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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  A piece of junk - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JETTA A POS - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Jetta has lot of mechanical problems. We bought ours(brand new) in march 2002.Since then it has been in the dealers workshop 7 times for repairs. The car did really well for the first 2000-2500 miles. After these initial miles it has given us all sort of problems. It started with door rattling, followed by the left view mirror cracking, followed by complete failure of the audio system 2 times in a row(within 10 days) . Yesterday the drivers side window fell into the door and wont go up. Guys, think twice before buying this car. Buy it if you want to spend your week day off at the dealers place. Atleast this is what has been happening to us.

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  Not Buying VW Again - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By orchid - November 5 - 12:46 am

  My experience with my VW Golf has been less than great. I received atrocious customer service at the dealership where I bought my car and only OK customer service at other dealers in San Diego. Anyway, as for the car itself, it handles well WHEN IT WORKS, but the faulty brake light switch would prevent me from buying another VW. Its failed ONCE PER YEAR for each year Ive owned the car, with a cost of $125 per repair. The brake light switch causes the car to get stuck in park. This is a known defect for Golfs manufactured around 2001! Why wont VW fix this problem? I have had other repairs, but this is the most irritating. I will buy a Toyota next time.

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  Eismeer Blue - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By w - November 4 - 10:36 pm

  I just purchased and drove an Eos off the lot. I did my homework on this car (I spent hours reviewing forums and feedback from others - I even went to German website forums and translated them into english to learn more about the vehicle). I also read extensively about the 2.0T engine and DSG transmission from other cars including the Audi A3, A4 and VW R32, Jetta, Passat. Bottom line: this car has a lot of value for the money. More importantly, it performs well for a sports coupe regardless of cost and has the ability to be upgraded aftermarket for not much more money to be a true sports car. Finally, its a convertible - the best way to travel down the road!

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  Best value period - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By mjv - November 4 - 1:06 pm

  Outstanding engineering, safety, and quality. Fantastic value. Excellent purchase experience. Free scheduled maintenance for 3 years. Fun to drive. Getting 34 mpg at 70 mph. VW is the new BMW!

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  Love My Touareg - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Donald Tretler - November 4 - 8:50 am

  My Touareg is a terrific looker, bold, strong, bright and Colorado Red. Not a day goes by that someone doesnt remark about how sharp she looks. She is comfortable, solid and well built. The ride is great, she handles well, just hugs the road. Visibility is good. So far she has been great in snow and I drive from NH to FL with less fatigue. The sound system is quite good, everything works and I have not had anything go wrong. I love my Touareg!!

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  My best driving car ever... but I cant keep it - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Daryl N. - November 4 - 4:17 am

  I love driving this car... Ive even posted glowing reviews on Facebook about how great it drives on the open highway, on twisting roads, and in the city. But, at 89,000 miles, Ive spent more money on maintenance than I spent in 250,000 miles on my last car, a Toyota Camry. Unfortunately, the tales of woe on Edmunds seem to be true.... replaced the intake manifold, replaced a door handle, had many lights burn out, replaced water pump, thermostat, and cooling fans. And a few other things. Check engine light is glowing about 20% of the time. Im very sad about needing to give up on this car, but I cant imagine the coming problems if I hold onto it. It might work out OK for those who drive fewer miles but I need my car for some long distance trips. Ultimately, reliability trumps performance. VW really needs to deal with this. Ill never buy another one.

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  VW never again! - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Alexander - November 4 - 1:27 am

  Transmission is jerky (not CVT) which you wont know after/during your test drive because all you want it to accelerate, right? In slow traffic transmission makes kick down (with the appropriate "boo-m" sound). But I dont care about anything because Im leasing it. After VW "fixed" recalls my gas mileage went down by 5-8 miles (from 42 mpg down to 33-35 mpg)... Thank you, VW! Comparing to previous versions and years, this 1.4 Turbo engine is too weak. Cars feels very heavy like 4,000 pounds and with no brakes. I think the best acceleration was on 2.5L 5 cyl. (non-turbo) models. Interior is cheap and feel like Chevy Avero (Ive rented one before). Design has not changed since 2010. You cant differentiate your car from 2010-2015 unless you are following them and youre reading "TSI". Dealer is not helpful (I love Toyota and going back!!!). Part are not expensive but the service is! Oil changes are $80 and if you do it yourself, VW will void the warranty! If you are iPhone user you need to prepare to connect your phone every time you are in the car. When you connect the phone to the USB charge port, it will reset the connection: phone (music/maps/etc) goes to silent... you need to "find the phone"... it takes about 20-25 sec which is driving you crazy ONLY after 6-month. Bottom line is: At the end of the lease I am going to turn this car in and never get another VW.

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  So far, so good - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By pghtiny - November 3 - 1:06 pm

  I placed an order for a 2.0T manual sport package Passat sedan in late March and got the car in late June. The car is well worth the wait. After over 4 months, Im still exploring the features available in this car, especially the radio system. I do mostly city driving, so that takes a hit on fuel economy (22-24 MPG). When I do get on the highway (27-31 MPG), though, this car wants to go!! Only time I had to take it to the shop was when I had the dash panels disconnected with a connector unplugged and I placed the key in the ignition to open the windows. A third party programming tool could have solved that problem without going to the dealer. I upgraded from a 1986 VW Golf.

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  Exelent - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By joel cohen - November 3 - 10:00 am

  This is an exelent vehicle and I recomend it.

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  electical nightmare - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By eabrennan - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I always wanted a Jetta,and I still think they are the slickest looking vehicles. Unfortunately,I have had countless problems with it. Most ofthe problems are electrical in nature.The cruise control went two years ago,and no one seems to be able to fix it. The volume goes up when I try to turn it down. The power windows are always in need of fixing. The inside door handles dont work in lower temperatures.Many are the days I have had to crawl to the backseat to get out. Once,on my commute home, the hazards came on and the horn started beeping for no apparent reason. Recently,my horn started beeping if I took a left hand turn in temps above 80.