 1.8T. I have had numerous problems with sludge coating the engine. I replaced the oil pump twice and had various other expensive problems.