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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  VW HAS A DEFINITE COIL PROBLEM - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jerry - October 3 - 9:30 pm

  I have been down the coil road with VW. They will not admit that it is a major problem with their car. I have almost been stranded twice with the coil problem. Once I was at the dealer & they told me I would have to wait until the following week to get it fixed. It is a really simple thing to replace . I called a friend (Mechanic) & he knew right away & told me to buy a coil at the dealer & he talked me through changing it. It was a trial & error method because I didnt know which one of the 4 was bad. It turned out to be #1 coil. 2 weeks later # 2 died. I replaced it & the other 2 & have solved my problem. I hope the new ones are more reliable! Also had to replace a front axle

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  Chriss ride - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By charliev - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Just a fun car to drive. I wanna autocross it!

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  Great choice - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mustafa - October 1 - 8:50 pm

  We love our TDI Jetta. It works great for our long trips. No need to fill up for over 500 miles on a highway. First diesel and loving it. Interior looks and feels great. Heating is not that great, but heated seats help a lot. We had issue with check engine light, and it was fixed under warranty. A lot of space in the back for all the bags.

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  Just what I wanted - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Yevgeniy - September 30 - 6:03 am

  When I saw Touareg first time on a car show, I knew that I would own it. I fell in love with it right away. Although I knew that I should wait a year or two before buying just to see that all the minor problems/defects and recalls will be fixed. So in 2005 finally got it. My choice was a V-6 with package 5, which includes all options, such as air suspension, navigation, etc. Exterior color is black, interior is beige. So after 1 1/2 years and 30K miles I still enjoy every minute I spend driving it. The only downside - fuel economy. Even for V-6 and a large gas tank, you will spend quite a bit of money on gas. Other then that it is perfect car. My wife has a VW as well and loves it too.

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  Lemon - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By honestengine86 - September 29 - 3:22 pm

  I purchased the vehicle new in nov/2010. "Sportline 2.5l" with every possible option. To this date it has been seen 16 times for warranty work. Totalling well over $3,800 (not including recalls) .. I’m terrified to own this car outside of a warranty. Cheap materials all throughout. enough said.

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  Misunderstood - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By gunther - September 26 - 10:06 am

  Editors comparing the EuroVan to a Honda Odyssey completely miss the point. The Euro is big. Its not a minivan. Its a full size van. Compared to the smallest minivans like the Odyssey, its kinda boxy and rolls in the turns. But compared to a Dodge or GM full sized van or the bigger SUVs, well, theres no comparison. You can put seven full sized adults in a EuroVan and drive across the country comfortably. Try that in an Odyssey. You can move couches and washing machines and your old big-screen tv in a Euro. Try that in a Dodge Caravan. Your three-cart trip to Costco disappears in the EuroVan. And its still reasonably fun to drive. Its heavy. 15 mpg if youre lucky. We love ours.

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  Jetta Wagon 04 1.8T Manual - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dina Nishioka - September 25 - 11:30 am

  I love my car and how it performs. Great handling, great mileage, convenient features (rear mirror defrost, seat warmers, seat adjustments). However, little electronics concern me. Power windows, slow rear window defrost, etc. Overall, I am happy with my purchase. Should be a great car to have for ten years.

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  Good car but has its draw backs. - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By edhkmco84 - September 25 - 10:00 am

  I hate the MONSOON radio that crapped out on me after 103 miles. Yeah, thats right 2 days after I got the car I was back at the dealer. Other then that no problems yet...still in "break in period" so not too sure on power yet..but thing that I wish I got the 1.8T just for the triptonic thingy and the extra horsepower (trying to accelerate to highway speeds on the Parkway is a problem). ***DEFINATLY test drive the 1.8T and the 2.0L BEFORE YOU SIGN!!*** AND I must commend their marketing department...with out them I dont think I would have ever thought about a VW. (And I believe it is that way with the majority of "new" VW owners).

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  Still a Keeper - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By stillakeeper - September 24 - 1:10 pm

  Bought new. Had 3 previous Jettas and a 93 Passat VR6, so were worried about reliability but liked the car. Overall only one real problem. Water pump began slow leak at 65,000 miles so had to do timing belt prematurely, and then the replacement water pump leaked 6 mos later. Dealer had to redo job for free. They showed me the part -- a $65 plastic piece of junk that required a $1600 repair. Otherwise, our has held up well. No other problems, no deterioration. Still looks and performs like a new car. Routine maintenance, brakes, tires, etc. not bad if you use an independent shop.

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  Great value, flat out great performance. - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RM1 - September 23 - 11:00 am

  I bought this to replace an older Volvo sedan. I bought it in Feb 2017, it is now October. My Jetta routinely knocks down 42+ MPG on the highway. The 1.4 TSI engine is what makes this car so good. Fantastic power from the small displacement (85 CID) and excellent low end torque, no need to wind it out to get the power. I have to 6 speed auto transmission, it is geared very well to this engine. Turbo lag is almost invisible and the shift logic works very well. Light years ahead of the older turbo cars. The MIB-II infotainment system is by far the best Ive played with, very ergonomic and straightforward to operate. It works with Android Auto quite well. No need to get sat nav, as Google Maps is better and comes up on the radio screen. I have not had any repair work done as it hasnt needed any. I imagine with proper care, it will last a long time. Service points are clearly marked under the hood and maintenance is easy to do. This engine does have a timing belt, which is good as there are no chains or plastic guides to wear out and replace. The service interval is 120K IIRC. My biggest gripe is the road noise, I think this is a fault of the Bridgestone tires that came on the car. There is a good deal of wind buffeting with the back windows down at 30+ MPH speeds. Overall, its a great value to the money and just a hoot to drive. The electric power steering is calibrated fairly well, although I wish there were an option to adjust the power assist down, it can get a bit twitchy on the highway. The SEL model has a few more features that I would want, but not the 1.4 litre engine and that is the main reason I like this car. It would be nice to have adaptive cruise, auto mirror dimming and fog lamps on the SE model.