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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  Check first - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By C. - April 27 - 3:13 am

  The speakers in my Volkswagen Jetta rattle. Be sure to ask your service department to fix this problem prior to picking your car up. They install a kit to fix the problem. Also, this cars cold-rtart (all new Jettas) sounds like an 18-wheeler on first start. VW of North America stated this is normal, until they can identify a solution to fix it. It sounds like a box of rocks rattling for 10 - 15 seconds.

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  Pacific VW Perfection - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Brian - April 26 - 10:01 pm

  Had the most seamless experience using Edmunds then shopping my preferences to multiple dealers. Pacific VW met my needs perfectly and had me in and out of the showroom in 2 hours. It was awesome

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  2004 VW Beetle GL Coupe - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jesmari - April 26 - 3:43 pm

  This is a great car for the small unique design. It is fun to drive and has great stability. It is very reliable. The only con is a minor electrical fault in the airbag system. The system frequently gave a false alert of having problems, without there actually being a problem.

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  2012 VW Touareg Sport w/ Navigation - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By bandit66 - April 26 - 2:52 pm

  I visited my dealer in early December to look at a 2011 left over. After driving a Midnight Blue 2012 I decided to trade-in my 2009 Tiguan for the 2012 Touareg. I have previously owned other "high line" vehicles from Acura, Lexus, and Infinity ... but none come close to the new Touareg - yes it IS a "high line" vehicle (and I bought the Sport version!). Build quality is amazing, design is amazing, materials are amazing, ride is amazing. This is one well built vehicle.

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  2003 VW GTI VR6 w/ 6 speed manual - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By kfos123 - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for almost three weeks now and I am very satisfied with my purchase. The car looks great in silverstone grey with black leather interior and the additional splash guards give the car a lower profile along with fewer trips to the car wash. So far, Im very impressed with the cars performance and handling. It is very quick off the line and has nice linear surges of power as I row through the pleasantly precise and somewhat notchy gear box. When I dive into the twisites, the car has a little body roll but reamins compliant and controlled. The Monsoon stereo sounds great and the automatic climate control system is very easy to use.

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  Leave Gas Station Behind - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By martok - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I love my Jetta! The Jetta is fun to drive, has excellent fuel economy, (44- 51 mpg, up to 700 miles/tank) is good looking, and reliable. I have personally driven this vehicle about 5000 miles, and I am impressed with the precision in the steering, along with the overall maneuverability.

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  My VW Beetle - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Clarke Allen - April 25 - 10:56 pm

  This beetle is is an excellent ride for anyone who just wants to ride around. I you want a big car, then this is not for you. If youre like me, though, then you will love this car just like I do.

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  Cant Wait Until my Lease is up! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Katy - April 25 - 9:23 pm

  Ive had a lot of problems with my 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, including the fact that it burns 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles and the manufacturer says thats within specs. I had an issue where the cruise control was broken and the alarm would go off in the middle of the night. I would unlock the car so the alarm wouldnt go off again, but the car would lock itself and then proceed to alarm again. There was an instance where the passengers side door wouldnt open from the inside. The radio broke and had to be replaced and evidently it wasnt installed correctly to begin with. Shall I go on? I HATE this car! The only cool thing about it is the purple dashboard lights.

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  Definitely Not a Camry! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ken - April 25 - 3:30 pm

  The Passat 3.6 4Motion is quite an awesome car! I did months of extensive research on buying a replacement car for my wife; deciding between the 2007 Camry, 2007 Infiniti G35, and the 2006 Acura TL. Although the Camry is a better value, the Passat is so much more fun to drive! The G35 and TL were just too expensive and lacked interior rear seat room. I have two teen sons over 6 tall and they have plenty of room in the back seat. The value for what you get in the Passat is awesome; you get Mercedes/BMW amenities for a Buick price! Although the car listed at $40,000 (sport package, fully loaded), I was able to get it for $33,000 from the dealer, as they were hot to get rid of the 2006 models; making it an incredible value!

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  Check engine light blues! - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 4 Paws - April 24 - 9:10 pm

  Bought the TDI wagon with manual transmission with sunroof and sat nav system. Good styling, handles nice, runs good and only sips fuel. The check engine light came on before I made it home from the dealer so I drove a loaner for a week. Two weeks later the light came on again. Another loaner. More time in the shop. Nice little car but I really have issues with the reliability. In all honesty I cant recommend the car but I have lots of good to say about the dealership.