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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  VW Eos Executive........comfortable in its own skin - 2014 Volkswagen EOS
  By jbeloff - May 15 - 10:02 pm

  It is a beautiful understated car that gets it all done. Some say it lacks character and does not hold up to the competition. Havent really figured out what those folks are talking about. It has top shelf quality, modern tech and is a blast to drive. All convertibles lack something. The criticism I read is it not one of the cool kids in its class. Funny though, us owners are having a great time without drawing attention. We enjoy a ride that caters to our needs and not those on the outside. I will own for a very long time. Its a great car.

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  Great Performer;Construction needs help - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By Andrew Brader - May 14 - 2:53 pm

  Absolutely love the car. Small fit and finish items are not quite on par with the care of in designing the rest of the vehicle. E-brake button fell off, Cover for seat mechanism fell off. Lever for moving seat forward unhinged, but surprisingly went back in place with minor ease. I consider all of this minor as the car is still under warranty and this items are non-mechanical. All of the special options for the car work like a dream. Heated seats, heated mirrors, climate control, 4Motion, self-dimming rear-view mirror has all been used extensively and no failures noted to date. This is a powerful car and is dangerous to the unexperienced driver.

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  Lemon Alert! - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By MYREDGOLF - May 14 - 10:00 am

  My Golf is a fun car BUT maintenance is a big problem. So far over $4,000.00 dollars has been spent on warranty work! I am lucky it has all been covered by VW, even after the warrenty has expired. This is a fun car, but plan to spend a lot of time at the dealer getting things fixed.

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  Fun to drive, but poor reliability - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Rad97 - May 14 - 10:00 am

  Positives: Fun to drive, handles rain & snow well, excellent interior design, good brakes, 18 mpg city/24 mpg hwy, steering is responsive and right on. Negatives: Unreliable! this car has been in the shop many times! Dead battery, malfunctioning fuel gauge, check engine light too many times to count, broken sunroof cable etc. The gearing of the transmission needs to be adjusted to improve acceleration from a stopped position. Midrange acceleration is excellent, however. Stereo sound is very average, middle armrest is a joke, suspension is too soft for aggressive driving, tires too small.

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  Love it but we cant afford to keep it - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Amy - May 11 - 11:13 pm

  We bought our Passat in 04 with only 27K miles on it and its now got 93,000... virtually all highway miles, well maintained, lots of oil changes, definitely babied. We had planned to drive it until it dropped. Sadly after giving it a year ago to my daughter for college commuting weve now come to the conclusion that we simply cannot afford the repair bills. We average about $1,000 in repairs each year. Passats are great cars but too costly to keep up. Ours is now for sale

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  Fun & Fast - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By brian - May 9 - 2:53 pm

  The turbocharged 200 hp 2.0 liter four is fast and delivers plenty of torque for a small sedan. The performance oriented GLIs sport tuned suspension separates it from the Jetta 2.0T, providing handling that feels like youre driving a sports car rather than a small sedan. The interior is upscale for its class and the controls could not be more simple to operate. The GLIs exterior has a sporty grille and alloy wheels which make it stand out from other Jetta versions. Be careful with the tires. My GLI came with the 18" summer tire option and these Bridgestone Potenzas are completely useless in even a half inch of snow so be ready to buy snow tires. My only repair was a replaced ignition coil

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  The Thunder Bunny Lives - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By conroypaw - May 8 - 2:23 pm

  I purchased a 2009 VW Rabbit, after looking at other cars in its class, including the Mitsubish Lancer GTS, Mazda 3, and Subaru Impreza. While I think I could have been happy with any of the other cars mentioned, I truly love my Rabbit. I could not justify the additional price of the GTI for a few fractions of a second faster from 0-60 mph, and the added costs for premium fuel and insurance. The Rabbit will satisfy all but the most power hungry. Fuel economy is mediocre, but a fair trade off for power and performance. The Rabbit has the best build quality, not just in intelligent design, but in the material used. It does not feel like a sub $20,000 car, nor does it drive like one.

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  Needs a bit more reliability - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bmalec - May 7 - 3:20 am

  Im mixed on my Jetta; Im impressed with certain aspects, but sorely disappointed with others. On the good side, the 1.8T motor is a perfect match for the car - its no speed demon, but its perfect for passing on the freeway. The interior is simple, non-gimmicky and pleasing. On the down side, the car has been in for non-scheduled maintenance nine times in the first four years Ive owned it, including the common broken window regulators and ignition coils. Also, the body roll during cornering and pitch during hard braking is ridiculous, because the springs are too soft. Some people say it handles like a sports car, but Im not sure what theyre comparing it to.

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  Great Car if you get a good one! - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Piran - May 6 - 5:13 am

  I bought this car at the end of last summer. It was a one-owner car and had very high mileage. But for the price I got it for, I couldnt complain. So far, I havent had any problems. I had to fix the power locks and touch up the paint a bit. Still looks great though. Ive replaced the entire suspension with Eibach springs and Koni shocks. Feels much more competent. I added an intake and a GIAC chip. Also replaced the stereo with an Alpine head unit. The car goes very well for the mileage. At the mileage, it doesnt have any rattles or intruding wind noise. People are shocked to find out the mileage after theyve been for a ride in it. Good car if you are lucky to get a non-lemon.

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  Solid car, but poor built quality - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Xorehtno - May 5 - 2:00 am

  Leased the basic Passat model in May of 2004. Great price for this class of vehicle! It has a solid feel, much better than my previous Camry and Accord. I did not really buy it for this reason, but Passat has an image a notch above the ubiquitos Japanese sedans. Conservative yet stylish choice. Now the big con: POOR BUILD QUALITY. I had to take my Passat to the dealership twice in the first 6 months with problems (wrong relay in wiper control, AC was not working right, glove compartment door was not closing right), plus a manufacturers recall. Right now have yet another problem with the AC, the manual transmission is getting jerky, and the tires are losing pressure way too fast.