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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  An Item to consider - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tenncvol - June 11 - 9:06 am

  I like my TDI very well however potential buyers need to be aware of one drawback - availability of diesel fuel. Only about one (non-truck stop) station in five has a diesel pump, and it is often off to the side and not under a canopy so larger vehicles can access it. The fuel filler nozzle is frequently too large for the TDIs small opening (Why VW?) requiring holding the nozzle and slowly filling enough to get to a better pump. Could not recommended this car unless you are willing to endure this inconvenience

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  VW still has quality issues - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By jld2 - June 10 - 8:44 pm

  A new billion dollar factory and still quality issues. My fuel door fell off in my hand! And to add insult to injury they told me that I had to pay to fix it because it was an "external influence!" And when I inquired as to what the external influence was the customer service representative replied, "Cold weather!" So I have to pay $300.00 to replace my fuel filter door because it got cold in Pennsylvania! VW got the engine right. Great mileage, quiet operation, starts quickly in cold weather. The DSG is responsive but expensive, it costs over $300.00 every 40,000 miles to service. Too bad their lousy attention to details like designing a fuel door that will wont fall off.

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  One more limitation of VW - 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf
  By Adrenalin*1 - June 10 - 6:38 pm

  Dont get VW e-golf in the USA since they do not offer a free loaner like all the other companies. The beauty of getting electric with a free loaner is that you can truly save money with the free loaner if you want to go somewhere longer than the limitation of the electric vehicle. I do not know why VW is not providing the free loaner every year like Fiat or Ford or even like VW in Europe but thats another limitation to VW e-golf. I am giving a one star since all other electric vehicle purchase programs in USA offer much more.

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  New Car - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Patrick Drimmer - June 10 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, lots of power and torque, great handling, great styling......better performance than Mercedez S Class and BMW i 740....identical to Audi A8.

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  my baby - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Spikeddy13 - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. Its my first car and I will never do anything other than a German build from now on. Its amazing.

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  best of the wagons - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By ralph turley - June 10 - 10:00 am

  compared with other wagons, passat is the best value. others in the same class were either too expensive or too small

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  great great mpg - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By leo1979 - June 10 - 9:43 am

  great car it sips diesel great mileage i drive 236 miles a day with only a problem with the a/c sent it to shop 3 times different shops

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  Wish it was from Germany! - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By SignDoc - June 10 - 9:27 am

  I bought one of the first Tiguans (SEL Premium 4 Motion) in July. I have owned many other VWs (Touareg, Jetta, etc) and many other German makes. I wanted a more simple car though, one not to worry about as much as my last (Porsche Cayenne Diesel). I like the styling of the new Tiguan but have some concerns. Below is the good and the bad: GOOD: Nice styling and lots of room, safety technology on the SEL Premium is excellent it can almost drive itself with the adaptive cruise and lane departure capability, the digital cockpit is very cool, MPG is at 30mpg combined with actual calculation (hope VW isnt cheating somehow as its much better than the window sticker and I have the 4 motion too), very quite ride, relaxing to drive. NOT SO GOOD: Build quality is concerning. I feel Audi / VW is making a huge mistake producing these cars out of Puebla. It is clearly evident in this vehicle and the new Q5 as well. There are loose trim pieces on the exterior, some pieces dont line up. The leather seat quality is inconsistent. My driver seat leather looks great, the passenger seat is all wrinkled. I noticed this in the Audi Q5 too, you would never see this out of Germany. I am amazed how they left all the part stickers and identification throughout the vehicle. As for other areas that are concerning, the engine power and noise is not good, it feels cheap and under powered and its loud inside the car....not a good loud either. The steering is light and the handling is OK, but it doesnt have a VW personality or feel at all. The seats are comfortable, but not as comfortable as the seats on my sons previous Jetta....they dont have enough thigh support. The electronics are spotty, sometimes it takes a few minutes for the satellite radio to connect and sometimes the Android Auto freezes up the entire infotainment. Perhaps some of the issues are a result of the first model year of the new design, but I dont know if I will continue to buy anything that comes out of Pueblo, the quality just isnt there.

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  This car is a piece of JUNK!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DosGattos - June 10 - 2:26 am

  This car is a piece of junk. At first it was great to drive and I had no problems. Once the check engine light came on in 2008 I have had nothing but problems. I cant count on one hand the times the coils have been changed. The sunroof opens on its own, speakers are intermittent, doors wont lock, lights burn out, brakes wear quickly,etc.. Right now it is sitting in my driveway because the engine light is on again (2nd time in 3 months) and it shakes horribly and smokes. Dont buy this car!!

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  Hate this truck! - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Hate my Toureg - June 8 - 5:56 pm

  In the past 16 months we have had too many electrical problems to count; not to mention off the top of my head: 6 radio changes, many wood panel replacements (they crack in the heat & cold - go figure) a leaking moon roof, the power windows have no power at the moment, a squeak in the wheel that the service department "cant figure out", the computer system for the car reads one thing and the service department says another. We have had no luck or help from VW USA - they have "been reviewing the case" for months, no one ever calls us back after promising to do so. Dont not buy this car - i am trading it in tonight for a Ford Explorer - at least at Ford they call me back. Good riddance!