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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  CC is an elegantly designed car priced exceptionally well - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By lknightor - December 1 - 5:58 am

  I took delivery of my 2012 CC yesterday. I have been eyeing this car for two years, since seeing it at the local car show. The design of this Euro sport coupe/sedan was striking, and far ahead of any domestic manufacturer in a similar price range. The metallic Black adds to the striking silouette. This car looks like a leopard ready to leap, even while standing curbside. Yes, the rear seats (2) are not as spacious as my old Mercedes E320. However, the dog never complains about headroom. The interior appointments, and the options on a basic Sport model far exceed what I had on the Mercedes. Dual 6 way power front seats, and a radio that does everything but blow your nose for you! Thanks VW!

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  Theres no other car like it! - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By solarflare - December 1 - 4:06 am

  You don’t have to give up a sunroof or front wheel drive with this baby! I get 35-42 mpg highway and with 200 horses under the hood! The DSG transmission is smooth and responsive and I love the fact that the car sounds much like a manual when accelerating. My EOS has the luxury package with rear park assist, two options that I highly recommend. The interior trim, mine has the cornsilk beige, is top notch and very elegant. The car is beautiful inside and out! Handling with the top down is a bit awkward but the car is a blast to drive. The leather seats are a bit hard but not uncomfortable. The EOS has style and class and I think VW has a winner here!

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  Unreliable, tons of problems - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Joan - November 30 - 8:16 pm

  We purchased this car in March of 2006. We now have 34K miles on the car. It has been towed to various VW dealers four times. Twice we were going 65 mph on the freeway and it stalled. Weve had the entire A/C system replaced (that was fun, going up a hill, a grinding sound and tons of smoke and the car died), many belts have broken, various sensors have malfunctioned, electrical problems and I could go on. We had 2 other VWs previously and no problems. Thankfully our other car is a BMW which is night & day compared to the Passat.

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  Excellent value - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris C. - November 30 - 7:07 pm

  I leased my Jetta 1.4 S/Technology Package in July of 2016. It is now one year later and I have 15,000 miles on it, and I must say the car is very impressive, especially considering the price. In the seasons where I do not need A/C I have been consistently getting 40-42 mpg AVERAGE with about 60% highway miles and cruise set at 74mph. In the summer, the A/C SEEMS to drop the average to 37-39, still very impressive for the average. The intergration of the Android auto app is fantastic 28th Google maps. I dont know if I would buy navigation in the future if the Android/Apple apps are on the car. I also love the back-up camera. I never feel like this car is under-powered, or in a situation where the car isnt accelerating fast enough (on-ramps, highway passing), not have I experienced any problems with the transmission shifting incorrectly. Im sure the winter traction would be fine with the OEM tires, but Im a little neurotic when it comes to traction, so I have snow tires/rims that I put on, and it is a beast in the snow. Overall, just a superb car for the money. Would highly recommend.

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  Excellent value - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris C. - November 30 - 7:07 pm

  I leased my Jetta 1.4 S/Technology Package in July of 2016. It is now one year later and I have 15,000 miles on it, and I must say the car is very impressive, especially considering the price. In the seasons where I do not need A/C I have been consistently getting 40-42 mpg AVERAGE with about 60% highway miles and cruise set at 74mph. In the summer, the A/C SEEMS to drop the average to 37-39, still very impressive for the average. The intergration of the Android auto app is fantastic 28th Google maps. I dont know if I would buy navigation in the future if the Android/Apple apps are on the car. I also love the back-up camera. I never feel like this car is under-powered, or in a situation where the car isnt accelerating fast enough (on-ramps, highway passing), not have I experienced any problems with the transmission shifting incorrectly. Im sure the winter traction would be fine with the OEM tires, but Im a little neurotic when it comes to traction, so I have snow tires/rims that I put on, and it is a beast in the snow. Overall, just a superb car for the money. Would highly recommend.

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  The Pocket Rocket grows up - sort of.... - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Luis Rosario - November 30 - 6:03 pm

  Still a unique car that shows other "hot hatchbacks" how it should be done! A solid combination of premium features, safety, performance, and comfort for its class. Fun to drive, yet it wont beat you up in the process. If you want to move up from the kiddie-car competition to something with more comfort and features, the GTI is the one you want. The base 1.8T motor is tons of fun. Overall, a great little commuter car with German attitude, plus you wont see yourself coming and going like the other boy- racer go-karts out there. Be sure to go with the stick-shift for maximum control. No problems yet - seems like most quality control issues have been taken care of from the 2003 models on.

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  1rst VW: Extremely Roomy, Insane MPG - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By wilsonbrown - November 30 - 12:11 pm

  This car has as much room as an Audi A8 and the MPG of a much smaller car. Getting on average 42mpg. On highway, can get 56mpg on long trips.

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  test drove fro my wife coming out of a sentra - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fred savoy - November 29 - 6:58 pm

  A car is a very personal thing. one mans great car is anothers lousy car. I always test dive cars for my wife ,when I drove the 1.8 Jetta sport,I was very comfortable in the front seats. I was extremely impressed with the 1.8 liter turbo engine. Very responsive and quiet. suspension was just right for me. I thought this car was supposed to be a compact, but I had and Audi A4 , and this Jetta had way more room in back seat ,and trunk is huge. My golf clubs fit in the trunk completely horizontal which is unheard of in a compact car. Any way my wife says it is by far the nicest car shes ever had compared to NIssan altima sentra maxima,acura infiniti. the only thing lacking was front and rear sensors. shes had about 8000 trouble free miles. I was so impressed I switched out my Audi A4 for the Jetta Gli Sel. For about $12,000. less I felt I was getting a better car. The Gli s identical to the Jetta sport with the following : Gli has 2.0liter turbo (no big difference in mho.but it came with front and rear sensors,and cross traffic alert and blind spot spot monitoring which was important for me to have. It also has a sunroof (which I never use) If I could have gotten the Jetta sport with those safety features,I would have done it in heart beat.Bottom line we are both extremely happy with the cars to date,and I advise prospective buyers to test drive them.

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  An excellent all round car - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By nij - November 29 - 2:02 pm

  Ive had the car for 3 years now. Used it for pretty much everything -> Haul cargo ( 500+ miles ), furniture from ikea. With the rear seats folded, i was able to completely assembled computer table in it. Although i wish the car was a little wider. Commuter car -> I use it to commute 30+ miles daily and it is a quiet and smooth ride. the standard seat heaters help in winter. The car was covered under the factory free maintenance until now, so i havent had to spend any extra money on it. The car averages 28-32 mpg ( city - highway ) for me. The highway ride is smooth and comfortable. I havent spent any money on repairs so far and have 45K+ miles on it.

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  Amazing car - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By lcs_miller - November 29 - 12:20 pm

  i got this car a few days ago and its great! i bought it from carmax. It has 2 slight dents in it. Its jet black and is so amazing to drive. The fuel econmy is lower then most cars like the rabbit but its great!