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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  Good value, reliabilty - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Liz - May 29 - 2:14 am

  I bought my 2012 Jetta S as a late-model used car that had been turned in because of a lease, and it had about 22,000 miles already on it. I had not owned a VW before this and I didnt have anything to compare it with, as I had owned a Toyota and a Subauru previously. I must say, though, that I am very happy with my Jetta. I use it as a daily driver, and it rides smoothly, brakes securely, is solidly constructed, and has an overall good feel on the road. I have a 5-speed manual and although the 2.0 engine (as noted in other reviews) is not as peppy as my previous cars, I find that if I downshift to 4th gear, especially on hills, I can easily find myself traveling in the 70-80 MPH range. I have been following the maintenance schedule closely and so far, everything seems to be working fine. I hope to keep this car for a good long while.

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  Good value, reliabilty - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Liz - May 29 - 2:14 am

  I bought my 2012 Jetta S as a late-model used car that had been turned in because of a lease, and it had about 22,000 miles already on it. I had not owned a VW before this and I didnt have anything to compare it with, as I had owned a Toyota and a Subauru previously. I must say, though, that I am very happy with my Jetta. I use it as a daily driver, and it rides smoothly, brakes securely, is solidly constructed, and has an overall good feel on the road. I have a 5-speed manual and although the 2.0 engine (as noted in other reviews) is not as peppy as my previous cars, I find that if I downshift to 4th gear, especially on hills, I can easily find myself traveling in the 70-80 MPH range. I have been following the maintenance schedule closely and so far, everything seems to be working fine. I hope to keep this car for a good long while.

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  Delighted with 2016 VW Jetta - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jbrooksws - May 28 - 5:26 pm

  We kept passing down our 2004 Volvo S60 from oldest son to youngest son to dad...to died. Hmmm - children in college - limited budget - shopping for a new car. Could not have been more surprised and pleased with the little Jetta. Thanks to the financial straits VW finds themselves in - great great deal. Checked out the safety - that was good - test drive was good and I am now in the car for a month and a half -- not very long but enough for some first impressions that I hope may help someone else. Sorry - cant start a new paragraph so I think this ends up as one long paragraph. First of all - my issues: dont understand why VW does not hike the price of the car $300 bucks and put key fob door unlock. The car has pushbutton start, but I have to remove the key to unlock the door, then put it back in my pocket. I know its a niggly thing but. More performance oriented observation - be prepared -- in the midrange in middle gears - there is a little big of turbo lag. I have a pair of SAAB 9-3s and a Ford Edge Eco boost so I think I understand turbos - Im just not used to lag - been many many many years since I have been aware of lag. OK having said that just be prepared for it so your revs are in the right place or you are either in sport mode or manual mode and then you can manage it. Every day driving, or even Freeway merges you wont notice, and a heavy foot and kickdown will spool the turbo up fast and make up for the lag. The Sport version moves you up to leatherette from cloth - I had this in one of my Audis one time and I actually like the leatherette - does not absorb perspiration like the leather does. My interior is black and the seats are off white with black trim - its a little austere. OK regarding fit and finish. This is a cheap car, but despite what the reviewers keep saying, it doesnt really look and feel it. I am happy with the trim out and quite honestly, the more mature I get, the more I really appreciate what a car is -- what I can afford is a lot different than what I want to spend now a days so Im happy to look at my well finished interior and thing about the money I did not spend on zerbrano wood trim et al. I have never sprung for nav systems in a car so I was presently surprised to find nav, and other gizmos standard in a cheap car. Gadget gurus may not be impressed, but I repeat this is a cheap car. So its comfortable on the road in both city and highway - even though its roughly the same size as my SAABs, it feels a little tighter - could be the prevalance of black in the interior I dont know. The back seat has a lot of room and the trunk is certainly more than roomy. As you would expect one or both seats flip down - there is also a ski boot. Thus far I am averaging a very nifty 31 combined so this car really sips gas. While I really enjoy cars, I do look at the other part of the equation as well - watched the videos of the safety tests - that was good. Also Consumer Reports said the headlights stink so get the lighting option. I did and the headlights are really good. They are HID so I always think about what the replacement cost will be once they are out of warranty...but they are really good. One note about the lights in the low end and in the sport version (did I mention that this car was cheap?) the headlights are manual - so you have to turn them off. That would be a handy dandy dealer option that VW could extend to its dealers - a plug in switch that automates that - kind of like Porsche used to do with its Boxter and Caymans back in the day - all the cars had computers, but the option required the dealers to plug in a couple of relays and voila fully functioning computer. Oh and the customer had to part with some additional hard earned dollars. Anyway - summing up - I am very pleased with this car - like the color - bright red - cabin is a little dark and windshield is a little close - I am used to more expansive. However I am no longer paying luxury car insurance rates, or property tax rates. The car has good acceleration, handling and brakes - great fuel economy so its a good little car -- then add in the GREAT deal I got. I think this one is going to be a winner!

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  Love my VW - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Love my VW - May 28 - 7:16 am

  I purchased my VW used in June of 2008 and have not had any problems. I have an hour long commute to work everyday and was looking for a vehicle that was inexpensive, reliable and good on gas. This car has met all of my needs. Other than bringing the car in for regular maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, etc), I have not had to do anything else. Keep in mind that this car requires synthetic oil.

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  My 2nd Passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Alex - May 26 - 3:06 pm

  The 2004 model is the 2nd Passat that I own. I also owned a 1999. Honestly, Ive had many problems with the 2004. My fuel pump went out, I had problems with the rear brakes, the turn signal went crazy and had to be replaced, and I had to replace my coolant container (dont know the technical name for it). I havent finished paying for the car yet and Ive already put a lot of money into it. This saddens me because my plan was to buy another Passat in a couple of years but this time I think Ill pass. I love these cars because their driving performance is excellent. However, they are not very reliable. The car left me stranded on my way to Albuquerque and cost me $1100 to tow and repair.

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  The Jetta is a great car! - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ty_allan - May 25 - 7:43 pm

  I purchased a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta this year with 133,000 miles on it and it runs awesome. It is really comfortable and the heated seats are really nice. Everyone that rides in it says they love it.

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  Loving the New Jetta - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By IML8 - May 25 - 6:00 pm

  This is my second Jetta. While I am still partial to the old body style, I love the interior of the new Jetta and the extra room it provides. The biggest reason I bought a Jetta again was for their safety record, as I was recently in a head on car crash (I was in a Jeep Liberty).

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  No Regrets with 08 WE Jetta - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By joe801 - May 25 - 5:16 am

  Ive only been driving this WE Jetta for about 1.5 months, but, Ive been very satisfied thus far. The exterior is growing on me, but everything else was a hit from the start, Especially the power. I look forward everyday to drive it.I test drove over a dozen vehicles. The 08 Saab 93, and 08 Honda Accord(to big)were the only competitors, but the Jetta was 5k cheaper.

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  Love it - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lbow - May 24 - 10:00 am

  When I trade this car in, approx 2 yrs from now I will definitely buy a new VW Passat. This car is probably the best car I have owned. I traded in my 2002 Explorer for this car and do not regret it. Even though I loved my Explorer very much. I highly recommend this car to anyone. Incredible stereo system, very roomy back seat, large trunk. What else can I say excellent vehicle.

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  Its better than I thought it would be - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Janekis - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive just had it for a couple weeks, and love it.