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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  Needs storage space - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By ejhonda - December 13 - 10:00 am

  The Passat wagon has been good, except for one glaring oversight: absolutely no bin storage in the interior. The glove compartment is very small, and requires you to either remove the owners manual to make room for other items, or to keep the owners manual in the door pocket. The door pockets are very tiny, and the console storage area is virtually non-existent. Other than the storage issue, this car has been a great car to own. Very peppy, comfortable to ride in, and the heated seats and leather interior has been a dream.

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  My car hates me! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Kim - December 13 - 8:40 am

  Bought my jetta used. Ran great 4 a while then the problems started. 2 water pumps, 2 alternators, all round brakes once a year, hose harness broke causing oil to leak on fire wall, timing belt, lights blow out or short out until you tap them often, all 4 VW caps on wheels fell off. Bumper cover almost fell off, paint peeling on hood, front arm rest lid broke, stereo knobs fell off, radio comes on by itself sometimes causing battery to go dead when car is off and parked, moonroof has a mind of its own sometimes wont close for a few tries, steering wheel and dash trim is peeling. Need a new transmission and emission work which I cant afford so she will sit while I cont. To make pymts on her!

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  ITs a CRAP SHOOT - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By 805misskitty - December 12 - 9:13 pm

  this vehicle ran great first 80k miles. But the window fell out & a bunch of interior things broke while still considered a newer car. I read all the reviews on car. I got the car from friend knowing she was about to run into trouble with it. It was in good to fair condition. I bought it with another friend at a good price knowing we would be dumping a lot of $$$$ into it over the next few years who I knew could tackle the problems ahead. What I wasnt prepared for was everything happening at once AND PROBLEMS WITH the rack and pinion. I hope I spelled that right. If you are looking to buy a Passat 2000-2004 do a Vin history on it. If youre looking for a smart buy, this aint it!

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  Fine Car So Far - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Bob A. - December 12 - 12:20 pm

  I purchased my Touareg used in June of 2006 from a reliable dealership that sold this car new. The previous owner had issues with the radio, which was replaced, tires (the dealer replaced them with top line Michelins prior to buying) and a leaking tail light. Since June, the only issue has been the tire pressure sensors, which go off frequently when the weather turns cold. Re-store and its fine again. I have heard nothing but complaints about this car and have yet to be disappointed by it. It has plenty of pick up from the V6 engine, smooth shifting through the gears, and I have averaged 18.7 MPG on for 4,000 miles. I heard VIN#s over 60,000, have fewer problems as they fixed many issues by then. Mine VIN is 63,500 (last numbers).

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  Ill never buy a gasoline engine again - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By scoot - December 12 - 1:26 am

  My TDi is driven 600 or so miles weekly, averages 42-46 mpg and has great get up and go. The blind spot needs getting used to (turn your head) and oil changes are not cheap. Driven in all weather, no complaints. I just dont understand why more people dont drive a diesel. Go with package 2, the DSG is outstanding, get used to the loud idle, after all it is still a diesel. 32,000 miles without any mechanical issues

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  Vehicle Rollover Safety - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Tiguan Rollover - December 11 - 10:00 am

  Just FYI: Purchased this vehicle for my wife; last week she was side-swiped by a taxi. Car rolled over on one side (drivers side), then righted itself and landed on top of a third vehicle with 2 wheels in the air. The build on the vehicle saved her life; without the drivers side airbags, my wife would be gone!!! Insurance is replacing the vehicle, and Im getting her a Tiguan again. Thank goodness for VW!!!

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  cool car. some draw backs - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By RE - December 11 - 1:50 am

  Style is obviously good. But the interior (radio and environmental) is not that impressive. The fan comes on full speed with a twist of the temp control and other buttons/knobs... I find it pretty annoying. The leather seems pretty cheesy. If you put something lightly heavy on the seats it show an indentation forever. I have the std. Speaker system installed. The sound quality is not horrible, but its pretty bad. The speedo is also off by one mph. At night the interior lights do night dime enough. It gets pretty bright once your eyes adjust to dark.

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  Look elswhere... - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By John K. - December 11 - 1:23 am

  On paper this looks like the Ideal SUV but after purchasing and driving for just a few days I realized I was not happy. The seating is uncomfortable, I avg. 10.6 mpg in NYC stop&go traffic (I have a heavy foot), stereo lacks bass, Navi is sub-par compared to others & consistantly off actual car location, interior trim flaked, TPM system faults frequently and the VW dealer I dealt with was the actual worst dealer I have ever seen. After servicing anything on the car i always found something they damaged or did not replace/ fix to original condition! Fed up after only 10 months and traded for a acura with much better reliablity. Overall a very disappointing experience.

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  Awesome Ride! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By LarryC - December 10 - 4:13 am

  This is my 3rd VW, the first two being a Beetle and Super Beetle I bought back in 1969 and 1973. Ive forgotten how much fun VWs are to drive. This car seems quicker than the posted times with smooth as silk shifting. Brakes are going strong after 20K miles. Awesome Ride!

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  Hard not to be disappointed - 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
  By SonomaHog - December 9 - 4:50 pm

  With our minivan on its last legs, we were in the market for a new vehicle that could seat 7 (3 young boys and frequently shuttling their friends) and it looked like the Atlas fit the bill as we loved the styling and had a previous good experience with VW. We purchased an Atlas SE (w/tech) after seriously considering a Honda Pilot on August 10. After 3 weeks is when the problems start. On 9/4/17, my wife heads out to shuttle the kids to school when the EPC check engine light comes on and the car refuses to turn over and start (resulting in the obvious inconvenience and tardiness to class). After contacting VW roadside assistance, who apparently does no additional coordination other than calling the tow company (the local dealership in Fairfield CA had no idea we were coming in, resulting in additional delays), we were provided a loaner Jetta requiring us to change carpooling plans for the week. I fully recognize issues can arise, and it’s how they are dealt with that are important, and why we are disappointed. After 6 days in the dealership (and 115 miles “test driving” added to the car without any explanation), our 5 week old Atlas (now with 1890 miles) was returned with assurance that the issue was resolved (we were told there was a problem with the fuel system). My wife subsequently goes out to clean the car and finds minor/superficial damage to the plastic floor panels in the back as a result of the repairs that were obvious and were not reported which results in us having to call again to explain and coordinate replacement. 7 days later (9/15), we again load up the kids for a long day of soccer, and like groundhog day, the EPC check engine light comes on and the vehicle fails to turn over. After again coordinating a tow, and pushing back on another Jetta to ensure we have enough room for the weeks carpooling, we are back to wondering when and what the issue is. We really want to love the Atlas, but so far it’s hard not to be disappointed and second guess our decision not to go with Honda. Will keep you posted on how this is resolved.