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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  Exceeded Expectations - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By BadAzR32 - August 21 - 1:20 pm

  I went into this vehicle with certain expectations about performance, reliability and safety. The performance was answered just by starting the engine. The beautiful deep muscle sound that comes out when the car is first started is amazing. The car can hug the road like a little convertible and all of a sudden take off and easily hit 100 within 2 seconds on the highway. The car is reliable in the sense that unlike my Honda the only thing that ever needed maintenance was the standard oil change. The interior was flawless and unique in its own way. Everyone who has ever been into an R32 was immediately impressed with the workmanship.

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  After 131K Miles Still No Major Problems - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Kevin Lee - August 21 - 11:15 am

  This car is not an economy car but very versatile. Fun to drive. Decent horse power. Very reliable (no major repairs needed after 131K miles besides normal wear and tears).

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  my golf - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By taz - August 21 - 10:00 am

  very nice and fun to drive in manual

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  car4os review - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By car4o - August 21 - 10:00 am

  buy a beetle because it is great! it drives nicely and it definatly saves gas. it is fun and cool. i love my beetle

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  Roomy yet Small footprint, Fast yet Efficient - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By T.M. Kane - August 19 - 8:24 pm

  I have a 1.4 liter manual - the cheapest car VW sells. I think its a matter of taste. This car has a classic, form follows function, understated yet poised and handsome design while the Japanese are going to a transformers/exotica style school of design that appears juvenile to my eyes, nor do I think that it will age well. The Jetta is a compact with back seat legroom exceeding 38 inches - enough for even large adult passengers to be comfortable - which is nice if you occasionally drive coworkers or clients to lunch. It also has an enormous trunk space. I have the 1.4 bottom end but it has the same torque as the 1.8 top end. This car will go from 0 to 60mph in under 8 seconds - traditionally the very definition of a fast car (thats v-6 performance) yet it gets over 40mpg on the highway if you drive 70mpg or under, and in excess of 42mpg if you drive at 65mph or less. This quite simply is a car that exceeds the performance of its classification in all perimeters: interior/trunk size, acceleration and efficiency. It also has more cache than most other compacts. It neither looks nor drives like cheapo. I think buying the 1.8 liter is unnecessary. It cost more, gets slightly less gas mileage and has the same torque (pulling power/accelaration) which means its only real advantage comes if you are going to be routinely driving over 90mph. There might be a practical performance advantage if you buy the automatic, my is manual, but Im not sure its worth the increased cost and loss in economy. This car was a remarkable achievement for VW. The interior is practical and handsome and logical but Id prefer a more driver focused layout. Also the car came with nice steering wheel controls with a sophisticated and highly accurate cruise control that allows me to set my speed right at the maximum allowed for my long highway commute to work. My feeling, when I was shopping for a car was that the Jetta offered the most car and most substantial car for the money. Chevy actually has a competitive model. Mazda is the gold standard, but it is more crampt and has the transformer design, the Toyota is less crampt but less mpg and worse performance characteristics. Whenever I see a compact I think "that guy could have bought a Jetta", though if its a Mazda, I can understand, different taste and perhaps better quality - though I have had no quality issues, I have owned Japanese makes before and their quality reputation is well deserved in my opinion.

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  Fun but not the best quality - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Superdad - August 18 - 2:26 pm

  Fun to drive bought from my brother with 47k and now have 97k. To date Im on my 2nd clutch and a new transmission. It died in the driveway once and If I had not bough an extended warranty at 49k -100k, I would be out $3k instead of $1800.00 for the extra insurance. I hope this car would go 250k like my toyota, nissan and honda. Not as tough as the Japanese stuff but more sporting.

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  Pleasantly Surprised! - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By C. Dionne - August 18 - 5:41 am

  We traded in a 2015 Honda Pilot for the new 2018 VW Atlas and it was the best trade we have ever made! The interior space (cargo and leg room) is excellent! We have two kids and moving the seats to allow for third row access is very easy and it much easier than the Pilot. The rear view camera is very nice with a wide angle view. The headlights are very bright and illuminate the entire roadway at night. The seats are very comfortable and the entertainment system is top of the line. Apple Car Play solves the need for a separate navigation system and works better than any navigation system we have ever used. The rear seat window shades (standard on the SE and SEL models) work perfectly for our kids. By far, this is the best vehicle we have purchased. Feels high end for mid-range cost and it looks great too! We have driven it for about 1 month now and the MPG are pretty good, definitely comparable to other SUVs of that size. 23.5 mpg combined as of today, according to the data in the car.

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  Getting disappointed - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By frankenstrat - August 18 - 3:30 am

  The gas mileage seems great (I average 37-40 mph highway), get up and go is great, love how it handles in rain and snow (with the exception of the wipers pushing water back onto the windshield). If it does rain, you must keep your windows closed or it pours inside. Within 6 months I began having problems with the front end - always seemed like something was rubbing and steering was not as tight. Well after 5 trips to the dealer they replaced the strut mounts, worked for about 2 weeks. After two more trips to the dealer, they are basically replacing the front end - not a good sign after one year.

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  People Love this Car - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By bmw to vw - August 17 - 8:26 am

  As a four time BMW owner, I had some anxiety about purchasing this car. However, no longer. The ride is sporty-stiff. Driving this vehicle is fun -- whether youre loafing along or having a little fun in the sport mode. The design is so innovative and fresh that people comment. Faced with the choice of BMW, Mercedes or Infiniti -- I am thrilled to report that two months with this car has been great. Only two things to consider: because the car is so low, entry into the vehicle might be difficult for some people AND the sunroof only tilts -- What a car.

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  High quality, nice features, and fun - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Eric - August 17 - 1:13 am

  I had a 2006 Rabbit for a short time (it was totaled in an accident), which influenced my decision to buy my 2009 Rabbit recently. The Rabbit feels like a solid, well-built car. Its a fun car to drive, with its 170 horsepower and the 6-speed Tiptronic transmission. The controls are easy to use, and the layout is logical. The seats are comfortable, and the interior is roomy. I like the overall look of the Rabbit, inside and out. I like the features, too. The stereo sounds great and is easy to use. Standard Electronic Stability Program is a nice touch. The engine is smooth and seems quieter than my 2006 Rabbit. Fuel economy could be better. iPod operation is buggy and not intuitive.