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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  Great Car - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By great car - June 12 - 2:56 am

  I bought the car used with 103,000 miles on it in 2004. The paint is still very shiny (exclusive to wolfsburg painting techniques) and the suspension, wheel bearings and other components were still in great condition. The car has decent pickup for a 4-cyl. (faster than my honda) and the 5 speed transmission works beautifully. The engine idles very smoothly and is very reliable. My clutch did however go out at about 107,000 miles which is normal. I get many complements about my car and I love it. The only problem is the door trim, which any able bodied person can fix for 4 dollars by buying a tube of automotive adhesive. Install NEUSPEED products!

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  pricy/ fun/ some improvements - 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By besmooth - June 12 - 12:37 am

  upscale fit and finish fun to drive great acceleration transmission droning sounds test drive it for a while

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  16 months with my tdi golf - 2004 Volkswagen Golf
  By bills golf - June 11 - 7:06 am

  We have driven our Golf 21000 miles. We bought it in March of 2004. Our average mileage is 37 to 38 miles a gallon. On the highway we get in the low forties. The car is fun to drive. It handles beautifully on the interstate or on back roads. The engine has plenty of power. When we want at pass, we pass. We liked the seats.They have good back support. We bought the Golf because it was a diesel and because it has a hatchback. Our sixty pound dog rides there when we travel. We think we bought the right car for our purposes.

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  VW Jetta, Great Car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By johns jetta vr6 - June 10 - 10:26 pm

  I picked up a 2001 VW Jetta GLI VR6 at a great price about two years ago. I have delivered pizzas in it. I dont take good care of it with all the stop and go driving I do with this car. The only thing that I have replaced is the tires. I drive about 150 hard miles a day and my Jetta still looks and runs new. It never misses a beat and I mostly do downtown city driving. My Jetta is a little silver tank.

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  Really nice SUV, but.......... - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By N. Kaplan - June 10 - 9:54 pm

  I am quite concerned about the effectiveness and consistency of the vehicle’s safety & driver assist systems. The Autonomous Emergency Braking system failed in two different ways: did not stop or even try to stop the vehicle when it was quite close to crashing into a stationary vehicle; and abruptly stopped the vehicle when I was safely pulling out of a driveway with no vehicles approaching from either direction and no obstacles in front of me. In fact, my Atlas almost always sounds a warning alert each time I exit any driveway. Also, I would never rely on the vehicle’s Lane Assist system. Sometimes the car will counter-steer, and sometimes it won’t, independent of the speed I am driving or how clear are the lane markings. The service advisor at my VW dealership told me that other new Atlas owners came in and reported having these same problems. So far,

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  V-Dub, baby! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Andrew W - June 10 - 8:26 am

  I purchased an 07 Jetta GLI Fahrenheit (6-spd manual) May of 07. I have been very impressed by how well-balanced this car is. It is a reliable, efficient, practical, and fun vehicle to drive and own. I have averaged 25mpg with a typical mix of highway and city driving. The interior build quality is far superior to any other auto in its class. Fun and exhilarating!

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  Concerned owner - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By SR - June 9 - 11:16 pm

  This is my first vw. I bought it because I thought I will keep the car for ever since I know diesel engines last forever. Also MPG is a huge plus. Shortly after I bought the car I started to see reports about HPFP failures and the way company is blaming them on contaminated fuel! These cars are in the market for only two years and they have less than 30- 40K mileage on them and they are failing! If US diesel fuel is so bad why VW introduced these new engine? Everybody is talking how clean these are but how good they would be if they fail after few thousand miles? The sad part is VW has not issues any answer why HPFP is failing. I bought this car to travel cross country and have fun not concern!

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  Great car so far - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By capitananchor - June 9 - 9:59 pm

  I think this car has been very reliable so far. Sure a few things have needed to be replaced but I think you can expect that. At 65K miles, my water pump went, unfortunately the impeller is made of plastic and I couldnt find anyone that made a non plastic impeller pump. I had the CV joints replaced around 70K mostly due to me taking curves like I was a nascar driver. My car is 7 years old and the battery, alternator, exhaust, are still original so Im really impressed...so I will not be shocked when any of those need replacing soon. At 76K miles, I had a coolant leak that was coming form the cooling hose flange...its a $20 part, if you have the time I would just replace that myself.

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  Cool Family hauler - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By St John - June 9 - 4:36 pm

  We love the Routan or as my wife named it Rudy. So many family frendly features. The style is unique, sporty and not too common. GET the 4.0 v6 w/ 6 speed. The engine is quick and smooth. We get 22 mpg on hwy & 18 city. VW has been great to work with too.

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  More fun than than I thought possible - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By dr_pangloss - June 8 - 10:47 am

  I was expecting to buy an Audi A4 or A3 and I drove the GTI on a whim. Its a good thing that I did this because I bought the the 2011 model almost immediately. This car is unbelievably fun to drive and its economical, practical, reasonably priced (29k for the Autobahn package) and compares very favorably to every other car in its class. The interior has an Audi build quality but costs a couple k less and the VW warranty is now better than Audi. The amenities included in many ways trump the Audis as well. For instance, the Bluetooth package on the GTI has the A2DP streaming protocol included as part of the base features. Not on the Audis, youll pay extra & lose your iPod integration too.