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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  I love this Car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VR6BeautifulCAR - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I have owned the 2001 VW Jetta GLX VR6 for a year now. This car is quick, comfortable and fun to drive. The only things I have replaced is a camshaft position sensor and since VWs are known to have problems with the coilpacks I converted the coilpack over to a GM Style MSD pack (this conversion can only be done on the VR6). I really dont why people give this car gets poor reviews I have been good to this car with regular maintenance and in turn it has been good to me. Also keep in mind this is a VR6 which means if you are looking for a car with good gas mileage you better look else where. VR6 means POWER not ECONOMIC!!

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  Problems.... - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By SC Meshell - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I am currently trying to sell my Jetta now that the transmission has gone out and will cost $3,000 to replace. In addition to the transmission my trunk never closes the first time around, I avoid using it just so that I dont have to attempt closing it 50 times before it clicks. The first day of a new job, the key would not fit in the ignition. I had to have a tow truck come down and the dealership said I might needed to replace the ignition. The interior radio and window buttons have bubbeled and peeled, and as of today five of my six CDs are stuck in the CD player. I am really disapointed and will most likely get a horrible return on what I thought was a great investment.

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  Fun to drive! - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By joshl - December 16 - 5:31 pm

  When buying this car you get a perfect sized car for almost everything. In normal drive mode you can sometimes have to live with a little break between shifts but put it in sport mode and shifts tighten, and the car accelerates like a dream! Always look forward to driving it and really enjoy being an owner.

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  2007 GLI - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Lisa Hughet - December 16 - 12:07 am

  My previous car was a 2006 VW Jetta Value Edition so as I love VWs I knew what I was looking for. The 2007 GLI version is just as solid a car on the road but the turbo makes it a little more fun. My only complaint so far is fairly minor- there is a rattle in the trunk that I havent been able to identify yet. All in all I love my GLI and have gotten lots of compliments!

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  Love it more every day - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Memoryride - December 15 - 3:56 pm

  I have owned trucks my whole life. I have never driven a more tuned car then the Jetta. Wish I would have gotten the 6 speed but needed the automatic. It handles like a dream and has all the power you need. If you need more this engine can do it. Out of all the cars out there, Volkswagen has really set the bar. Make sure you look at all the little details. It will blow you away!!

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  Excelent Car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Iosif - December 15 - 3:16 pm

  I am a happy 2006 VW Passat owner and I have just one problem. I forgot to tighten the fuel cap so the dashboard light came on. I reset it at the dealership and everything is OK. I feel that the suspention of the car is a bit soft for such sporty performance.

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  Safe little AWD - 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By VWforever - December 15 - 12:36 pm

  Very nice! Perfect size, everything is laid out to make it very user friendly. Seats are perfect if you not very tall. Most SUVs the seats were too long for me. This is also the only SUV we drove under $34,000 that has more than up and back adjustments for the passenger. Even though they are manual you still can adjust lumbar, height and up and back. The 2010 also has an awesome stereo that appears like a navigation screen, along with standard bluetooth that works great. Another wonderful feature is the panoramic sunroof..(like no other)

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  Great Commuter - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VW88 - December 15 - 5:33 am

  Ive had this car for 4 months now and have put over 30,000 km on it driving from Calgary to Saskatoon and Calgary to Vancouver. Car is great for commuting and relatively cheap for regular maintenance. If you can do regular maintenance on a gasser - you can do it on a diesel! Just be sure to use a good diesel fuel additive/fuel filter to prolong the life of your injection pump and take it for a good run regularly to keep the turbo clean and prevent sticking. My injection pump recently went from cheap fuel filter, bad diesel and no fuel additive - $2000 bill, follow the above advice to avoid this costly repair and youll be happy with the car!

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  Best in Class - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By Barry - December 14 - 2:23 am

  I had been looking for a new car for months and was thinking Audi or Lexus. I preferred German engineering over all else as I used to own a BMW 328i but decided to sell it before major repairs became a common place situation. I went to my local VW dealer and saw the R Line in Black and realized I preferred the look of this car over the new A4. Took it for a test drive and fell in love. I dont know how the specifications are so low on the engine, 170 HP and 184 ft lb torque when it feels like it pulls like a much higher engine. I was extremely impressed by the package and with the incentive, acquired the car for slightly over $22k. Insane value. After the past few days I am in love. Its quiet, perky, handles extremely well, fuel efficient and beautiful to look at and sit in. I think VW really has a winner with this one. I look forward to owning this car for awhile.

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  I loved mine! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gjay - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Wow... I never had any trouble with my 2001 Jetta. I did take it in for ALL scheduled service, which helps I think. I just traded it in today for a 2004 jetta and was actually sad to let my 2001 go.