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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  LEMON BEETLE - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dilyse - May 27 - 7:27 am

  Bought this cute bug 6 years ago for my daughter. Has been in the shop more times than I can count. Ive always had it serviced right on time either at a dealer or by a VW specialist and still have tons of problems. Main ones: - SUNROOF LEAKS - ruined interior! Have taken it to a VW dealer 4 times and an independent specialist once. Still leaks. Really bad design! - POWER WINDOW MOTOR - Replaced - Misc Buttons - pop off. Design is also really a 2-seater as the rear seats are virtually useless for anyone over 5 feet tall. My daughter wanted this based on looks alone. At least this has been a great lesson for her. NEXT TIME SHELL BUY QUALITY IN ADDITION TO LOOKS. AVOID THE BUG!

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  I Do Have A Gripe! - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By claudestouareg - May 27 - 3:59 am

  Okay, we love this car. We researched the whole field of candidates and in the end there was no other choice to deliver this level of overall satisfaction: TDI=check, 8 speed tranny=check, full time all wheel drive=check, good value for money=check, excellent build quality=check, and so on. But as a tech geek I have an unrequited curiosity about the technical details of this car, particularly the drive train components. Such details are hard to come by from the manufacturer and that is just not right given the the level of sophistication and do-not-touch obscurity of traditionally accessible owner service points. It is disquieting to have your mechanic say "you cant change a light bulb"

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  2002 GLI - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By smitty541974 - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Well, I bought my GLI to compliment my Turbo S beetle but it has been in the shop for seven days now. For some reason the GLI stalls out after starting and sometimes doesnt start at all. VW of North America is aware of the problem.

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  Big wheels, lotsa gear and even more fun - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By CharlieB - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for a month and have over 5000 miles on it already. I traded in a 2001 Maxima SE with the 225HP V-6 and dont fell like I gave up much performance. This one is smoother, quieter and more fun then the Max was.

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  Nice but expensive to maintain - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By tsantsa1 - May 25 - 11:30 am

  I have a 2009 CC with the 2.0 and a 6 speed manual. It has a beautiful car to drive over 40K miles, BUT, it is a female dog to maintain. Just before it went out of warranty, the dealer where I take it for service (not where I bought it) replaced both the clutch pedal assembly and the intake manifold under warranty. Since then the clutch pedal has come loose twice. I just took it in for the 40K service. The service mgr said its supposed to be loose like that. It was not loose before replace, and they tightened it once after service. Which brings me to the 40K service. VW covers service through 30K. At 40K they make it up with a $400 plus service charge. Lease dont buy it.

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  My 1st V-Dubb - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dennis - May 24 - 11:40 pm

  Waited 4 months for an 08 Accord coupe. Walked into the v. W. Dealer, drove the auto and made the deal for the 6 spd. Love driving the car; feels like a lot more expensive car. There should be more creature comforts on this quality of build. Just picked the car up on 7/28 so havent really "driven" the car yet. The couple of time Ive gotten on it a bit lets me know the car surely feels a lot stronger than I thought it would. By the way, my reliability rating of 5 is because I havent had the car long enough to rate it fairly. Oh, how I wish I could "rate" the dealership too!

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  Great ride - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By lspeed1983 - May 24 - 10:32 pm

  I purchased this car on 01/31/2012. The car now has 5.8K on the clock, so its past its first stage break-in-period. Im now averaging 39.7K overall in mixed driving, but can easily hit 48 MPG cruizing at 72 MPH @ just under 2K RMPs. I cant believe how powerful it feels while still being so fuel efficient. The shifter feels solid and well weighted, the clutch is light without being too light, and the steering is direct / tracks well. The car as a whole is vastly superior to anyother eco compact non-lux car also evident in its simple yet top-notch interior. For pure driving excitement the GTI wins hands down, but the TDI is a nice compromise that leaves me with no regrets.

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  I haven Driven Almost Every Car In The World, And this is the best car for the price. - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vmn077 - May 24 - 9:43 pm

  This car is def worth every penny for the price it has. The other competitors cars in the market can not compare its quility, features and history with VW. It drives just as good as any other expensive car. I have own this car for year now and iam just impress every time, its very comfortable, a lot of space and very rised up compare to other sedans. The fuel economy is great for the power it has. I get around 25 - 29 in city and long trip i have gotten numbers above 40 mpgs (using a real data logger). The car come pack of little features must people dont even know about. The is almost matinance free, 10k mile oil change, no timming belt change ever, it uses a map system,means less sensor.

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  2009 Wolfsburg - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By drusin11 - May 24 - 7:53 pm

  Great design with great handling. Turbo is quick with power to spare. Car has all the great options needed and a great sounding stereo. First time foreign car owner so hoping its a good one!

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  Dont pass up the GTI! - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By dafish2 - May 24 - 7:03 pm

  I was a bit skeptical about purchasing a VW as I dont know many individuals that have purchased them. I see a lot of Honda and Toyotas on the road and not as many VWs. I have always been an admirer or German design and they have been known for solid engineering. Im about 6 feet and it fits my figure very well. Feature for feature you cant compare the value with other cars, as they are left in the dust! This car would sell more if the dealerships would carry more automatic versions. The mileage is much better than listed. My only dissatisfaction is the rattling noise when the engine revs past 3K RPM. Im very pleased to have purchased this car as it is an awesome car to drive!