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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  Dont Buy One - 2000 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By princesserin - August 3 - 3:06 am

  My boyfriend and I bought this car because i wanted it! I have had nothing but problems with it since the day I drove it off the lot! The night that I drove it home, the check engine light came on and I have had to take it back up there and pay for the problems even though I have only had it for not even three weeks! Getting this car was a big mistake.

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  I will never by another VW - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mackenzie Bayne - July 24 - 3:57 am

  Ever since I got this car the breaks have been squeaky, the power steering has gone out, there is a recall on it, I have replaced the battery in it three times, and the electrical wiring in it has gone out. It appears that VW did not just cheat on emissions, but also the overall quality in this vehicle.

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  I will never by another VW - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mackenzie Bayne - July 24 - 3:57 am

  Ever since I got this car the breaks have been squeaky, the power steering has gone out, there is a recall on it, I have replaced the battery in it three times, and the electrical wiring in it has gone out. It appears that VW did not just cheat on emissions, but also the overall quality in this vehicle.

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  RUN AWAY!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Kevin - May 24 - 10:14 pm

  Worse car ever!!! Have never had a car with so many problems. You will never finish having brake, electrical, engine, transmission problems. Even the overhead dvd players go bad.

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  Unacceptable repair costs!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By angie - May 19 - 9:06 am

  There are many problems involved with this car, including faulty cylinders, throttle body mailfunctions, and wiring!

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  Unacceptable repair costs!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By angie - May 19 - 9:06 am

  There are many problems involved with this car, including faulty cylinders, throttle body mailfunctions, and wiring!

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  Unacceptable repair costs!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By angie - May 19 - 9:06 am

  There are many problems involved with this car, including faulty cylinders, throttle body mailfunctions, and wiring!

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  POOR RELIABILITY - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ivan - March 3 - 3:57 am

  I can admit that Ive made big mistake with this car. Jetta 2016 has problems with Automatic transmission which is performing poorly in traffic (feels like it skips 2-nd gear). Its like you dont need all these 6 speeds in the city! The actual horsepower is 120 Hp. After first oil change its gas mileage dropped by 5-7 mpg (Im using the same gas station and same route to work). I am assuming that a car comes with different oil type from the factory, with different viscosity: sort of your oil-starter. Ive addressed all these issues to the Kings VW in Rockville MD and the service manager told me that "this is normal... well get you a new car at the end of your lease". I used to think that reviews with "car spent X days in the shop" or "dealer told me to contact VW" are written by people with no life. I am very busy with mine. Leasing VW was big mistake. I had 2 (two) Toyota (Camry and Prius) and crossed the US a couple of times but no dealer told me to "go and call...". I think all positive reviews here are from VW to keep the brand up which is dead already because of their cheating with many things (this time they just got caught). And handling is not that great.

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  TDI - Dirty Emissions - 2015 Volkswagen Golf
  By Fengshooey - February 2 - 6:36 am

  Im motivated to post this review in light of the news that Volkswagen installed a "defeat device" algorithm on its emissions systems for its TDI vehicles that, in short, makes it appear it emits far less nitrogen oxide during emissions testing than it does during normal driving conditions. In short, folks, the TDI Golf and other TDI vehicles in the lineup from VW emit somewhere between 10-40 times the upper limit of acceptable (as determined by the EPA) of nitrogen oxide, a compound that is implicated in smog and worsening of pulmonary diseases such as asthma. Volkswagen apparently did this for years. When I learned about them, I wanted to buy a TDI vehicle in 2010, waited some time and eventually happily bought a 2015 VW Golf TDI in 8/2015. One month later in 9/2015 this issue comes to light and I find that the vehicle I bought in part for high MPG numbers inviting comparisons to some hybrids emits a huge amount of air pollutant. And while this is an issue VW will address with the EPA, it is me, the consumer, who was deceived by the marketing of the TDI lineup which resulted in a sale for VW. Talk about being suckered. If it was a bad component of the suspension or something less maleficent than intentionally misleading the consumer, I would not be so hot about this. Trust me, waiting a few years to buy something and then finding out you should have waited one additional month *really* sucks. Does the car perform well? Yes. Do I get 39-40MPG regularly with spirited driving and 40-50% city driving miles? Yes. Is the interior high quality? Yes. Did I love it prior to the 9/2015 news reports about the emissions being hugely misrepresented? Yes. Is my heart broken? Yes. And this will result in the loss of my business for the manufacturer in the future. There are perfectly lovely Mazda 3s and Ford Focus hatches out there for you. Edmunds rates them highly. Buy them. Save yourself a headache and stick it to a manufacturer that made its business over the last few years in part by intentionally misleading its customers.

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  Lemon, Lemon, Lemon - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Robert - January 14 - 3:03 pm

  I was very pleased with the Passat at first. That is until I found a small dent upon delivery, it broke down due to a loose ground strap, the Dynaudio stereo has a problem with losing the lower bass, a constant morris-code rattle at the driver side pillar, the hesitive fuel peddle response, and of course the poor service from every dealer Ive been to. They never seem to be able to fix anything right the first time. Im going to sell this waste of money the first chance I get. That is unless VW and their sorry excuse for mechanics can fix these tivial issues.