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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  excellent - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jc - February 4 - 7:16 am

  I actually had not reviewed this vehicle before i bought it! I just fell in love with it as soon as i saw it. Its fast and the panels are beefier than the original standard Jetta. I bought the car without even driving it! Just knowing it had a 1.8 Turbo 6spd Manual was enough to seal the deal. It is everything i wanted in a car, And i strongly suggest buying one!

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  Understated speed - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By C Walker - February 3 - 11:33 pm

  A wolf in sheeps clothing...I went looking for an Audi TT and found the R32. Great fun to drive, all wheel drive capabilities for midwest winters (winter tires and wheels are required) and a usable back seat for the young one. I was prepared for a compromise but got an upgrade...I dont use the stereo much because I prefer the sound of 3500 rpm. The R32 is a car performs better than it looks, and it looks quite nice.

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  I love this car!! - 2005 Volkswagen Golf
  By Andrea - February 3 - 9:40 pm

  I love this car, its so fun to drive. It rides smoothly and corners tightly. I am getting great gas mileage with style and comfort. I cant say enough about how much I love my car!

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  Lemon Wagon - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By paulfry - February 3 - 9:00 pm

  Run away from VW unless you want to pay BMW prices to repair a glorified Kia. The thing is always in the shop and you can only take it to over priced VW dealers which include poor service. For example $300 for a headlight. Buy anything else!

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  Best In Class - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By alextechfan - February 3 - 6:25 am

  I have owned a 2004 Audi A4 and a 2006 Lexus IS250, and this is a mach for the Audi and blows the Lexus away. What can I say? This car is quiet, it rides great, it handles nicely, it looks much more expensive than it is, and the 2.0T engine is a very nice compromise between power and efficiency. The engine feels stronger than 200 hp because the power and torque are available at lower RPM. Furthermore, fit and finish are premium class. The leatherette may actually be an upgrade. My wife has a Tiguan with 16000 miles that shows no wear at all on the drivers seat. Factor in the lease deals and this car is a must drive.

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  Poor build quality of new VW Atlas - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By Iakov - February 3 - 6:17 am

  Could not even imagine that VW produces such cars and has such a poor level of technology and poor level of quality at the factory. My car was bought totally new (16 miles) from the official VW dealership and it has lots of issues, there is almost no exterior panel on my car that wasn’t adjusted or detached after my vehicle left the factory and after they painted it with the brush (I mean the loops). VW of America says that it is ok for them, they call it final adjustments, but I haven’t seen such issues on other VW cars (including Atlas). I ask them to recall my car and to exchange on the same Atlas without such issues but they don’t want to do it. Obviously, loops at the car are the main indicators that something was wrong. I don’t know what I should say to the buyer if decide to sell this car in future, how I should explain why hood, f​ender and doors were detached from my car. Probably this is a pre production vehicle and VW tried to adjust all the procedures and technology of production, but why I should suffer because of that an pay for it. So, if you decide to buy new VW double check it, inspect entire car as it is used already.

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  Amazing Car for the Money - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By national2010 - February 3 - 5:06 am

  I traded in my 07 TSX for the 2010 GTI and have loved every minute with my new car. The styling is improved, the interior is beautiful, the car is quick and responsive. I have not had the car for long and this is my first GTI so I cant really comment on reliability, but it is so fun to drive. I was shopping between the GTI, a genesis coupe (3.8L), and a Mazada speed 3. The GTI was hands down the best overall car, especially for the price. The audio upgrade and the HID lights are a must. If you are in the market for this style of car, it is at least worth a test drive.

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  Fun, Fast, and Full of Smiles - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By BLiaw - February 3 - 12:23 am

  As a spare car in our garage, the GTI sees very little mileage (2,000 miles in our 8 months of ownership). Its build quality is exceptional for a vehicle of this price. There are standard features on this car which cost more on cars costing up to 2.5 times as much. It was against my better judgment to buy a 1st year model car, but problems have been minimal. Overall, this car has been a great buy for the money.

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  TDI - Dirty Emissions - 2015 Volkswagen Golf
  By Fengshooey - February 2 - 6:36 am

  Im motivated to post this review in light of the news that Volkswagen installed a "defeat device" algorithm on its emissions systems for its TDI vehicles that, in short, makes it appear it emits far less nitrogen oxide during emissions testing than it does during normal driving conditions. In short, folks, the TDI Golf and other TDI vehicles in the lineup from VW emit somewhere between 10-40 times the upper limit of acceptable (as determined by the EPA) of nitrogen oxide, a compound that is implicated in smog and worsening of pulmonary diseases such as asthma. Volkswagen apparently did this for years. When I learned about them, I wanted to buy a TDI vehicle in 2010, waited some time and eventually happily bought a 2015 VW Golf TDI in 8/2015. One month later in 9/2015 this issue comes to light and I find that the vehicle I bought in part for high MPG numbers inviting comparisons to some hybrids emits a huge amount of air pollutant. And while this is an issue VW will address with the EPA, it is me, the consumer, who was deceived by the marketing of the TDI lineup which resulted in a sale for VW. Talk about being suckered. If it was a bad component of the suspension or something less maleficent than intentionally misleading the consumer, I would not be so hot about this. Trust me, waiting a few years to buy something and then finding out you should have waited one additional month *really* sucks. Does the car perform well? Yes. Do I get 39-40MPG regularly with spirited driving and 40-50% city driving miles? Yes. Is the interior high quality? Yes. Did I love it prior to the 9/2015 news reports about the emissions being hugely misrepresented? Yes. Is my heart broken? Yes. And this will result in the loss of my business for the manufacturer in the future. There are perfectly lovely Mazda 3s and Ford Focus hatches out there for you. Edmunds rates them highly. Buy them. Save yourself a headache and stick it to a manufacturer that made its business over the last few years in part by intentionally misleading its customers.

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  Stay Away from the New Beetle TDI - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Surface - February 2 - 4:00 am

  2003 5-Speed TDI. My expectations of VW quality have been all shut down. This is the worst new car purchased. 2 year old car that needs repairs all the time. Things that should work for years to come break, for example the gas cap release mechanism is a part of a large list of things. Gas milage of this vehicle is great, but what others do not tell you is that maintenance required for this car is horrible, Timing Belt Change every 40K miles required. Parts Sales person from VW told me that all the money you save on gas milage are spent on either repair or maintenance [TDIs mostly]. Have you checked VW reliability ratings? Search the web,you will be surprised that VW is in the Daewoo region!