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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  Better than basic transport for tall drivers - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By Paul Erbe - November 19 - 11:35 am

  I recently purchased a 2012 Passat S(manual) that must have been coming off lease. Even though this is the base model it has everything you would ever need. Expert reviews ding it for lacking rear-view camera and navigation. Todays smartphones handle navigation just fine and how about looking over your shoulder to back up. I drive almost 90% off the highway and my combined mpg has been 25.66 for my first 2500 miles, seems fine for a car of this size. I do occasionally make a 60-70 mile highway trip and the on board computer has reported those trips getting 40 mpg. I am big and tall (65" and 300 lbs) and the front seat leg, head and shoulder room are all more than sufficient. AS a matter of fact I dont need to have the seat in the furthest bask position. I have two son who are also tall(65" & 61") and they can easily sit behind me in the back seat.

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  Best Yet..... - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Burke - November 19 - 3:43 am

  The 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T is a great car. It looks good, drives well, and has little wind noise. Ive had one engine warning issue that was corrected in a short visit to the dealership. My fuel economy rarely exceeds 30 mpg, unlike the previous model, the 1.8T, which often achieved 34-36 mpg though. It has great seats which are exceptionally comfortable for long drives. It provides incredible leg room in the front seats.

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  VW saved my life again. - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeromy - November 17 - 11:09 pm

  Totaled my 93 Corrado in 2005. A few VWs later, I purchased a used Jetta after totaling the old Scion xB. There Wolfsburg had great seats, Aux port back in 07! Smooth shifting give speed with the wonderful but thirsty 5 cylinder engine. I loved this car to no end. Bought it October of 2015 and totaled on 22 December 2015. I was driving to work and blacked out around a curve going the posted speed limit of 55mph. crashed into a ditch, flipped violently five times and lucky came to test on the wheels. The car had cracked there engine block, radiator, before the transmission case in half and the car was absolutely mangled. I was airlifted to the trauma center in Wilmington and released that day. The tire truck operator had already marked the vehicle thinking that I died. Paramedics were shocked that I lived. There build quality was outstanding. The only reason Im alive is there fact that these cars were engineered for that kind of thing. the passenger compartment stayed intact. the seat belts broke but I was okay. I actually wrote VWoA about this and they were in awe. I was diagnosed with narcolepsy after the accident. Next car will be my fifth VW, when I can drive again.

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  Great car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jerry - November 17 - 1:46 pm

  This is a great car for the money! I enjoy driving it in the mountains of So. California. It handles great and has massive brakes when you need to whoa up. I get decent gas mileage considering the amount of power it has.

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  Great Car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sean - November 17 - 6:23 am

  We have really enjoyed our new Passat. We test drove a manual and found it to be quite jerky and slow out of first gear. The automatic has the same brief slow start but is much less jerky. The car rides very well and looks great. It is comfortable to drive with good lumbar support and it really has a nice solid feel on the road. Some people have noted that the engine is sometimes confused when entering a freeway and shifts too quickly and does not approach top speed quickly. Ive found that if you let it accelerate with moderate application to the gas pedal and then punch it at about 35-40 mph it will really go. We zip past other cars on the freeway without a pause.

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  Wonderful, wonderful car – Best Ive ever owned. - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nick_89 - November 16 - 7:27 pm

  I am staggered by the negative reviews, because that in no way been my experience. With 90,000 miles and counting, I have only had to replace two light bulbs and a brake master cylinder – thats everything since I bought the car in 2005.5. The highway MPGs are consistently above 35-36 without any effort. The car is incredibly comfortable and handles very well for a FWD car. I frequently take it up to the mountain for snow activities without traction tires or chains, and it takes is like a champ – trucks look stunned when I pass them effortlessly. Incredibly safe, reliable, and cheap to own and run – Ill certainly buy another one (I have my eye on a TDI SportWagen).

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  German Engineering at the price of a KIA - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By jclaeys - November 15 - 4:22 pm

  First Volkswagen product purchase...absolutely flawless car. Very smooth and Quiet, excellent sound system. Looks larger than it is...same size as Honda Accord....too "vanilla". Drove Ford Fusion, "felt sloppy" and cumbersome. This car is a great value. And you should be able to negotiate the MSRP with 10% off. No longer use Costco program....you can do better yourself, as Costco is just another"middle man".

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  Its a great car for a great price. - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By gtiGuy - November 14 - 6:53 pm

  I love this car. VW wants drivers, theyre not joking, its definitely fun to drive, but its also nice to just ride in. Quiet, responsive, practical, there is little wrong with this car. I find myself gunning it out of corners almost non-stop, the engine note is addictive, the acceleration is smooth and predictable, handling is precise and well-mannered. A tad too well mannered actually, and there is a smidge of torque steer under heavy acceleration, but its to be expected with a FWD vehicle. My one problem, potholes, if you hit a pothole in this thing it sounds like the axle broke off, my old Mazda rolled through potholes, I dodge them in the GTI.

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  so far it is great - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By swb1509 - November 14 - 6:36 am

  This TDI is great. The road dynamics are excellent and the build quality is truly remarkable for the price. It has not needed fuel yet and has over 500 miles on the odometer. The manual transmission is one of the best I have ever had, since I have never owned an automatic I am a very experienced with how a manual transaxel is supposed to feel. I test drove the DSG and althouth it seemed fine I was afraid it would be the only thing to eventually break since I keep a car for about 12 yrs on average. If you get a Jetta make sure you get the TDI It comes with most of the options. Love it

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  VW makes fun cars - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By pat - November 14 - 4:03 am

  My 2002 Volkswagen GTI is my second VW, my first being a 2000 Jetta... The progress between these vehicles is impressive to say the least. And going turbo is a lot of fun as well. My only beef with the car is that I had to make some modifications to get it where I wanted it to be. The European versions of this car are not restricted by strange safety and emission laws. So once I had this car chipped and tuned, changed the piping and suspension, I was extremely pleased. It rides wonderfully and Ive never had to take her in for fixing, just slight improvements. If VW could find a way to lighten the vehicle and put better piping and supsension it from the factory, I think theyd sell more of these cars.