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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  165,000 miles strong - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By pendii - April 2 - 3:18 am

  My husband and I got this car certified used in 2005. It had 60,000 miles on it at the time and was still in great shape. Its been 7 years and weve put an additional 100,000 miles on it. Its still going strong! Its a very comfortable car and very fun to drive. Sunroof and heated seats are great. The only thing you have to know before you buy a VW is they are more expensive to repair and maintain because they require special tools. Some mechanics have even refused to work on my car, saying they dont do VWs. The car is showing its age a bit now. It does eat oil in its latter years. As long as we keep oil full, the engines still great.

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  The Volkswagen Jetta is Awesome - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Krystle - April 2 - 3:16 am

  The Volkswagen Jetta is awesome. I took this vehicle with me to Vegas and got almost 40 mpg on the highway.

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  Incredible overall package - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RBJetta - April 1 - 10:20 pm

  I recently purchased a TDI Sportwagen with the panorama sunroof and 6-speed manual. I have driven the car about 500 miles. I have averaged 39 MPG and have gotten up to 46 on longer highway trips. The size is perfect, roomy back seat and plenty of cargo space. The huge sunroof really brightens up the black interior. The car is plenty peppy and a lot of fun to drive. Overall I am very satisfied so far.

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  no pass at passat - 2016 Volkswagen Passat
  By syrus kalantar - April 1 - 11:49 am

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  Disappointing From The Start - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By clarkg - April 1 - 6:15 am

  My 2012 Touareg Lux TDI has been a disappointment as compared to the 2010 Touareg TDI I owned previously. The key/fob ignition system is a huge step backwards in convenience from the keyless start system. Unless you want to spend an additional $5K for the "Executive" version I have found the key fob gizmo in my 2012 "Lux" model as very difficult to operate properly. Upon stopping the engine the key fob cannot be removed from the dash socket about 50% of the time so I have to jockey the start/stop engine function until it can be extracted. If VW engineers were trying to prevent theft they actually have enhanced it as when the fob is stuck anyone can hop in and drive off.

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  Dripping with Features - Very Satisfying - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mij - March 31 - 3:13 pm

  I just love this car! It shifts into 5th gear at about 125 MPH and pulls right up until the 130 MPH limit. Corners are confidence inspiring. The engine is much more powerful at road speeds than the small 2.8L implies due to the high revs (3000 RPM @ 80 MPH). Fuel economy is surprisingly decent (23+ overall) during day-to-day driving, and on the road turns in 28-29 MPG without the A/C (drops about 15% with A/C). The low volume wind noise, even with all windows down and the sunroof open, and the lack of internal wind-buffeting allows me to enjoy near-top-down comfort at any moment. The wood trim and leather steering wheel are sensual in softness and caress-worthiness.

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  Tiguan 2014-2015 Review - 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By zaksport - March 31 - 8:33 am

  Tiguan is handsome European crossover SUV. Pretty fast with a 200 horsepower strong engine, great visibility, amazing suspension I ever see. Tiguan go through any bumps smooth! Fun to drive and nice precisely handling. The smooth ride gets offset by a somewhat noisy engine when accelerating hard.

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  Fun to drive, very powerful - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta Man - March 30 - 3:30 pm

  Bought this car with one owner and 36k miles. Excellent, fast, comfortable and lots of comments. Its a German made car, its expected to be babied. You must take care of it, if you do it will perform. Its also turbo so regular checks, synthetic european blend oil, proper rated tires. Good purchase for me!

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  Bad Geman engineering - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Phil Jon - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Passat GLS 4cyl Auto in Aug02.The 3rd day the "premium" sterio "Monsoon" stopped working.Got that fixed.In the 3rd month car started vibrating uncontrollably.The dealer said the ignition coil has to be replaced & there is a backlog of orders for the ignition coil.Time to get me a replacement??Anywhere between 2 weeks to 5 months.And the dealer located in NY said they couldnt give me a loaner car.So I had to call the VW.10 min. of haggling over the phone got me a rental car.Now I drive an Alero and my 25,000$ VW is still with the dealer.More problem fuel.VW suggests octane rating,92 & above.Dealers suggests octane rating of 87!!

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  Fun but not worth the money - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Goku - March 30 - 2:00 am

  The car is less than 2500 miles when the engine broke down. It was a manufacture defect, it needs to change all four "coils"!?. The parts was so back up that the dealer only change one. Handling of the car is great, but the initial acceleration is very very slow (even a Hundai Elantra accelerate better) though after 25mph the car pick up speed and has a strong kick. Very nice panal and indicators. But not enough cup holder, even less storage space in front. Imposible to set up cell phone charger since the cigaret lighter is directly infront of the auto shift knob, need more space or move it somewhere else!