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:

• 

  Excellent value - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris C. - November 30 - 7:07 pm

  I leased my Jetta 1.4 S/Technology Package in July of 2016. It is now one year later and I have 15,000 miles on it, and I must say the car is very impressive, especially considering the price. In the seasons where I do not need A/C I have been consistently getting 40-42 mpg AVERAGE with about 60% highway miles and cruise set at 74mph. In the summer, the A/C SEEMS to drop the average to 37-39, still very impressive for the average. The intergration of the Android auto app is fantastic 28th Google maps. I dont know if I would buy navigation in the future if the Android/Apple apps are on the car. I also love the back-up camera. I never feel like this car is under-powered, or in a situation where the car isnt accelerating fast enough (on-ramps, highway passing), not have I experienced any problems with the transmission shifting incorrectly. Im sure the winter traction would be fine with the OEM tires, but Im a little neurotic when it comes to traction, so I have snow tires/rims that I put on, and it is a beast in the snow. Overall, just a superb car for the money. Would highly recommend.

• 

  Excellent value - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris C. - November 30 - 7:07 pm

  I leased my Jetta 1.4 S/Technology Package in July of 2016. It is now one year later and I have 15,000 miles on it, and I must say the car is very impressive, especially considering the price. In the seasons where I do not need A/C I have been consistently getting 40-42 mpg AVERAGE with about 60% highway miles and cruise set at 74mph. In the summer, the A/C SEEMS to drop the average to 37-39, still very impressive for the average. The intergration of the Android auto app is fantastic 28th Google maps. I dont know if I would buy navigation in the future if the Android/Apple apps are on the car. I also love the back-up camera. I never feel like this car is under-powered, or in a situation where the car isnt accelerating fast enough (on-ramps, highway passing), not have I experienced any problems with the transmission shifting incorrectly. Im sure the winter traction would be fine with the OEM tires, but Im a little neurotic when it comes to traction, so I have snow tires/rims that I put on, and it is a beast in the snow. Overall, just a superb car for the money. Would highly recommend.

• 

  The Pocket Rocket grows up - sort of.... - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Luis Rosario - November 30 - 6:03 pm

  Still a unique car that shows other "hot hatchbacks" how it should be done! A solid combination of premium features, safety, performance, and comfort for its class. Fun to drive, yet it wont beat you up in the process. If you want to move up from the kiddie-car competition to something with more comfort and features, the GTI is the one you want. The base 1.8T motor is tons of fun. Overall, a great little commuter car with German attitude, plus you wont see yourself coming and going like the other boy- racer go-karts out there. Be sure to go with the stick-shift for maximum control. No problems yet - seems like most quality control issues have been taken care of from the 2003 models on.

• 

  test drove fro my wife coming out of a sentra - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fred savoy - November 29 - 6:58 pm

  A car is a very personal thing. one mans great car is anothers lousy car. I always test dive cars for my wife ,when I drove the 1.8 Jetta sport,I was very comfortable in the front seats. I was extremely impressed with the 1.8 liter turbo engine. Very responsive and quiet. suspension was just right for me. I thought this car was supposed to be a compact, but I had and Audi A4 , and this Jetta had way more room in back seat ,and trunk is huge. My golf clubs fit in the trunk completely horizontal which is unheard of in a compact car. Any way my wife says it is by far the nicest car shes ever had compared to NIssan altima sentra maxima,acura infiniti. the only thing lacking was front and rear sensors. shes had about 8000 trouble free miles. I was so impressed I switched out my Audi A4 for the Jetta Gli Sel. For about $12,000. less I felt I was getting a better car. The Gli s identical to the Jetta sport with the following : Gli has 2.0liter turbo (no big difference in mho.but it came with front and rear sensors,and cross traffic alert and blind spot spot monitoring which was important for me to have. It also has a sunroof (which I never use) If I could have gotten the Jetta sport with those safety features,I would have done it in heart beat.Bottom line we are both extremely happy with the cars to date,and I advise prospective buyers to test drive them.

• 

  Amazing car - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By lcs_miller - November 29 - 12:20 pm

  i got this car a few days ago and its great! i bought it from carmax. It has 2 slight dents in it. Its jet black and is so amazing to drive. The fuel econmy is lower then most cars like the rabbit but its great!

• 

  Love this car! Will not be my last VW!! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Laurie - November 29 - 2:00 am

  Bout this car from a private party, July 2010. It is NOT the tdi, the 1.8l. I am 20 years old, so you can imagine how I drive my car. Fiance and I are both active firefighters, this car goes through it all. I drive it to work and college every day, also on shopping trips over 100 miles away. Car runs wonderfully, you cant even hear it running. I did hit a deer, was very impressed with the durability of the car. The driver door held up beautifully, and the window shattered just like it was supposed to. There are no problems with anything on this car, must say it is the best investment I have made. I will be buying another VW, just not the turbo diesel! Too many problems with those.

• 

  New Jetta - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By KLRider - November 29 - 2:00 am

  We were a little worried the 4 cyl would be underpowered however with the 5sp M transmission the powertrain performs quite nicely. While the redesign does affect driveability slightly the car still has the VW feel and it much better than its competition. In other words it is not a typical sluggish small car boat.

• 

  Fun & reliable - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jenny - November 29 - 1:03 am

  I bought the beetle new in 2000. I was looking for a small car with good mileage. The diesel version I drive gets nearly 50 mpg on the highway - love that! Safety was really important to me as Id be driving my kids around town. The beetle has great safety ratings. What I didnt expect was how fun to drive this car would be. It is solid, hugs the road, and is super aerodynamic (I dont know what the last reviewer experienced but my beetle never even flinches in windy weather). Also, it has a great little sound system with a 6 CD changer - load it up, fill the tank, and your good for 500 miles. 150,000 miles and no major problems with this car.

• 

  2nd Mark 6 GTI for me - 2012 Volkswagen GTI
  By shadrach2 - November 28 - 8:35 am

  Owned a first gen GTI from 83 to 95 and decided in 10 that it was time to go back. Manual, cloth). Lease up in 7 months so contacted my excellent dealer who hooked me up with a "cant say no" deal on a new 12, full boat GTI. Well, I liked my 10 and I have to say that I like the 12 even more. Ive been driving manuals for 35 years now and thought Id never give the nod to a non-manual. But the DSG, dual clutch deal in the GTI is amazing. Telematics is way improved over 10. Interior with leather is classier. Mileage is super. Just a total win.

• 

  Underestimated Fun Ride - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jake - November 27 - 4:00 pm

  Have had the TDI Passat for 6000mi now and LOVE it. My experience gives it 28- 30 around town and 40-43 highway at 75- 80 mph. Went through the Smokies up to Canada cruise control doesnt slow down at all going up the mountain grades. All in all my wife and I feel the vehicle performed much better than expected, truly an under rated ride and performance. The little 2 lt diesel will push you into the back of the seat over 2000rpm. Will blow through 100mph easily while passing tractor trailers if not careful. Were in our 60s with back problems and have put in several 10-12hour days and love this vehicle. Quiet rumble sounds great all with no smelly diesel stink. Check it out!