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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  Works good for some but not for everyone - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Erica - May 21 - 11:51 pm

  Its very costly to repair and once it breaks down once will break down multiple times in a year. A bought this car when it had 50000 first thing that went out was my transmission, had to replace my radiator, starter cranked, my started melted on to my battery, cooling system, my air conditioner. My advice is get it check first to know whats wrong before you buy it I have spent $6000 in repairs have only had it for 4 years its not a good buy. Bumper is too low also!

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  Great Car - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By David - May 21 - 11:16 pm

  My Volkswagen Beetle is a very soundly built car, loads of fun to drive, and absolutely a fuel sipper. It feels like youre driving and riding in a much larger vehicle.

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  GREAT CAR WITH SUPER GAS MILEAGE - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By scottlaurad - May 21 - 11:12 am

  I already own a 2005 Passat TDI that I bought new and passed it along to my son 4 years back. The 05 Passat is now 8 years old and runs great with a consistant 40+mpg which is great for a college kid. Also, I paid $21,500 new in 05 and the value today is $11,000. The TDI holds its value which was another good reason to buy this car. In the three weeks I have owned the car we have been getting 42 mpg and had reached over 51 mpg on a 40 min. highway drive each way. One of the best features is how much room they managed to get in side the car and trunk. The stereo, gps, remote start and comfortable seating is amazing. Drive one for yourself and you will see the difference.

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  2006 Volkswagen GTI - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Joey - May 21 - 5:13 am

  I purchased this car because I needed something reliable, fun to drive, and that had enough space inside. For the price, you really cant beat it. Its quick, handles great, and all the materials in the car are high quality. I drove both the Civic Si and Neon and the construction and quality of the GTI blow them away. From the quality of the paint job (very litte orange peel) to the material the dash is made out of. The inside is very comfortable, for such a small car, there is plenty of room inside for everyone to be comfortable and still have room for storage.

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  Love my Peppy VW Jetta - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Joyce Hambright - May 20 - 6:01 pm

  First off when went from a compact to this 4 dr sedan and even though that gave us tons more room, this car is very spacious, My hubby and son are over 6 ft so this works great for them whether they are passenger or driver,Nice feature is the seat rises up for shorter folks which is a plus. Extra large trunk lets us accomodate a months worth of groceries in the spacious trunk. The climate control works well. We just got back from driving 1800 miles in it and we just absolutely love this car. Great gas mileage we spent 125.00 on gas to go 1800 + miles, that is a nice plus along with great handling,acceleration,climate control,Sirius XM radio free for 3 months,and room to spare.Great value for the money spent.

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  Great car! - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By pbilunos - May 20 - 3:30 pm

  So far, a great car. Comfortable, quick and fun to drive. Great to drive and room for OZ (the dog). We love it.

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  Well built Sedan- Peppy engine &great fuel economy - 2016 Volkswagen Passat
  By DGT - May 20 - 5:58 am

  Those in the market for misize sedan should test drive this car before making a purchase decision. Passat is an excellent sedan. Quick acceleration, plenty of low end torque, comfortable ride, quiet and very very spacious cabin. This is a drivers car, excellent visibility, large side windows add to it. Touchscreen is average but responsive. I have not had any problems with it. Rearview camera guides are very useful. This is my 3rd car and I use this for daily commute. I have put in about 2500 miles so far and I still enjoy driving this car. Engine is very peppy and acceleration is brisk. The car feels very composed and in control at highway speeds. On an average I get about 34 to 35mpg in mixed driving. Design is conservative and it looks good to my eyes. This is my first german sedan. My other cars are Japanese luxury brands. I do not know about long term reliability but from the way the car is put together it should last a long time. The one negative I can think of is that the AC air vents are a bit noisy even at low fan speeds.

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  Class winner HANDS DOWN (are you tall?) - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Diggity - May 20 - 3:40 am

  IMO the tiguan wins Best in Class. It is the ONLY vehicle in comparison that Ive found comfortable, font and back for tall people. Im 64 and the Tig is the sweetest ride Ive tested outside of the full sized SUVs. Editors seem to only have two complaints - the price tag is higher and it has marginally less cargo space. I cant argue the sticker - but lets be honest. Yes, that will sacrifice 2MPG, but the solid acceleration and grip on the road is the benefit. Cargo space? If the difference is that important you should probably be looking at the full sized. Great VW !

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  soooo disappointed with my Jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jettas suck - May 19 - 2:36 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with this car! Between the car getting stuck in park, BOTH the drivers side and passengers side windows falling off the track in the middle of winter in Chicago, the power steering and transmission leaking, the O2 and mass air flow sensor needing to be replaced, my glove box breaking, my passengers side mirror light breaking, BOTH of my side mirrors rusting, my 6-disc CD changer skipping the CD when its below freezing outside and now needing to replace my tranmission UNDER 80,000 MILES!! I have spent more money and time than you can dream of on repairs for this car. I am getting rid of the car.

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  Avoid the TDI - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mark S. - May 19 - 12:11 pm

  The turbo will fail. The radiator fan and subsequently the air conditioning will fail. The Ad-blue heater will fail. The high pressure fuel pump will likely fail. These are all very expensive repairs. Ill not buy a Volkswagen again.