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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  I love my Jetta! - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By amnotafish - August 20 - 12:56 pm

  After two years in this car Im still in love with it. I drive this car hard and fast and it keeps up with everyone. It hugs the road and feels much safer than other cars Ive driven. I get a lot of complments as well- especially from Jetta owners 99-02. If something (god forbid) were to happen to this car I would have to find another. The 98s are far superior to the newer VW models and kicks my friends Civic to the curb!

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  The Only Car Ill Ever Drive... - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jason Roberts - August 20 - 4:50 am

  This is my second New Beetle, and I love it just as much as the first! I love the new paint options, (mine is Salsa Red) and the new interior refresh. It is easy on gasonline, and reliable under the hood...this car is again, a winner! The front seat passengers enjoy large amounts of leg room and head-space. The vehicle is safe and incredibly fun to drive. I always wonder if people on the road are looking at my car and wishing they had it :)

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  Best Car, Best Value - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By wheatie - August 19 - 2:00 am

  This car has been wonderful. I drove the new altima and accord and they both felt cheap compared to the passat. I thought I would have to sacrifice value, but I got heated seats, computer, 2 extra airbags for around $21,000.

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  VW GOT IT RIGHT - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Adrian - August 18 - 3:06 pm

  The Tiguan is comfortable, easy to drive,well thought out, reliable. Makes road trips something to look forward to. VW got this right kinda reminds me of the fun I had with my old VW bus.

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  Golf GLS - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By wfrye - August 18 - 9:36 am

  The Golf is a blast to drive, having only a few shortcomings. The cupholders are in the worst place imaginable and the cruise control is not intuitive. Otherwise very good ergonomics - even an adjustable center rest that gets out of the way for shifting. The car needs the 1.8 liter Turbo engine, though, as our 2000 Golf has. That gets the car rolling and it is much smoother and quieter too.

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  3.6 Vr6 4 Motion is the way to go - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Mate Dezamits - August 18 - 6:27 am

  I keep reading bad reviews.. Buy the 3.6L engine and you will have no problem at all

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  Best SUV in its class - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By koolio - August 17 - 10:00 am

  This is the most impressive SUV on the market and it provides the most features for the money. Power of the V8 is phenomenal (not to mention the exhaust note), interior design and build-quality are top-notch (no other SUV comes close), exterior design is gorgeous...I can go on and on. :-)

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  2004 touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By j c - August 17 - 10:00 am

  its a good and fun car to drive; it performs very well. the only thing that it could be better is the fuel mileage.

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  Outstanding car. Get one before they fix em!! - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By Powellss - August 17 - 3:08 am

  Right now (summer 2016) this car is the bargain of the year if not the decade. The bottom has fallen out of the resale market because of Dieselgate. We couldnt resist any longer so we picked up a 1-owner specimen from a dealer in PA. Weve had it for about six weeks and put 2500 miles on it during that time. Highway MPG is phenomenal.... you can achieve high 40s without really trying. Keep the speed under 80-85 and you will see 45-48 average MPG. We drove 1200 miles on two tanks full of gas last week, during a long road trip. Passing power on the highway is great, not spectacular, but again... youre not buying this car to set land speed records. That said, you can easily get to whatever speed you need to achieve, this side of 100. We cant speak to how hard it pulls when youre into triple digits. Were guessing it runs out of steam pretty quick, but then again, this isnt 11th grade. High-speed stability is excellent. The steering is tight and the car doesnt wander. City driving is a pleasure.... acceleration is very quick, as youd expect with 230+ pounds of torque. MPGs in town will range from 20-30 depending on how aggressively you drive and how heavy the traffic is. The dual-clutch DSG tranny knocks out instantaneous shifts and matches the revs for you too. Ive driven manual transmissions my whole life but this is an automatic you will never regret buying. Its always a pleasure driving this thing. The interior is well-designed and roomy. Some people have complained about the materials being less than top-shelf but its really not an issue. Wed prefer a plain-looking interior that will age well, to one that will start to look tacky after a few years. Same story with the exterior styling, which is boring at first blush (it almost looks like an Impala from 10 years ago) but grows on you, and is actually halfway classy... just understated. Youre not gonna impress a future love interest in this thing. (Get an Audi or BMW if you need to show off your spending power.) The front seats are roomy and supportive, the back seat is gigantic, and so is the trunk... except for the hinges which intrude into the cargo area. In terms of interior space, youre basically getting an A6 for less than A4 money. Weve heard all the horror stories about reliability and dealer service. Hasnt been an issue yet and were keeping our fingers crossed. Our other ride is a 17-year-old, 99 Passat V-6 with 220K miles which is still running well, so we know these cars can last a long time. Overall, as you might guess, we couldnt be happier. If VW ever asked us what else this car needs... wed say (1) an AWD option for the 50-60% of Americans who get to deal with snow for 4-5 months a year; (2) a rear-seat DVD / entertainment system; (3) standard HomeLink garage opener on all trim levels; (4) bubble mirrors built into the side view mirrors; (5) a real front bumper..... yeah we know, super retro; (6) bump strips on the doors to protect your sheetmetal from idiots in the 7-11 parking lot; and (7) at least one 12v outlet that stays on when you turn off the ignition. Thats about it. Like we said.... right now this car is definitely the bargain of the year.

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  Underrated and overlooked - 2014 Volkswagen CC
  By jewishmomo - August 16 - 2:15 am

  I leased the Executive 5 months ago and I am still blown away. I had a Jetta prior to this and believe I was no where close to being disappointed with that but I always wanted a CC. And I am not disappointed at all. I was between the 3 series, A4, and C Class and the CC provides the best interior by far. Mercedes has this annoying habit of a having a full phone dial pad for some reason. I mean its 2015 dude come on! Audi steps it up well but the screen is all the way up there. And the BMW has way too many buttons. This is a space shuttle! The CC on the other hand is primarily all on the 5.5 inch screen, which believe is bigger than most screens in there. Plus the camera never gets foggy.