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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  Best Car Ive ever owned - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By perkins77 - May 19 - 3:50 am

  I recently bought a 4 door TDI and its the best car Ive ever owned (8 other vehicles). The handling is nimble and responsive, and there is plenty of power. The immediate stomp on the accelerator from a dead stop is not as quick as a gti or bmw e46, but its very good for a diesel and for what you pay for. The mileage is awesome and the ride is smooth. There arent too many extras, but they are key ones: bluetooth, paddle shift, sport mode, sunroof. Im 66" and have tons and tons of room in the front. Cold weather package is great.

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  Great Car! - 2013 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By di96 - May 18 - 2:37 pm

  If there is a have it all car on the market this is it. -Over 40mpg -32cuft of storage (seats in place!) -Available with manual or DSG -tow over 2k lbs Interior design is fantastic, night driving is a pleasure, dash is very pleasant to look at with the white lights black backdrop. Insurance rates are lower on this car then any hybrids ($200 a yr less then a Prius for me), more then pays for the extra cost of diesel. The navigation system is so-so, but I knew that when I bought it from the test drive. The only reason I still went with the top end nav package is because of the KEYSS system, never need to take the keys out of my pocket is sweet.

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  13 GTI 15,000 Miles later. - 2013 Volkswagen GTI
  By sinna46 - May 18 - 2:52 am

  After a year and a half of driving my 2013 GTI I have to say, Great Car! This is our road trip car, so it is used primarily for highway cruising and long days of driving. It is fast, fun and frugal. What more could you ask for?

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  Fun, Fast Car - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By mwoodward - May 17 - 8:16 pm

  I have had no problems with my New Beetle. The Turbo can really throw you down the road and it makes driving fun again. I bought this after a friend told me that she loved her Beetle and had no issues. She went out and bought another convertible Beetle not too long ago.

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  Still lovin my Jetta - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John - May 17 - 11:23 am

  I have owned my Jetta for a year now. I love driving it more every day. I have not had one problem with the car. It is great to drive around town or cross country. I have driven a lot of cars in my life and I dont believe you can get a better value for the money than a Jetta. It may not be the best at any one thing but overall It does everything well. For the price of the vehicle this is pretty hard to beat.

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  "The best ride period." - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ANGEL POMALES - May 16 - 12:20 pm

  Outstanding is a short word for this magnificient car." Three thumbs up", Volkswagen did it again. The ride, the looks everybody in my family loves it, my neighbors etc.

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  2006 Passat 3.6L - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By intruder1 - May 16 - 1:36 am

  I purchased my Passat 3.6L w/ Sport pkg 2 and Navigation system because I wanted to step down from a big SUV. My initial search included the Audi A6, BMW 330, Volvo S80, and Cadillac CSX. I purchased the Passat because overall, I thought the power, fuel economy, interior space, handling and price represented the best value. So far, I love the vehicle. The handling and power are exceptional. The sport package makes the vehicle fun to drive and the electronic dashboard display along with the steering wheel control buttons make driving a pleasure.

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  DO NOT BUY AN EOS!....DO NOT BUY A VOLKSWAGEN! - 2016 Volkswagen EOS
  By Rich - May 15 - 6:06 pm

  If youre thinking of buying a Volkswagen, DONT! Do yourself a HUGE favor and go look at other manufactures. THE WORST car Ive ever had. Between personal cars and company cars Ive driven Pontiac, Chevy, Oldsmobile, Ford, Chrysler and Mazda. And NEVER had problems with them. Enter Volkswagen. Were talking about an EOS Lux. The rear view mirror fell off the windshield shortly after purchasing the car. If only I had recognized the omen. The clear coat started peeling off the hood of the car. Have to replace a headlight bulb every 3 months. They constantly burn out. The passenger seat will not move forward or backwards in cold weather. The passenger side window stopped working and the motor had to be replaced. The car alarm went off and could not stop it. The door lock cylinder, ignition switch and battery were replaced. 2 days later the car alarm went off again and could not stop it. Was told that the drivers side window motor would have to be replaced for the problem because of a "module" thats attached for the alarm system. The intake manifold on the engine got a hole in it and had to be replaced. I was told that while the intake manifold was off the valves should be cleaned of carbon buildup. The convertible top leaks. The convertible top stopped working. Was told the entire roof would have to removed in order to find out what was going on. The car was in the shop for 3 days and a technical expert was called in. I was told the roof was just "out of sync" and there was no real problem with it. And then was charged $1,400 for no problem found. Since they removed the top, the top does nothing but creak. The "exchanger" on the engine had to be replaced. The car started leaking oil. They found not ONE or TWO but THREE places where oil was leaking from. The gasket between the engine and transmission has to be replaced. The gasket for the timing cover has to be replaced. And some part for the turbocharger has to be replaced. I was told by the service manager that the oil leaks are a COMMON problem. But they normally dont all happen at once. So, oil leaks ARE TO BE EXPECTED. Its NORMAL for a Volkswagen. A control arm has a crack in it. One of the rear shocks has a leak. The windshield washer reservoir leaks. I probably forgot some things. I was hoping that the car would burst into flames and Id watch it burn to the ground with a huge smile on my face. No such luck. The car is in the shop having the oil leaks taken care of. ONLY $1,800 more dollars put into the piece of garbage. A total of $5,832 have been put into it since 2/2014. I told them to fix the oil leaks and Im DONE WITH VOLKSWAGEN. The car will be GONE as soon as I get it back. DO NOT BUY A VOLKSWAGEN!

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  Money!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By age - May 15 - 2:46 am

  I bought this car brand new and I havent even paid for the whole thing and already without maint. I have spent $7,000 on repairs. I drive 3 miles each way. My back window has stop working after 2 years and they told me $1,000. It wasnt covered under warranty. All I want to say is think about it first.

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  Outstanding Vehicle - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Rich D - May 14 - 11:36 am

  This is an absolutely outstanding vehicle in all respects. Having owned every major luxury brand - Posche, Mercedes, BMW, Acura, Lexus, etc., this might be the most enjoyable car I have ever owned. It is aesthetically nearly perfect in design, pulling .93 lateral Gs, it corners like it is on rails, has a beautiful engine with great sound and flawless transmission and ergonomics only the Germans can design. This is an incredibly well balanced car in all respects. In addition it receives the highest ratings by the IIHS in frontal, side and rear collisions and is one of their "all star" picks. What else could you ask for?