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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  No major problems after 2 1/2 months - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By jimmydean - February 23 - 8:16 am

  Car handles very well. Great entry level luxury sedan. Would recommend.

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  Nothing Like It - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Salley - February 22 - 6:50 am

  This is one cute car. It doesnt feel too big or too small. It gets fairly good gas mileage compared to others. Do expect a blind spot, it is a convertible. The top sits on the back to give that nostalgic look and feel. They tried to keep the old look but offer modern features as well. The top is easy to put up or down. The stereo is as good as you can get in a car of that size. Once you have one it will be a must for your family.

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  Update to Previous Review - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Puzman - February 20 - 8:10 pm

  As an update to my previous review, we now have close to 10,000 miles on our 07 Passat wagon. Its gas mileage has decreased due to the installation of a bike rack on the roof. Were now averaging about 25 mpg, with mixed highway/urban/rural driving, which is still pretty good compared to all of the SUVs out there. I LOVE the interior of this car; its ergonomics are excellent and the heated base seats are awesome. There is no need for leather, IMHO. Power is abundant in the 2.0T engine. Floor it in S or Tiptronic modes and 60 comes VERY quickly. There is some torque steer, however. The handling is the one area where I could see an improvement- there is significant understeer, although the car feels composed at all speeds. My Passat has had no reliability issues.

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  Love my TDI! - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By carcully - February 19 - 5:17 pm

  We purchased our Toffee Brown 2013 Jetta TDI last summer, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. My folks have a 2011 Jetta TDI Sportwagen, so I had the pleasure of driving their car on occasion, and was immediately hooked on its performance and power, with such incredible fuel economy. We have 2 sons, and it transports the 4 of us around very comfortably. I love that the actual MPG is even BETTER than what is advertised. We get about 38 around town, and have gotten 51 on freeway trips. Love the V-tex Leatherette interior--so easy to clean. Just a great all-around vehicle.

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  3K mi in - 2 months - 2013 Volkswagen Golf
  By j33ie - February 18 - 11:14 pm

  I did my homework to get my wife an economical car that would be an upgrade to her horrid corolla. Went with the TDI due to its track history. Fuel economy is better than EPA estimates. Driving it is smooth, fun and flawless. My wife loves to push its acceleration abilities. Handles brilliantly. Brakes are solid. The displays are great and intuitive. Bluetooth audio is pretty sweet as well -they dont advertise that feature. I like driving it more than my Saab 9-3 2.0T except for the fact that it is red. This car beats many Audis in price and comfort (same maker, I know). Overall, the best car I have owned and one of the few I would buy new due to its high resale value.

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  2016 VW Tiguan is Teriffic! - 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Dave Z. - February 17 - 8:27 pm

  This is a small German SUV. It is also the basis for other VW family models. Wonderful German feel and luxury while not breaking the bank. The 2016 model has many features standard that were available on high end models before. While the Tiguan doesnt have many gadgets it is a very capable vehicle. We looked at others and it came down to the Mazda CX-5 and Tiguan. We bought the Tiguan and are thrilled with it. We have owned a Nissan Rogue but I would say the VW is a better vehicle for the same money. The vehicle has a lot of value and should be explored especially for those people not looking for what everyone else is driving.

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  Gotta love the TDI, 1yr later still loving it!! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Long Range Customs - February 17 - 7:35 am

  At 66", the little VW Beetle has absolutely the most comfortable seats my wife and i have ever been in for long road trips. A few years ago i made a 5400 mile trip in 84 hours flat, yes do the math on that one! I certainly was tired when i got to my destination and returning home but was no where near as sore as every other vehicle i have ever been owned! Gotta love the VW seats and interior design! The fuel mileage of the little 1.9L is incredible. At 80 mph for nearly the entire trip with severe side/head winds at times i still averaged 45MPG for the entire trip!!We typically see 42 city and 48-50hwy. I use light weight synthetic oils in the engine and tranny. I run my tires at their max on the sidewall giving me nearly perfect tread wear across the entire surface of the tires. My best tank was 760 miles on one tank! I spent a lot of time nursing it to the top both times. INCREDIBLE!! My only complaint however, is that VW used flimsy "Rivets" to hold the third member together that the ring gear bolts to in the little 5 spd transmission. A couple of the rivets flew out and punched a 3"-4" hole in the lower side of the transmission housing. At about 156k we removed the tranny to install a new clutch and much to our surprise we found the "inspection hole" they caused when they flew out. Costing us an unnecessary case replacement/tranny rebuild! We drilled out the remaining rivets and installed the recommended API bolt kit and all is good! It has absolutely ran like a swiss watch before and after that. Cant say enough about the little TDI beetles, loveem!! We liked it so much i am heading to purchase another one as ours was just hit in the front end by another driver and was totaled. All occupants we completely safe thanks to the Beetles design!! :{)

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  Best Fuel Economy - 2005 Volkswagen Golf
  By Keala Gonsalves - February 17 - 3:50 am

  All in all this has been the best purchase weve ever made. Its only been a couple of weeks & I havent filled up the tank yet! this is an incredible car, and fun to drive. We would recommend this vehicle to anyone wanting to skip the high price gas lines. If the extra room is what you need, look into the diesel Jetta!

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  Finally a complete car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Our Family Car - February 16 - 10:20 am

  Our Family has Corolla and Civic. This time we choose Jetta. After seeing Jetta we are so pleased. We just realized how much of a car we missed in the last years. Carefree Maintenance is something really amazing. This clearly show the reliability of a car. Cargo space is well designed. I guess its bigger than Camry. It was an amazing experience when we took it on a high way. Over all it was fun. When dealer explained the safety and the construction I dont think no compact car come close to it. German engineering is amazing. I guess we will replace Corolla and Civic at the earliest. I would say from now on we are Volkswagen family.

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  2002 GTI - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Jane - February 16 - 1:00 am

  The 2002 GTI was my first new vehicle that wasnt American made. I drove a Suburban for years for business and finally got the opportunity to retire the "gas guzzler". I chose the VW GTI based on safety first of all, knowing I wanted a more efficient vehicle...little did I know it would develop into a total passionate love for the little car. The thing fits me like a glove, handles like a dream, and is SO much fun to drive. I got it all paid off a few months ago. I have my eyes on a new one should I ever decide I could bear to part with this one. My 27 year old son says HE MUST buy this one from me when and if I ever do.