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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  Best all-around car Ive ever owned - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Thomas - April 23 - 6:03 am

  The perfect size car for city driving, FUN to drive, beautiful high quality interior, very comfortable sport seats, great customer service from my dealer & absolutely no reliability or repair issues. The hatchback & fold- down seats are very convenient. I have driven this car since new for almost 4 years now. It is the longest I have ever kept a car & its one of my favorites. I have owned German, American, English & Japanese brands. In more affluent times, I have owned 2 Mercedes SLs & 5 BMWs. The Japanese are known for reliability, but the Germans win hands down for superior engineering & driving fun. I am shocked how much I continue to enjoy this GTI

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  Great value, Fun to drive CUV - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By MAD63 - April 22 - 9:40 pm

  Build quality and performance are on the top of my list. Reliablity, well see as time goes on but at this point everything is spot on with the Tiguan. Surprisingly nimble, although the Michilein tires on the S model are not up to the handling capabilities of the chassis. At 64" comfort is not a problem in this CUV, good leg and head room, cargo capacity is as expected but much more than my sports sedan I traded in. Interior materials, seats dash and carpets are very good quality as are fit and finish of the exterior. Color match on the rear fascia is slightly off color for the White Gold but not enough to complain over.

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  Best Car Ive owned - 2008 Volkswagen GTI
  By Dan - April 22 - 2:26 pm

  I give this car 2 thumbs up for being the most fun and comfortable car Ive owned..Ive owned 2 dozen or more. Even with reliability issues, it is still worth having if under warranty. Ive owned it a month now...bought it used with 16k miles. It has FSI engine which i learned is the older version, but still very good, though. Great handling, comfortable ride even with 18" wheels. Gas mileage is awesome 26- 30mpg mixed mostly highway commuting. Premium gas is a must if you want good gas mileage. First tank from dealer got 26mpg with regular then after that I got close to 30mpg with premium. VW combines fun and practicality all in one package. Back seat is rather large, too.

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  vw r32 is cool - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By misskrypto1 - April 21 - 12:50 pm

  If you are looking for a vehicle with comfort and luxury amenities, but you just want a little more exicitement and enough speed to toast most cars on the road, then the R32 is the perfect vehicle! If i wanted to be a racecar driver everyday and try and race every car that pulled of next to me at lights and go to tracks all the time, I would have gone with the subaru or the mitsubishi, but in my opinion those two cars are ugly and have no style inside or out. The R on the otherhand has a little bit of both worlds... style, and speed. AND, there is only a select group of people that own them as opposed to other cars that are just mass produced. :)

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  i love my GLI - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tankman29 - April 21 - 11:00 am

  I have a 2003 Jetta GLI and i love it. no one expected my car to be fast because it is vw and o boy where they wrong. i took the limiter of the car and have gone up to 150mph... Great car and a lot of fun. the only thing that i dont like is that the car needs more power. It has 200 hp but i will have it turoed by the end of the year and will be putting down 475hp at the wheels. I would say that it is a great car because i have been in an accident in my old Jetta were it rolled end over end and i had only a broken finger because my hand hit the roof so other then that it is a great car.

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  Love the Exec!!! - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jrike - April 20 - 8:06 pm

  This is my first VW and have owned it for two weeks now. I recently drove it 400 miles one way and was not a bit tired. No shifting or moving around in the seat because I was uncomfortable. What a dream car. Love the traffic button which advised me of an upcoming slowdown. A few tiny complaints. One, the height of the armrest is too low and the top of the door too high so had to rest my arm on my leg. Also the sunshade lets in a lot of heat. I live in Florida. And what is the CD player doing in the glovebox? So far I am getting 26.5 mpg but think that will improve with time. Another complaint is the audio. My 2007 Ford Escape was better. Otherwise, love the VW.

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  Go New Clean Diesel - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Steve Zinnel - April 20 - 5:23 am

  This is my first diesel engine automobile. Recently took a 5,000 mile trip out West. Average gas mileage for the entire trip was 40 mpg. Never once had to take it out of cruise when going up the mountains. The diesel engine is very quiet when crusing at 75 mph on the freeway and doesnt seem to change a bit when going up mountains. I have been very impressed with the comfortable ride and amazed at the gas mileage. I drive about 30,000 miles a years, with a high percentage of those miles on the freeway, and thats why I decided to try the VW Passat for comfort and safety, and the diesel engine for economy. So far it has exceeded my expectations.

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  the car that could - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By colton - April 18 - 12:33 pm

  this car is amazing. i love it! its so much fun to drive. the only complaint i have is the interior panels paint rubs off. but other than that theres nothing 2 complain about. i installed a cold air intake, awe turbo back exhaust, neuspeed suspension, and its GIAC chipped. this car is fast, sexy, verrrrryy fun to drive and most importantly comfortable to drive in. taking a long trip in this is more than bearable but enjoyable with a 7" dvd display head unit in. in the end i guarantee you will fall in love with this car and it will surpass all of your expectations.

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  Solid and fun! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dana Lamb - April 18 - 2:06 am

  I bought my 2006 Passat with the V6 engine and it has been the best car I have ever owned. I had leased a Passat before with the 2.0 Turbo and my wife and I loved the roominess and easy ride. This Passat has a sports suspension (VW stiffened it up due to complaints about a "squishier" ride in older models) that she really disliked but appealed to my love of sports cars going back to the 60s. The V6 engine has been a blast, all the power I needed in tight situations and it doesnt burn oil like its Audi cousins. I just turned 100,000 miles on it and it is not only running strong but it averages 28 miles per gallon. I figured I would lose the mileage due to the larger engine but it sips gas even when I drive it hard. My only complaint is the breakdown of the headlight covers as they fog over time and some of the rubbery surfacing on the drivers side armrest and sections of the dashboard show wear with chips and peeling. The lines on the car and interior are dated now but still cool in a guy sort of way with a black exterior and interior. If you can find one with the V6 engine grab it and take it on a mountain road to fell teh power and cornering ability. sweet ride!

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  Great car - 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Geralt - April 17 - 6:50 am

  Great car for long trips, very comfortable and quiet ride, put it into Sport mode and zip around town, this car has a lot of power you can tap into. Comfortable seats and well laid out and classy looking interior. A good all round car, I like it.