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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  Most unreliable car ever!! - 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By usavp1 - January 14 - 11:00 am

  We have owned more than 5 cars over the last 10 years - a mix of German and Japanese makes. This 2010 vw Tiguan has been the most unreliable car we have ever owned or driven. This includes the notoriously unreliable Italian cars I grew up driving in the 1980s. We bought this car new. Over the last 6 months (out of warranty of course), we have had the following issues 1. Water pump failure 2. Fuel pump failure 3. Turbo repair 4. A variety of electrical faults 5. Turbo replacement, costing a total $5000 in repairs. Now the 6. EPC light and check engine light just came on - headed to dealer. LAST VW WE EVER BUY. WOULD HIGHLY DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM PURCHASING THIS CAR. We were helping some friends with car shopping this weekend. Steered them clear of the vw Tiguan, their top choice before we talked to them.

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  POOR DESIGN - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By ANTI VWS - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought it with 60k miles on it, BIG mistake! I looked everywhere for this car Why??? I loved the car for some reason. Today, this is the WORST car I have ever owned, high repairs all the way. I have spent over 4000k in repairs in the past 3 years. $1500 was out of my pocket.Check engine light has comes on every month sometimes every week. Water pump exploded in a drive through. Belts snapped. A/C went out. Door handle on drivers side is crazy glues on. Interior light is glued on in back seat passanger area. Power Mirrors are alomst done Power Windows are off track and have been repaired. Fog Lights cracked with rocks hitting them. Car was leaking coolant.

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  Look at something else - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Brian - December 15 - 1:46 pm

  The car has a great look and smooth ride down the road. Thats where it stops. The 8 speed transmission feels like riding with someone the first time they drive a manual transmission. They told me thats normal for the new 8 speed transmissions....except its not. I have since driven most of the competitors and the shifting is smooth in all the rest. The biggest issue is the noise in the B pillar (support post between the front and rear drivers side doors.) Also, rattles in the front passenger door persist. They tried fixing the problems and tore out the entire interior but with no luck. They said it was a manufacturing issue with not enough tack welds between the seven layers of metal in the pillar so when the car flexes they rub. Needless to say, I dropped it off October 4th and havent seen it back. Ive been in a loaner car for 3 months. I gave them an opportunity to make it right rather than file lemon law paperwork as they said it would be quicker and they could do more for me. I should have filed. I opted not to do another Tiguan and to get into an Atlas. My latest update is my replacement its due mid January. Communication was lacking between VW corporate customer care and my dealership. I have been stuck in the middle. After over 30 emails and numerous calls over the last three months hopefully Im about 3 weeks away from being in a new vehicle. They are finally talking to each other. Hopefully the Atlas is a better build. The people are nice but the process is horrible and vehicle defective.

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  My best driving car ever... but I cant keep it - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Daryl N. - November 4 - 4:17 am

  I love driving this car... Ive even posted glowing reviews on Facebook about how great it drives on the open highway, on twisting roads, and in the city. But, at 89,000 miles, Ive spent more money on maintenance than I spent in 250,000 miles on my last car, a Toyota Camry. Unfortunately, the tales of woe on Edmunds seem to be true.... replaced the intake manifold, replaced a door handle, had many lights burn out, replaced water pump, thermostat, and cooling fans. And a few other things. Check engine light is glowing about 20% of the time. Im very sad about needing to give up on this car, but I cant imagine the coming problems if I hold onto it. It might work out OK for those who drive fewer miles but I need my car for some long distance trips. Ultimately, reliability trumps performance. VW really needs to deal with this. Ill never buy another one.

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  VW never again! - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Alexander - November 4 - 1:27 am

  Transmission is jerky (not CVT) which you wont know after/during your test drive because all you want it to accelerate, right? In slow traffic transmission makes kick down (with the appropriate "boo-m" sound). But I dont care about anything because Im leasing it. After VW "fixed" recalls my gas mileage went down by 5-8 miles (from 42 mpg down to 33-35 mpg)... Thank you, VW! Comparing to previous versions and years, this 1.4 Turbo engine is too weak. Cars feels very heavy like 4,000 pounds and with no brakes. I think the best acceleration was on 2.5L 5 cyl. (non-turbo) models. Interior is cheap and feel like Chevy Avero (Ive rented one before). Design has not changed since 2010. You cant differentiate your car from 2010-2015 unless you are following them and youre reading "TSI". Dealer is not helpful (I love Toyota and going back!!!). Part are not expensive but the service is! Oil changes are $80 and if you do it yourself, VW will void the warranty! If you are iPhone user you need to prepare to connect your phone every time you are in the car. When you connect the phone to the USB charge port, it will reset the connection: phone (music/maps/etc) goes to silent... you need to "find the phone"... it takes about 20-25 sec which is driving you crazy ONLY after 6-month. Bottom line is: At the end of the lease I am going to turn this car in and never get another VW.

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  Worst purchase of my entire life - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Victoria - September 8 - 5:17 am

  I bought the car because it was cute, got good gas mileage, and I had always wanted one. Well, 3 years later and ive put around $22,000 into the car. First I started replacing minor things like the timing belt and the water pump, then the alternator, then the radiator, then the computer, then the air conditioning, but then i ended up replacing the engine, then the turbo, then the door, then the head gasket, then the transmission(as well as many many other things). This car has left me stranded on SO many occasions. Im fearful to even drive this death trap. Please save yourself the heart ache, do NOT buy an older model beetle. The only reason I have held on so long is because my grandfather keeps paying to get it fixed, but this is not an inexpensive quick fix car. It will NEVER end.

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  TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, WASTE OF METAL - NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By tboyd402 - September 1 - 1:41 am

  Bought a CPO 06 20k mile VW passat that is a piece of crap & literally had everything replaced within 6 months - a few of them within 3 DAYS of purchasing the car. From entire AC system to radio to ignition module to steering column, instrument cluster to heater, gas tank dropped & replaced, fuel injectors I believe, coil packs, fuel lines, radiator leaking, water pump, driver door handle because it stopped working & had to crawl in passenger side!! Driver door striker as well on a different occasion, almost all suspension parts, rear struts, the list goes on and on.... Those are just off the top of my head but almost every moving engine part, suspension, & electrical item was replaced, yet

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  VW Stinks! - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By tarfoot - July 23 - 6:16 pm

  The car seems to be nice at first when you get it but after a while everything needs to be fixed on it. Even the oil change on it is $90. Its fairly new and i have put over 10,000 in repairs into it. Whatever you do DO NOT BUY A VW!!!!!! I also no people who have sold theirs for better cars since they had to go to the dealer every other week. Just to replace the air filter which is custom ordered it 75 you cant by the filter at walmart. I will never own a VW again and i encourage all of you not to even look at one. They might get excellent gas mileage but the money youll save you will spend fixing it. Then all the dealers want to run diagnostics every time which is 75. DONT BUY A VW!!

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  What a disappointment! - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By grinchy - July 9 - 11:12 am

  This was my dream car, which quickly became a nightmare. The convertible operation would freeze mid transition, I take it in for service and of course they "can not duplicate the problem". The very next day I take pictures proving that it is stuck, then they miraculously they can find the problem and fix it. Now, it leaks. It burns oil- im told this is normal, and i have to add 1qt per 100 miles. Really?! My transmission was not smooth, or shifting properly, as well- this is normal. After 3 visits, they finally duplicate the problem, AFTER they crash it on a road test. My car was in service for 1 month, and the issues still persist.

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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!!!