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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  Own 2002.5 MY/2003 spec - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Love my 3yr old VW! - November 3 - 10:00 am

  With 50k of miles my VW is holding up well. No problems except the ECU for the dash needed to be replaced. I love the high quality feel of the interior and driving dynamics. The 17" alloys dont detract from the feel of the ride and look great. The beige interior gets dirty very quick tho so its not recommended for families with young children. The 1.8T with the automatic has tons of turbo lag but I can live with it.

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  Wonderful Passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By DavidJ522 - November 3 - 10:00 am

  The Passat GLX V6 combines a wonderful, stylish, toutonic design and a flawless drivetrain. As some say there are not enough "os" in smooth to discribe its performance.

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  Quick but noisy - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By snowman7 - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Quick, tho sometimes jerky, fun to drive, good in the snow. Excellent handling and brakes. Heated leather seats are great in Minn. But rattles in the dash and squeeks in the rear suspension are really annoying - and with a little better design and quality control could have been prevented at minimal expense. Might not buy again.

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  V6 Passats Eat Oil! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By whatevehs - November 3 - 9:30 am

  This car has consumed oil since I first bought it. VW says "its normal" to add 1 qt. every 2,000 miles. I have never owned a car that went through oil like that. It does not smoke or leak oil. What kind of engineer would design a car to use oil like that? I had a Honda Prelude with 185,000 miles on it and it never used any oil between changes. I will never own another VW.

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  Steering Wheel Shake - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By shakytouareg - November 2 - 10:20 pm

  I bought a 2013 Touareg TDI Lux a month ago and it has been in the shop for 17 days with an irreparable steering wheel oscillation. It is still in the shop. So far VWoA has advised the local dealer to try the following: road force balance all wheels, swap wheels from another car, change all four tire to Michelin Latitudes, replaced front drive shafts and replace steering rack. None have remedied the problem. Other owners have reported the exact same issue and have had difficulty getting satisfactory resolution. Search for "Touareg steering problem" to find more. Or go to ww.touaregsteeringshake.com. I dont any more hassle, I just want a new car.

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  2013 VW Jetta Sport Wagon TDI /Nav and Sunroof - 2013 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By mtncam - November 2 - 4:08 pm

  We purchased our new TDI Sport Wagon March 8th 2013. Our new Jetta is quite, smooth and powerful. This car is very satisfying to drive on the highway and around town as well. If you are looking for a safe,relaxing and economical vehicle you need not look any further.

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  Love the Bunny - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By j.ho - November 2 - 7:23 am

  Ive owned this vehicle for about 2 months now and couldnt be happier. I traded in a Toyota Yaris, and Im not sure Ill ever go back from German engineering. Its a solidly built, small car that comes with a lot of features standard (a BIG difference from Toyotas at the very least). My old car felt like a toy compared to this one. Not sure about reliability just yet since its still new, but I have high expectations from VW.

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  Fun car to drive - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anthony Barranco - November 1 - 11:03 am

  VW got it right here. Amazing value.

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  Fun car to drive - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anthony Barranco - November 1 - 11:03 am

  VW got it right here. Amazing value.

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  Perfect Car for me - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Kevin - November 1 - 5:10 am

  Bought this car used with 80K miles on it and I was amazed at how smooth the engine and clean it was (inside, outside, and engine bay). These TDIs are easier upgradable and Ive added about 30HP and 100 ft-lbs of torque for under $500. My performance has greatly improved and my fuel economy is still 48 MPG mixed city/hwy. Most importantly, this car is amazingly reliable and is an easy car to maintain yourself. I love this car