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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  7 months later and still in love - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Jboogaloo - July 19 - 4:30 pm

  An update to my original post in June of 08. This car is still doing everything I expect and then some. I have used premium since day 1 and havent thought different. This car still gets me roughly 26-27mpg (goin 70mph down the highway), I still love the comfort of the automobile (drove to Myrtle Beach and back from DC, and was very comfortable with 3 other adults, luggage, and 2 golf bags). The style is still cool and I dont regret one thing about this car. The quality is great, the ride is smooth, and its still fun for me. There is ample storage space (I dont have sunroof) and its VERY safe (read the safety ratings that came out last year and see who was on top). Great car, I love it!

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  Back to Diesel - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By john a miller - July 19 - 6:26 am

  This cars power and responsiveness are remarkable. Its styling is classy for small car. Its economy is as advertised. It has unexpected roominess and comfort. VW maxed-out the design of the interior. My first car was VW Beetle and last a BMW, VW has me back.

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  No Complaints Here - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By jcw24fan - July 19 - 2:40 am

  Ive had my Passat for over 8 years, have nearly 100,000 miles on it, and have almost nothing but good things to say about it. No ball joint replacement (apparently a common problem), no clutch problems, no major problems of any kind really. Minor problems have included emissions and radiator leak. Nothing else but standard maintenance (oil, tires, brakes). My only complaint is the difficulty in getting to the oil filter to change the oil. It requires that the front facia be unbolted, and several screws have broken off in doing this. Otherwise, Im very happy with my car, and will consider VW again in the future.

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  My First New Car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Rick - July 17 - 1:46 pm

  I bought my 2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T brand new because I wanted a reliable car that I did not have to worry about how the owner before me had cared for it. Well, this was a huge mistake. Even though this car is fun to drive it was the worst car I have ever owned. In the first year the transmition was replaced along with the fuel pump radiator, radio, hvac, and power window switch. I tryed to do the lemon law thing but the same thing had to happen three times in 18 months. during year two my car needed another tranny, more window regulators, and had a fire, yes a fire. I was driving down the road and looked in my side mirror to see that it was on fire (shorted out heated mirror). I had $24,000 worth of warranty repairs made on my Jetta! At 48,000 miles I traded it in on a Honda. Thanks for nothing VW.

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  Love my TDI with DSG - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Miles - July 17 - 2:03 am

  I bought my 09 Jetta TDI sedan in January and I just passed 10K miles a few weeks ago. Recently took it in for the FREE 10K service, which is a nice plus, as the 09 comes with 36K no charge service. So far I love it! The ride is smooth, somewhat tight, and very easy to handle. Acceleration is phenomenal considering the mpg. The diesel is quiet but has a nice exhaust note when pushed. Fit and finish are near perfect. The seats are very comfortable but not soft and cushy. The dash is clean and un-cluttered. Plenty of room for even the tallest drivers, but a smallish back seat. The trunk is decent size and pass through storage is handy.

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  Lesson learned - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hadalotofcars - July 16 - 8:32 am

  This car was fun to drive once you were moving. The DSG transmission was jerky and sometimes would scare the daylights out of us because it was clunk when downshifting. The interior smelled funny from the day we bought it until the day we traded it in. The VW dealer said this is the proper operation of the car. As far as the smell, the dealer did an AC service to "clean" the system months after getting it and then it smelled like cleaner - which was better than the other smell. Once the cleaner smell started to fade the original smell was returning. Very unhappy - would never buy another VW again.

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  SWEEEEET!!!!! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Milojenkins - July 16 - 2:13 am

  I have had VWs for the last 8 years, and this one tops them all. We have had Golfs, GTIs, and most recently a 2004 Passat, but this Jetta is the best package I have ever seen in a car at 25K or less. You cant touch it in another make for the money.

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  Still in Love - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By hedgehog - July 15 - 2:13 pm

  Odometer just passed 2000 with over 300 of that put on in the past 3 days. I still love it! Just wondering why I dont see more of them on the road. Hard to believe I drove that far and didnt see another Eos anywhere. By the way, I got 32.1 mpg for those 300+ highway miles. Dealer did not service (lubricate) roof seals as part of prep. We will be asking them to do that when it goes in for first service.

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  Built for Drivers - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Rubens - July 15 - 1:30 pm

  This is the first VW I have owned and I absolutely love it. It is a lot of fun to drive, has a great interior design (especially the leather finish - stitching comparable to a Mercedes), and has great fuel economy. Its standard features, such as leather seats and heated side mirrors, are a real bonus. It has huge trunk space, I had over $650 worth of groceries in there no problem (hey, we were getting ready for Christmas!). The rear passengers love the heat vent that they can control as well as the pull down arm rest that can store magazines or make use of the pop out cup holders. This car is spacious and solid to drive.

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  Technology is not here yet - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike - July 15 - 12:50 pm

  Radio looks nice but it wont connect and re-connect to iPhone 6S: connection drops if you connect it with USB cable. If you played music it will stop. Why? Dealer confirmed: you need to re-connect/connect every time youre using charging cable. Ohh... Another complaint is gas mileage: I drive to work on highways but car doesnt get 40 mpg. I am easy on gas in D-mode (not in Sport mode) and RPMs are less than 2,000 (!). (I took a picture this morning with 33.2 mpg after my trip). If you used to drive Ford F250 , this number will make you happy.