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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  Dont judge a book by its cover..... - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By Eric - June 14 - 7:08 pm

  Leased a 2017 Passat after my 2014 Accord lease expired. Accord is considered the cream of the family sedan crop. But, the interior of the Passat is far nicer than the Accords. The CVT in the Accord is unobtrusive but noisy during acceleration. I have found the VWs six speed to be a superior transmission and when paired to the 1.8L Turbo, offers spirited acceleration when needed and excellent highway MPGs. City mileage is average. The power train is a smooth and quiet operator. Ride in the Passat is at least equal to, if not slightly superior, to the Accords. The Passat offers an ever so slightly firmer ride, which I prefer. Neither the Accord nor the Passat are segment leaders in overall handling. But, again, the Passat is at least equal to, if not a little bit better, than the Accord. Overall driving dynamics in the Accord is softer than the Passat with more body lean in turns. Passenger room, both front and back, is enormous. The exterior design on the Passat may seem a bit bland to some, but, wind and road noise is barely above a whisper and visibility is excellent.

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  The best headache Ive ever had - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Alexandria - June 14 - 6:35 pm

  "Cmon, let me take this headache off of your hands," are the words that convinced me to give up my dream car of 13 years to a new owner 600 miles and 5 months into ownership. Yes, my near mint Passat W8, who earned the nickname, "German drama queen," was a headache but, to be fair, it was the best headache Id ever had. To put it simply, this high performance machine will create an addict out of you. Everyone should experience a W8 at least once in their lifetime! What is there not to love about a collectible, very rare, and crazy fast exotic 8 cylinder Audi with a Bugatti engine hiding in the semi-luxurious body of a humble B5.5 Passat? To quote the previous owner who endured 10 years of ownership along with a new engine and torque converter after the car spent 1 year in the shop for electrical issues ($20k worth of warranty work), "Enjoy your W8 to the fullest now because when something goes wrong it will make you curse or empty your bank account." I truly enjoyed my W8 to the fullest. It was a fine example of German over-engineering. Something very special. Still, at the end of the day, when a leaking gas tank and dying alternator (among a few other insignificant issues) caused my car to spend more time sitting in my driveway than on the road, my W8 lived up to its infamous reputation of being unreliable and extremely costly (at least $4,000) to repair with virtually no one who knows how to properly service them. I cant say that I wouldnt recommend the W8 as it is truly a fantastic car. However, only two types of dedicated people should buy it; the filthy rich and the everyday man who has enough mechanical expertise and experience with VW/Audi to bravely repair one of the most complex and wonderful cars known to man. Even then, only proceed with purchase if your W8 has had its engine, torque converter, and gas tank replaced (if it wasnt replaced under recall, it will wear out later). If you cant afford the repairs or know how to repair this car yourself, perhaps youd be better off with an Audi A6 4.2L.

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  Faulty Security System - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Richard Bradford - June 14 - 5:46 pm

  Vandalism is a problem with the Passat. RCMP states Passat is one of the easiest vehicles to break into. Thief simply drives a screwdriver through the door lock and turns it to open all the windows. This does not activate the vehicles security system. VW well aware of the problem but has taken no action to remedy the defective security system. FACTORY RECALL?? The 1.8 liter turbo is somewhat flat on acceration at low rpms but performs well above 2000 rpms. Fun to drive and handles well. Good fuel economy on the highway (40+ mpg) although this drops substantially in city. Mechanical problems have been limited to recurring difficulties disengaging the ignition key from ignition.

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  Buyer Beware.... - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ltrn - June 14 - 12:41 am

  Ive had my 2006, 2.5 L automatic Jetta for about 3 years and I cant understand how it gets good reliability ratings. My car has 67,000 miles and has had a number of high-priced repairs. It seems like the check engine light in tthis car come on regularly. So far I had an emission problem, replaced a CV joint boot, and most notably replaced the large fan (the large fan repair was nearly $500). Im going back to my Toyota dealership and if my gas pedal sticks, I will still have a more reliable car!

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  Best car ever - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Crystal Morris-Stromberg - June 14 - 12:39 am

  I love my car. Its powerful, fun, and efficient. It has 230k miles and I still love it. Only had the timing chain replaced and the glow plugs replaced and its still running strong. About 40 mpg going 80 mph on the highway.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By mattia76 - June 13 - 4:56 pm

  It was love at first drive for the Rabbit and me. Love that it was one of the first ones off the boat. Love that it was made in Germany. Love the way it looks. Ive been agonizing for months now at the prospect of selling it since we have a baby on the way. Test drove a lot of used cars that would have cheaper payments, and nothing even comes close. But weve decided to sell the wifes Versa instead. Woo-hoo! Ill drive this thing till I die or until I can trade it in for a diesel version.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Glenn Acheson - June 13 - 3:16 pm

  This car is the worst car Ive ever owned. The transmission shifts hard when its warm - dealer says thats normal. When shifting from Reverse to Drive or vice versa, you have to wait several seconds for it to engage. Replacing the battery was a royal pain, not to mention expensive. Replacing one of the front headlights was even worse. Now one of the front lenses has fallen off... The front left turn signal fell out of place from some clip thats broken. Now the check engine light is on - who knows how much THATs going to cost. Performance is wretched, even for a 4 cyl. Mileage is only 25 mpg hwy. My 6 cyl 2000 Taurus gets 28!!!

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  VR6 power kicks up the fun - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By rocket500 - June 13 - 10:00 am

  Test drove both the 1.8t and the VR6. Could have had leather, roof and monsoon with the 1.8t for the same money, but I preferred the greatly increased low end tourque, 6 speed transmission and more reliable engine of the VR6 vs. the turbo. Handling is fairly good, although tuned more to comfort than true sport car performance. The wifes Focus SVT will run circles around it through the turns. All season tires dont help. Power of the motor is best feature- flexible, lots of grunt, smooth revs. Comfort is high. Sport seats are nice- supportive and comfortable. Highway ride is excellent.

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  Disappointed VWer - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Disappointed VWer - June 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive had so many problems …1. Rear hatch doesnt close (had it in 6 x & replaced twice- still not right), 2. Gas flap servo broken & replaced, 3. instrument cluster replaced, 4. vehicle towed 2x due to 2 faulty switches (separate incidents), 5. air conditioner blower/compressor vibrated so loud that the dash shook (blower was replaced 6 mo. ago; just started roaring again), 6. Inside door cover plastic is peeling, 7. New brake pads installed- the rears badly worn at 48k miles, but the fronts like new--??, 8. engine light comes on frequently, 9. front air bag needed to be replaced (after 2 yr warranty ended) though the air bag had never been inflated, …

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  IS THIS FUN OR WHAT? - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tmeier - June 13 - 10:00 am

  Had my new TDI for about 3 weeks now & I love it. One of my neighbors told me what a beautiful new car I had, which isnt something often said about VW. It looks and drives like a car twice the price and the gas mileage cant be beat. My only problem with it is keeping it under 80mph it is so effortless on the highway and has so much zip around town too. What a car!!