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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  You need to know what you are getting into - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By roznstyle - December 14 - 10:31 pm

  I think a lot of people buy a VW are unaware that maintenance and adherence to manufacturer recommendations are KEY to keeping a VW on the road. Ive owned my 2004 passast for 8 years and it still looks brand new after over 111K miles. A VW is not a honda where you put gas in it and change the oil every so often. you need to pay attention to using mid grade or higher fuel EVERY time. Synthetic oil, EVERY time. New Plugs every 40K per the manual, and on and on and on. YES there is a lot more in owning a VW than your run of the mill car but if you treat it right it will last for a long time. If you can handle a meticulous maintenance schedule then buy a VW but if you cant DO NOT BUY!!!!

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  VW = VERY WRONG - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Vonder Whatupsen - December 13 - 2:39 pm

  Whatever they want to say about their customer service, safety, price....whatever....I will never own another VW ever again - I dont know what happened from 1986 (owned Jetta gli) to the current cars but holy hell these things are now FULL OF ISSUES - if its not one thing, its related to another thing that triggers another thing - stay away is my advice BUT I have one and Im lucky that I purchased an EXTENDED WARRANTY when I bought it with 7k on it......I now have 79k, extended warranty ended at 75k and Im running into continued bull(expletive) SO if you decide for whatever reason, price, look, whatever - I recommend extended warranty BUT keep looking around because once the issues start they do not stop.....

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  BAD PURCHASE - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BAD PURCHASE - December 13 - 10:00 am

  In the shop every 2 months and the dealer can not even fix it. To replace the headlight one dealer quotes you $150 another $50 since you can not do this on your own. The engine seized 2 1/2 years after buying it and the dealer tried to make me pay for it even though I bought the extended warranty. Brought it in because the window wouldnt roll up and then the dealer broke the other window. Brought it in to do routine maintenance and told them dont touch the breaks. When left dealer brakes squeeked. You get the picture. I can go on and on and on.....................

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  Best value for money. - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By 1.8T advocate - December 13 - 10:00 am

  The VW GTI is an amazing deal for the money. I had [i]every[/i] option available, and it topped out at less than $24,000. Performance is great, and the transmission is very easy to use. Its very sporty when shifting, and the automatic mode is smooth as well. The 1.8T is a great engine, and a lot of power is available at a very low rpm. No car at this price can match the performance or equipment of this car. For under $24,000, I got heated leather seats, a manumatic transmission, Monsoon sound system, power everything, including sunroof, and 17 inch wheels. The 1.8T has been very reliable. I highly recommend this car.

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  Do your homework for both Treg & dealer - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Pabby - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Reading Edmunds reviews, I was concerned about quality issues. My born-on date is 3/04. Perhaps issues have been worked out. Have Reed Green with beige leather. Love it. Fit and finish is unbelievable. Im 66" and am very comfortable. Dealer experience was 1980s smarmy time-warp. Heritage VW-MD posted internet prices by VIN on their web-site. Fair price shown for exact trim I wanted. I had all numbers worked out with a +/- contingency. Was told by sales guy that were close to getting it done.Go to close w/MGR and he wanted $1.5k over web. Uncomfortable. Threatened to walk. Never recommend them. Lost a service customer forever.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By 00AUDIA6 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  The Touareg is a nice car, Very elegant interior. The rear visibility is better than in the cayenne, as well as having the same engine and transmission for $10,000 less, but was still a tough descision. The Navigation system is nice how it gives voice prompts, but nag screens for safety become annoying to passenger. Park Beepers too sensitive. With all of these good things, there were still setbacks. Phantom sunroof would only go in direction of selector (wouldnt stop) when at target (weird!). Mileage was around 12 for several months the Xenon Lights will occasionally go out and rain sensor faulty.

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  I luv my V-Dub! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Elaine Fabs - December 13 - 4:10 am

  I have been driving my Turbo charged, lagoon blue VW Beetle for 2 and 1/2 months now and I just love it! I have great power and stunning looks. Its so much fun to drive. I have not had a single problem with it. Gotta luv the bug!

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  Overpowered ;^} Underbraked :-( - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By BanjoMike - December 12 - 11:40 am

  My last two cars before this were Porsches. I wanted something practical and fun. The GTI fit the bill. Out of the box the GTIs handling is sporty but not overly reasurring. The shocks seem a bit soft. But when pushed hard it really does very well. It is predicatble, powerful, controllable, tossable, and fun. The limiting factor in the performace is definately the brakes. Extended hard driving will lead to noticble brake fade. It will seat adults in the back seat comfortably; has lots of cargo space; has power everything (almost); and is FAST. The GTI proves to the US that a hatchback can be a luxury car! Finally the motor. It just loves to go. Its all about the tourque! Wow.

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  Awesome Style and Drving, But - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dandy Andy - December 11 - 6:56 pm

  First-time owner here...and Id have to say VWs are pretty shabby. I love the design and the color pattern that I have. Urban Grey exterior, black interior, with the indigo and red accent lights inside...it is just beautiful! However, the car has given me minor troubles and the customer service is shady, at most. Volkswagen parts are hella expensive, wiper blades cost like $100, are you kidding me? and $200 for a darn headlight? I guess thats the nice thing about a German car, expensive maintenance. But I definitely love the tight turning abilities and how it goes 0-60 in like 7 seconds. Ill be going 60-70 and it feels like Im going 40-50, its a smooth ride all the way.

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  Debt. - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By savannahb - December 11 - 7:35 am

  We bought this car as a first car, and at first, it was great... Until about two months later when we spent $1200 on engine, heating, and oil repairs. (Mind you, $1200 is a little less than half of what we paid for it.) Then the buggy worked fine until the window rolled down and wouldnt roll back up... And the tail light bulb burst... And the battery kept dying. If I had the choice, Id sell it to my now-well-known VW repair man for spare parts and buy a RELIABLE car.