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:

• 

  VW does not care - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kingfisher440 - January 27 - 8:49 pm

  disintegrating dual mass flywheel: they wouldnt even buy me a gift certificate to McDonalds and now the dealer cannot guarantee to me that the replacement dual mass flywheel is any better than the one that just failed at 82,000 miles! So, do I have another $ 2100 repair in my future when this fly wheel fails also??? Nobody seems to know. If it werent for the good fuel efficiency, I would not own this car!

• 

  Poor Interior Design - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mbonder - January 26 - 4:43 pm

  Overall, excellent car. However, there is a tight fit for the drivers hand around the ignition and little space between the gear shifter and console. Interior design could be better, its a little disappointing from a VW.

• 

  Great car for the money & blast to drive - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By BostonNorth - January 26 - 12:23 pm

  Terrific car for the money, love everything about it. Would have liked the nav radio with bluetooth but thats the only concern. Great gas mileage and the 2.0t with manual is great.

• 

  45 mpg nightmare - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris - January 26 - 9:47 am

  The engine is a magical 1.4 liter torque monster that seemed to never eat or drink. I regularly got 44 miles per gallon. That was good. 44 could be had at 70 with the Air conditioning on. 50mpg wasnt unreasonable at 60. The trunk is a colossal cavern. I got a grandfather clock into my car. A sedan. (the trunk was closed) Everything that isnt mentioned above ranges from sub-par at best to unforgivable at worst. The 5 speed is great as a means to send the cars fuel mileage into the stratosphere. The shifter linkage may have been found in a box in wolfsburg marked "1975 rejects". The throw to fifth is within a knuckle of the distance to the passengers knee. The release for reverse sometimes failed to activate reverse. This caused a great deal of unpleasantness. Camera on, clutch out, car goes.. forward. Sometimes the camera didnt come on. The backup camera came on a couple times in 1st. That was amusing. And theres all that torque but nowhere to go, because the traction control cannot be turned off. This causes problems when the car can smoke its wheels easily. If it was raining, the car was sketchy. Traction control would have a meltdown. If it was snowing, there was a good chance that traction control and skid protections constant freakouts made you and your vehicle a danger to the public. Lets see, App-Connect hardly ever worked. Only the misfortune of driving a 2016 base model made me thankful for the former plymouth designer (I presume) who designed the cheap, monotonous interior of the SE trim - its black plastic. The dashboard is harder than the bumpers. And its cheap. the inner door reflectors fall out. often. The mirror control button is counterintuitive, Seat heat was great, and the heater was great. The glovebox was huge. Thats good. The dashboard had old school gauges. I like that. Unlike many vehicles in its segment, it looks like a car. The problem is that its a lousy one. It was a riot to drive in the dry and a nightmare in the wet. they could have spent two hundred dollars more per unit to have a great car. The problem was that VW didnt, and the car is lousy. If fuel mileage is your only concern, this is a winner. If youre going to lease - dont. VW might delete your payment history and report all kinds of strange things to the credit bureau. VW credit has an ongoing computer glitch that is affecting several hundred people, but they wont fix it. Also, the cars mediocre at best. If youre basic, its perfect. Its failings will be lost on you. If you need a cheap, newer vehicle, dont do it. Its german. Its turbocharged. The parts are expensive. Its not made well. And neither the dealer, VW Credit, nor VW itself were willing to stand behind its product.

• 

  45 mpg nightmare - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris - January 26 - 9:47 am

