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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  safe car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By eecir - January 29 - 8:06 pm

  Bought the Jetta new and drove it for 53,500 miles. Fun car to drive and comfortable. Only complaint is electrical problems (windshield wipers, door locks, CD player,dash lights) which were corrected by service department after several trips in. Most impressed with the safety of vehicle. My wife and daughter were t-boned by a car going in excess of 70 mph. All air bags deployed and the only injury from this twisted metal was my wife sufferd a broken arm. Doctors, police and insurance adjuster were all amazed, given the impact the Jetta received and the condition of the vehicle, that no one was not killed or more severly injured. The safety features were the #1 reason I bought the Jetta. Im glad that I did.

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  1998 VW Beetle Hatchback - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By onexrn - January 28 - 5:20 pm

  Thoroughly enjoy driving my VW Beetle, drives like a dream, hugs the road nicely. Would like to see better mileage. I get only 19mi/gal.

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  42K follow up - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By CA - January 28 - 10:50 am

  Follow up from Sep 2008 when I bought it w/ 12k miles. I now have 42k on this car and it remains rock solid. Over time Ive gotten very used to getting the most out of it without killing gas mileage. Its best on long twisty road and takes 20 mph S-turns at 60-70 mph w/o even thinking about it and is so much fun to drive. I get 23 combined and 26 highway MPG but still think it needs a taller 6th gear. Its hard to find a better AWD car. AWD and DSG maintenance is spendy and only had a strut go bad. With all that said I wonder what it would do with an additional 100 hp.

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  good car - 2004 Volkswagen Golf
  By hvy - January 28 - 2:06 am

  Over 24000 in 8 months, no problems to date. Live in wisconsin, cold starting not a problem. Do recommend using fuel additive. 45-51 mpg so far. Im 6-3, 255 and I find the car very comfortable to drive ,seats very supportive. Looking to buy 06 Passat TDI for wife next year.

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  Awesome Turbo Ride - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By 2008 Passat Turbo - January 27 - 7:50 pm

  I moved up from a Jetta, which I loved, to a Passat. My initial reason was for comfort; the Passat seats are by far the most comfortable I have tried. But beyond the comfort I also discovered an incredible driving experience. The 4 cylinder turbo is so smooth and when you need the power, it is definitely there! You would never know it was only 4 cylinders. As I noted with my Jetta, the basics that come with a VW far surpass most other vehicles. It is definitely worth the money. I have the 6 speed manual which makes the ride even more fun and the mpg is good too! We have been getting up to 34 mpg highway and average 25-27 in the city. I have over 3,000 miles - not one glitch. Love it!

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  Great Car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Don A. - January 26 - 10:00 am

  This is the best of several VWs I have owned. It has surprising power and with a 40 mile commute the milage is a real plus. The moonroof has minimum wind noise at highway speeds if you use the comfort setting. The monsoon sound system is excellent and the controls on the steering wheel are a huge improvement.

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  Very glad I bought it, so sorry that someone else totaled it. - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By mpls5 - January 26 - 4:48 am

  This was my first new car, every other car I ever had, including a 1974 superbeetle convertible, started at over 100,000. I had some small problems the first 5 years. No problems the next 5. Drove pretty rough the last 2, but probably mostly my fault. :) I really wanted to get the car to 200,000-probably would have if a 21 year old hadnt sideswiped into me at 75 mph, sending me spinning across three lanes of interstate and into a cement barrier. Car dented on 3 sides on the outside, none on inside. Airbag didnt deploy and didnt need too, though I did get sore. Very safe car. Handled a lot of less than ideal conditions- well, including spending over 10 yrs in MN, only 1 yr of it garaged.

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  Never loved a car more! - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By manomes - January 26 - 4:23 am

  I bought my VW Passat SE in April, and have had no regrets. This is my first VW purchase after years of owning only Toyota and Honda products. I have not experienced any of the problems that some other reviewers here cited. I have nothing but good things to say about this car. Everyone (really, everyone) that hs ridden in my car has had positive comments about the comfort and styling. I would, and have, recommend the Passat to anyone wanting a well-build, mid-sized car. I love, love, love my car!

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  James F. Paronto - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By James Paronto - January 26 - 1:50 am

  I have enjoyed the pleasure of driving this quality vehicle. Other than the Pirelli tires, the vehicle has been very reliable. However, if some problem does manifest itself, VW dealer has been most helpful in correcting the problem. I would think Volkswagon would take some responsibility for the lack of wear and realibility of these tires since it was VWs engineers that chose these tires for the production line. Stepping away from the tire issue is not a good way to resolve the issue.

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  Best SUV in 2017/2018 - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By Luis - January 24 - 7:18 pm

  This is a huge SUV. It seats 7 people comfortably with some space left over for your stuff. Technology is awesome, ACC, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, auto headlights, auto windshield wipers, all work flawlessly. It is the best value for the money out there in the mid-size SUV market right now (June/2017). Since it is a new project, safety ratings should be above average for the class too when IIHS ratings come out.