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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  2006 New Beetle Convertible, 2.5 pkg 2 - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Steve56 - October 19 - 5:30 pm

  My wife has always wanted the New Beetle convertible. So I did quite a bit of research online and read many reviews, pro and con. After many months of searching, we finally found the car my wife has been dreaming about. Weve only had the car for one week. Its a really fun car to drive, especially with the top down. It handles very well on the highway and gets pretty good gas mileage. There are a couple blind spots but thats normal for most convertibles. Its the heaviest car Ive ever owned. You feel like youre riding in a tank!! Overall, I would recommend this car for someone looking for a fun drive. Just watch out for all the stares youre going to get!!

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  Like ex-wife: Beautiful but unreliable! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By The big one - October 16 - 10:00 am

  It had 6 electrical failures in 3 years. That is just too much! This car was less reliable than my 9 year old Chrysler! Luckily, I leased it so I did not have to sell it.

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  brakesease - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By HAROLD KFARE - October 16 - 10:00 am

  overall very pleased,especially with the service department with the dealer

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  Crappy transmission - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By JaeP - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Ive had many VWs for over 12 yrs. 5 to be exact. This is a nice vehicle no doubt about it. It would be that much nicer if the transmission had a better brain or some adjustment possibilities. Dealer couldnt do anything. Id like to buy a W8 Wagon and would like the Auto but not until they improve the tranny. Id stick to manual.

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  vw jetta - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jokercecil - October 16 - 10:00 am

  great car to drive but very expensive to fix and not reliable

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  Ive already spent several thousand! - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By butta246 - October 14 - 1:20 pm

  Had the car for 8 years and Its a lot of maintence. Those who havent had problems are lucky. So far Ive had to buy several hoses, my back drink holder broke, new catalytic converter, timing belt, new a.c. compressor, I was actually locked inside my car once (long story but true), and my key got stuck on the outside of the car, I had to call AAA and send it to get it fixed asap. I now need to get my tires aligned because Im going out of tires like crazy. Also my windows wont roll down, if they do they dont roll back up. Its about $400 a piece. I dont know if I got a lemon, but I have spent several thousand dollars on this car.

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  My wife made me get it! - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Impe - October 12 - 4:33 am

  It takes a real man to drive a car this car! I wanted a PT Cruiser Convertible but my wife insisted on the New Beetle Convertible; and it had to be Bback. We now have 5k miles on it and all is well. It is fun to drive and was comfortable on an 800 mile trip to FL. The top is easy to operate, the trunk is adequate for 2 people on 2/3 day trips, and the back seat is perfect for a 75lb Black Lab. The sound system is great, especially the MP3 capability which allows me to play as many as 200 songs per CD. The 28.5 MPG is less than I hoped for, (and both my wife and I drive gently); but the car sure is CUTE! We get lots of smiles and inquiries. All things considered, we are very happy with it.

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  wow what a great car - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By cheri - October 8 - 2:00 am

  By pricing this car with edmunds and other internet sites, I purchased this vehicle for 27,759, it was 800 over COST not invoice, a fair profit for the dealer of less than 4 percent(msrp was 30,375, invoice was 27,187 plus 550 destination fee) holdback for this vehicle was 895, so that leaves you lots of room to negotiate! good luck

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  Like the car but very poor headlights - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By caseydog3 - October 7 - 7:15 pm

  i bought this car in July and overall Ive been pleased with it EXCEPT for one extremely important thing. The headlights are terrible. I traded in a 1999 Nissan altima for this car and never had one problem seeing at night. Not only did the passat not come with foglights, but the low beams arent the projector type. The combination of the two is very poor. Now I had to go to a specialty shop to inquire about custom headlights just so I feel safe driving at night. I did a test drive during the day with this car and all the others. I never even considered this would be a problem. I called the dealership about it and they dont even make upgrade headlights for the passat in U.S.

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  207k still running - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By GJR - October 7 - 2:00 am

  cant believe its 12 yrs old. Held up great, but, so many repairs and each was very costly,$400-$800. Fun car to drive, but too many simple flaws that were too costly to bother fixing, ie:gas cap not closing. and breaking of same parts-bargain price, but too costly to maintain after a few years. Although many parts still original and reliable car, ends dont justify the means.