  The engine is a magical 1.4 liter torque monster that seemed to never eat or drink. I regularly got 44 miles per gallon. That was good. 44 could be had at 70 with the Air conditioning on. 50mpg wasnt unreasonable at 60. The trunk is a colossal cavern. I got a grandfather clock into my car. A sedan. (the trunk was closed) Everything that isnt mentioned above ranges from sub-par at best to unforgivable at worst. The 5 speed is great as a means to send the cars fuel mileage into the stratosphere. The shifter linkage may have been found in a box in wolfsburg marked "1975 rejects". The throw to fifth is within a knuckle of the distance to the passengers knee. The release for reverse sometimes failed to activate reverse. This caused a great deal of unpleasantness. Camera on, clutch out, car goes.. forward. Sometimes the camera didnt come on. The backup camera came on a couple times in 1st. That was amusing. And theres all that torque but nowhere to go, because the traction control cannot be turned off. This causes problems when the car can smoke its wheels easily. If it was raining, the car was sketchy. Traction control would have a meltdown. If it was snowing, there was a good chance that traction control and skid protections constant freakouts made you and your vehicle a danger to the public. Lets see, App-Connect hardly ever worked. Only the misfortune of driving a 2016 base model made me thankful for the former plymouth designer (I presume) who designed the cheap, monotonous interior of the SE trim - its black plastic. The dashboard is harder than the bumpers. And its cheap. the inner door reflectors fall out. often. The mirror control button is counterintuitive, Seat heat was great, and the heater was great. The glovebox was huge. Thats good. The dashboard had old school gauges. I like that. Unlike many vehicles in its segment, it looks like a car. The problem is that its a lousy one. It was a riot to drive in the dry and a nightmare in the wet. they could have spent two hundred dollars more per unit to have a great car. The problem was that VW didnt, and the car is lousy. If fuel mileage is your only concern, this is a winner. If youre going to lease - dont. VW might delete your payment history and report all kinds of strange things to the credit bureau. VW credit has an ongoing computer glitch that is affecting several hundred people, but they wont fix it. Also, the cars mediocre at best. If youre basic, its perfect. Its failings will be lost on you. If you need a cheap, newer vehicle, dont do it. Its german. Its turbocharged. The parts are expensive. Its not made well. And neither the dealer, VW Credit, nor VW itself were willing to stand behind its product.

• 

  238000 miles - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Rose - January 26 - 5:40 am

  To all the skeptics: sit down and read this! 238,000 miles on my TDI Beetle. No major engine issues. Serviced regularly: oil change every 6k; 20k/40ks; 60ks timing belt. Tire rotation every 5-8k on the best Mich. Destinys. 3 complaints: seats are not made for comfort, whats up with the head light lenses falling out:replaced 5 times and rear seat is not for passengers with legs. Had to put her to rest this week. A ford driver with bald tires had a blow out on the mountain, swerved to miss her, slammed into guard rail. Saved a life, yet totaled my new beetle. Gonna miss her. If you have in-laws or pals that say you should sell your TDI...DONT LISTEN!..There just jealous of your mpg!

• 

  TDI 6 SPEED MANUAL - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By LINAS M - January 25 - 6:11 pm

  Great value surprisingly quick Over 50 mpg highway , mid 40s in suburbs VW should offer a sunroof for manual drivers and power passenger seat.

• 

  So far So good - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By audiPhile - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine new and have 28K miles on it. My left headlight and the right brake light didnt work at 27 K. Had to take it to dealer and replaced it(Warranty). I havent had any engine problems at all except that it drinks a lot of oil and I keep 2 quarts in my trunk. I asked the dealer last week and he told me to bring in next time the oil shows half in the dip stick and they would do an oil consumption test. One more thing. My doors get stuck in freezing winter and have to use force to open. Recently I hear light noise from my AC grill. Got to get it done soon! But overall I like my car. Has been very reliable and fun and looks nice!

• 

  NEVER BUY A VW! - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By MMV - January 25 - 2:00 am

  Ive had such a bad experience with VW. I went to all the VWs in my area and cant believe the poor service that I have been getting. I LOVE my car, however it is not worth the price of dealing with their service department (s). Even after speaking to the manager I havent been helped. If you would like more detail, just email me.

• 

  First and last Passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By benleon - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I like my Passat, but I doubt Ill buy another one. The six cylinder has nice pickup around town, and is fun to drive, but it dies on the highway, especially if you are carrying people. Also, the gas mileage is ridiculous - I get 13 to 14 mpg around town. Little things - like not being able to read the dashboard meters - make me question the engineering. Also, this car - even with front wheel drive - is terrible in snow. And the Passat is expensive for what you get .. my next car is probably the Infiniti G35. I regret buying the Passat instead of the G35 ... both in the same price range.