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:

• 

  Jetta GLS 1.8t - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By George S - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Car is all-around solid. Great interior design with blue and red instrumentation, comfortable seats, simple layout. Performs well, especially fond of acceleration. A sedan, yes, but dont count on fitting large people in the back seat unless the driver and front passenger are each 53". Tiptronic is cool but slow.

• 

  Great little car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By blizziejack - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Have had the car for 6 months and love it. Extremely fun little car to drive especially with the sport package. Have had it in the shop for 2 minor issues that were warranty related and were taken car of very promptly.

• 

  Far better than the competition - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By vroom - April 8 - 3:53 pm

  My base model 2008 Passat is amazing. The seat is comfortable for my bad back, and theres plenty headroom (Im tall). The car is reliable and a blast to drive: precise, responsive, and quick, especially using the auto-manual mode. For my $$, Passat is far superior to Accord, Camry, Altima, Fusion, Outback, Volvo, Mazda and yes, Malibu, all of which Ive test driven or rented. Edmunds is wrong about Passat not being price competitive with Japanese cars. To get a comfortable seat & decent interior in an Accord requires an EX, which costs thousands more than the base Accord. The (unadjustable) lumbar "support" in the base Accord felt like a brick in my back. Ditto Camry.

• 

  Disaster...love the car, but 10 service calls?? - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By lastvw - April 8 - 11:52 am

  This has been a nightmare. I have been back to the dealer 10 times with check engine light issues and ad blue issues. brakes squeal in reverse. tires very hard to balance. great car...but I dont have the time for the service....if you buy one, must buy the extended warranty (3rd party).

• 

  I love Veronica! - 2016 Volkswagen EOS
  By Ellen Elias - April 8 - 4:10 am

  I had to give my shiny red convertible a name because it is adorable and awesome to drive! Havent had this much fun in years. I dont even mind getting stuck in traffic because having the top down keeps me smiling.

• 

  Pretty Happy w/ first Vdub - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Passat Lover - April 7 - 5:10 pm

  I have had the same experience with the O2 sensors mentioned by others, however I had it replaced once and have just ignored subsequent O2 communication and it goes away. The car is a joy to drive and the AWD was solid in the 2008 snowfall. I also have a private mechanic and have avoided VW dealers due to their nightmarish, weak customer relations I hear about constantly. Overall I have been very happy with my GLX. Excellent power, handling and ride. At the time I bought the VW I had also driven an Audi A6 Quattro and opted for the VW. I will go VW again....

• 

  phaeton - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By ajjjj - April 7 - 3:30 pm

  The Phaeton is a comfortable technologically advanced car, which drives similar to a Cadillac but has more technology and and all wheel drive. It is an extremely comfortable car.

• 

  Fun and economical - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dan & Karen - April 7 - 12:53 am

  We bought our 2001 Beetle GLS 1.8L Turbo Hatchback a year ago and have had no problems with it, whatsoever. Its not as comfortable as a Cadillac but its still comfortable, even on long trips. Its excellent on fuel, fast, and fun to drive (a modern and improved version of the classic Beetle). We enjoy waving to other Beetle owners on the road (sort of a cult thing). We also have two large artificial daisies in the vase on the dashboard which complement the car. Overall, we highly recommend this car for those who want something different, economical, and fun to drive.

• 

  R32 Great Car - 2008 Volkswagen R32
  By Javier - April 6 - 11:53 pm

  This car is amazing! Even the DSG has convinced me completely. Of course it is not the same and you need to go through a learning curve, but once cleared, it is amazing! The grip is outstanding, the steering is precise, comfortable, transmits enough info. It feels faster than the official numbers from VW. Love engine sound! I specially enjoy the "stealthiness" that you get with this car, perfect for a business meeting. In addition I do not get people trying to race me every light, but when it happens they really get surprised by the car performance. Cool car.

• 

  So far so good :) - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By klockworks - April 6 - 2:06 pm

  I got this car not that long ago for school and its pretty fun to drive so far Ive had no problems with it, the clutch is smooth and so are the gears on it. Its a really good buy i would recommend this car if its your first time buying a car or want a smooth car thats good on gas!