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:

• 

  Market leader in this class - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By gpwykham - June 22 - 7:06 pm

  After much research on moving up from a zippy and efficient Mazda 3, and having test drove several competitors, the new Tiguan, stood out from the crowd. Am impressive array of features on the SE 4MOTION, sports-type handling, great vroom on the pedal, comfortable surrounds AND VW of Americas 0% financing make this perhaps the best deal in America.

• 

  First 2500 Miles - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bronco$fan - June 22 - 12:06 pm

  Ive driven the car for 2,500 miles now and am very happy with it. 85% of the miles are short in town trips ath are 5 miles or less (hardly enough to get let the engine warm up) and I am averaging 35.2 MPG. I am sure if we drove slower and took longer trips the mileage would be substantially higher. We purchased this because we wanted an efficient car and could not stand the tiny box feel of all the other high mileage cars on the market (IE civic, fit, carolla, yari, etc).

• 

  Great Beetle at Mcdonalds - 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Anthony Herring - June 22 - 11:00 am

  Beetle review This is not just the same beetle of the nineties it has all the retro style of other models, round and economic but the factory options have changed to meet the luster of a modern day Cadillac. I used my brother car to travel to Boston last year and I thought it exceeded the power and comfort of any beetle before its time. My brother has own beetles since the very beginning and I have shared the excitement with permission. AJH

• 

  Best VW yet - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By MichiganVW - June 21 - 5:16 pm

  We have owned a bug (1972), Jetta (1987) and Golf (1995), and this Passat (2005). This car was picked by my wife with automatic, but the TDI was my idea. I was slow to warm to this car. Too fancy for my taste. But as time goes on, this car is becoming my favorite sedan. Solid build, no mechanical problems at all, and an ultimate highway ride (with 38-40 mpg!). The planets lined up right for the 2005 Passat TDI. Cant wait for my next VW TDI. Im hooked.

• 

  Almost as Fun to Drive as my Viper - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Steve S. - June 20 - 4:43 am

  I bought a 2006 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 for my wife but I seem to be doing all the driving in it. Coming from a Mercedes-Benz S500 owner and former Viper owner, this car is a joy to drive. With the Sport package it actually has more options than my 2000 model S500 Benz. It is not quite as smooth, classy looking, or roomy but it definitely is more fun to drive. The navigation system is a bit complicated but it does the trick. When driving in "Sport" mode it has great umff out of the corners. The steering / handling is great. You feel one with the road. The 280 HP makes it easy to pass "Gramps" moseying down the highway.

• 

  Six Week Review -- 2016 VW Jetta 1.8T Sport - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Daniel - June 20 - 3:46 am

  We have owned several VW products and multiple Jettas -- traded in the 2006 VW Jetta TDI with 105K miles for a new 2016 VW Jetta 1.8T Sport (diesel for gasoline). Our 2006 was before "DieselGate" so we werent in the running for a VAG payout or buyback...Lets first discuss pricing -- strategically, I worked this "deal" for over a month, wanting to wait until VW publicly announced the $$$ for their DieselGate settlement; we closed the day after their announcement, and there was no one in the dealership...I had purchased from this same dealership before, so we had that going for us as well. To make a long story short, the week on July 4th, the MSRP (about $24.5K) was discounted about $6,500 and we pounced. They gave a decent trade allowance and were able to purchase a brand new Jetta for about $16.2K -- remember that the Jetta 1.8T Sport is loaded except for the Light Package, so we are very pleased. Compared to the 2006 TDI, the 2016 1.8T Sport has a much more smooth ride (sport suspension) along with softer interior plastics...no more leaky sunroof from the 2006 TDI...the audio and communications are extremely updated versus the 2006 TDI (which didnt even come with an aux jack...) Im well aware of the potential issues - replaced the dual mass flywheel on the 2006 TDIs DSG transmission, replaced the refrigerant control value on the 2006 TDI, and ignored the 2006 TDI headliner issue. But the 2016 1.8T has some "maintenance" improvements -- for example, in order for me to change 2006 TDIs headlamp bulbs, I had to remove the entire front bumper/grille in order to access the light assemblies (no room for your hand inside the engine compartment...); now, on the 1.8T, I can easily reach and twist!!! The 2 biggest cons (I really dont care at all) between the 2006 TDI and the 2016 1.8T Sport is (1) trunk clearance, which the 2006 wins with its large opening, and (2) fuel consumption, with the obvious 2006 diesel beating the 2016 1.8T gasser (but the gasser runs on regular unleaded so thats a plus...)

• 

  Interior/Build Problems - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By TyAlyson - June 20 - 3:33 am

  Although my 2008 EOS is fun to drive and is reliable in ride/drive, Im very upset about the constant attention my interior mechanisms need. The emergency brake sleeve was not attached at purchase, sunroof was lubricated for squeak noise, leak repaired on driverside A Pillar, driverside seatbelt keeps twisting inside panel (dealer fixed once but refuse to fix under warranty in future), passenger seat sliding mechanism doesnt work when seat is pushed forward for passenger access (dealer refuses to fix under warranty), passenger side seat recliner knob broke off due to poor design (dealer refuses to fix under warranty), LCD monitor fades on left side when temps reach 100+ degrees...

• 

  Diesels rule - 2006 Volkswagen Golf
  By TDIfab - June 19 - 9:43 am

  I purchased my 2006 Volkswagen Golf GLS TDI about two weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I have put over 300 miles on it so far and still have a little more than half a tank left, this tank was filled full when I purchased it.

• 

  GTI VR6 - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By gee - June 19 - 2:00 am

  M....I`m Happy with this car

• 

  Great First Car - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JettaBabe - June 19 - 2:00 am

  My first car and loving it. I love the 5 speed its smooth duability. Great milage since gas has gone sky rocketing. con: manual roll down windows are time consuming, no consul in the middle