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:

• 

  DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Holly - July 23 - 2:13 am

  6 days after I purchased the vehicle 3 of the 6 ignition coils were shot and needed to be replaced, a few months later another ignition coil was shot. Since then the Emissions light has been repeatedly going off, was told it was the Catalytic Converter, $3000 to repair! I thought maybe there was something wrong with the sensor as it only seemed to go off when there was a drastic weather change, yet have not had a problem since reset. Power Relay went last week, $1300, then told the Electronic Break Control Modual Assembly was shot, $2400, yet replacement did not fix problem and they have no idea how to fix! DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE!

• 

  Superb Vehicle - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Murray - July 22 - 1:23 pm

  Ordered my GTI to get all the features I desired (took 4 months from order to delivery). The GTI is a joy to drive. DSG transmission is flawless. Switches and controls feel particularly solid. Experience only minor turbo lag (when engine accelerates from less than ~2000 rpm). Above 2000 rpm you feel like youre in a rocket! While car can take regular gas, performance is clearly enhanced with premium. After 1200 miles, getting 26-27 mpg for mostly highway driving (75-80 mph). Car is very quiet at speed. Optional 17 inch low profile all season tires are significantly less stiff than the summer tires. Excellent integration of radio and nav system with instrument panel display.

• 

  STAY AWAY - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By smartin6 - July 22 - 10:11 am

  this is the worst car i have ever encountered. i bought mine used less than a year ago with 89K miles, now at 94K and i have put almost $3000 into this car. Tie Rods, axels, timing belt, windows, distributor, engine coils, & spark plugs have been replaced, power steering fluid leaks badly, engine heats up and needs new coolant all the time. car runs out of time often and it costs about $70-90 for a vw specialist to work on the car. this thing is a death trap, i wouldnt even take a free one. BUYER BEWARE. glove box and rear upholder breaks easily and front upholder only big enough for a soda can. Also now i need to use fully synthetic oil to keep the engine from misfiring/ coils going bad.

• 

  Superb - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ultrasam - July 22 - 9:06 am

  My 1997 Volkswagen Jetta is an amazing car. It has been superbly reliable and really fun to drive. The VR6 motor is amazing. Ive spent maybe $400 in unexpected maintenance since I bought car new. VWs last forever.

• 

  2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta TDI Sedan - July 21 - 2:46 pm

  We traded in two gas hogs for this Jetta TDI, and are extremely happy with this car. It is smooth and quiet, has great pick-up and excellent gas mileage. We are headed to Germany and wanted something to zip around Europe in efficiently, have two kids, with ample space for them and their supplies. Previously drove Honda Odyssey and Nissan Frontier, approx 20mpg, so very happy with the diesel mileage. Runs surprisingly quiet and smooth.

• 

  Great First Car! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Juanito - July 21 - 11:12 am

  Bought a used 2000 VW Jetta as my daughters first car...reliable, sporty, and still holds up in appearance and style with todays latest new car models. Very reliable and runs strong despite the 156Kmiles!! This car is built very well, all windows, sunroof, cup holders, visor clips, and other interior and exterior features still work and are made of high quality materials....

• 

  LOVE IT!! - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By 4hatteras - July 21 - 4:20 am

  Have owned many Audi Quattros but too many neighbors have them now. This is an Audi in SUV clothing! Love this vehicle-drives almost as sporty as the Porsche with many more items standard and a much nicer interior trim level for $10,000 LESS. Hope nobody on my street finds out!

• 

  2002 VW Passat GLS 1.8T 5-spd Manual - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By hawkjet48 - July 20 - 3:06 am

  I have experienced only minor defects with this car. The radio connector failed three times under the dash. Also, I had a bad bearing in the blower motor which was covered under warranty. Other than random misfires during interstate driving, this car has been problem-free and repair-free over 63,000 miles. My only complaint is about the weakly designed pop-up rear seat power receptable, which has been fixed three times at the dealers expense. For a sedan, this is a blast to drive while consistently getting 31 mpg to 33 mpg at highway speeds. This car is a good combination of performance and economy with the 5-speed manual transmission.

• 

  Lasted only 75000 miles VWdesign FLAW - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By unhappyvw1 - July 20 - 1:38 am

  Bought as certified pre-owned with 23K miles Loved the car great mileage ect Drove it to work 70 miles (reason we bought it) and at quitting time tried to start only to have engine turn over then lock up. Turns out after some research these motors have issue with inter cooler As motor is run in cold weather air that comes in freezes on inter cooler as the day warmed up ice thawed and when I tried to start water was sucked into engine (NOT GOOD) Dealer will do nothing out of warranty 600 price tag to just evaluate it. Issue with VW since 2009 USE EXTREME caution before purchase Cost 8-10K to replace this motor

• 

  Luv my punch buggy! - 2014 Volkswagen Beetle
  By Karen LaGrasse - July 19 - 8:14 pm

  This is a Great car! Agile, fun to drive, lots of power, great on gas, and very cool looking. Have had many beetles thru-out my life, and Im loving my 2014 turbo R-Line! Closest theyve come to the Karmin Ghia design for awhile with a truly gorgeous interior, and exterior even with the duck-tail. A Drivers Wanted dream! A bit pricey, but worth it to me. So sorry about the diesels, but I will always be a VW affectionado!