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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  Great performance--Poor Reliability - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By kathyf - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for a few months, and Im already planning to sell it. Its fast, cool, and fun to drive, BUT its very unreliable. Heres a rundown of the problems Ive had over the 5 months Ive owned the car: the passenger-side window fell off its tracks completely, the hose to the back winshield wiper stopped working, sprang a leak and ruined the interior cloth panels covering the ceiling and side of the car, a seat handle keeps falling off, and the glove compartment hinge snapped. Of course, its warranty just expired. Grand total to have this fixed? $900-- ouch!

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  Anyone need a transmition? - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By thad35 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  22,000 miles and we are on the 3rd transmition. It has been in the shop for a total of 27 days over the past two years.

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  Performance and Utility - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Leaseman - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I test drove this vehicle and was impressed with the refinement and build quality of both the interior and exterior. Every little thing seems to have been thought of, including a little hidden hand crank to open the sun roof in an emergency. The performance and handling were smooth and nicely tuned, with only minor nudges as the gears shifted under acceleration. Its easy to see why people are willing to pay a premium for this car.

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  Cranky Transmission - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By leaseman - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I test drove this vehicle with great anticipation but was terribly disappointed by jerky, hesitating acceleration. The engine is smooth, quiet and plenty powerful, but getting up to speed is not the joyous experience it is in other $40k cars with automatic transmissions. Most everything else was marvelous, from the exterior styling to the look and feel of the interior appointments. My only other gripe was that the seats are so firm that its difficult to find a comfortable setting.

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  2003 New Beetle Turbo - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By iatros - May 1 - 12:51 pm

  I bought our 2003 New Beetle Convertible Turbo with auto 6 speed in June 2003 for my wifes birthday. We had to go to Arlington, TX, to order one of the first to come into the USA. My wife has loved this car! The handling and comfort are great, and she loves to leave the pickemup drivers standing at the lights. We dont drive it much, but one highlight was trip from Huntsville, AL, to Ashville, NC, in October. But I worry a bit. There have been several service issues, including one coil recoil. The latest service, with 57,600 miles, was the appearance of Service Engine light. Dealer wants only $2200 to fix everything!

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  awesome car - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By babyblu766896 - May 1 - 12:16 am

  I bought a new Beetle as a gift for myself and i really love my car. Its peppy around town and gives me great mileage. I do have some gripes though (interior lighting) and automatic transmission. There are a few other gripes but they arent that serious. I do love the handling and the visibility at nighttime. Overall I love my car but i dont think i would buy one again.

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  How well do you like your shop? - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By AnotherDissatisfacho - April 27 - 10:00 am

  The the car is in the shop at least every other mo. nowadays, and parts are outrageous. Repairs include rear passenger window sensor, airbag, abs, fuel door (all under 24K); maf(VW pd 1/2), glowplug solonoid, brakelight switch--plus sth. is wrong with the a/c, the chk. eng. light is on again & the lift struts in the trunk are bad ($88 each!). (+ a $700 tuneup at 40K.) Contrast my used Neon--twice the mileage and 1/4 the problems & expense. I think the breakages wouldnt be quite so bad if you could get cheap parts, but you can only find genuine VW stuff! I bought the Dsl. partly b/c it would last forever--but I cant afford to keep it!

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  Good solid comfortable car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gswonsn - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my GLS for 6 weeks and have to say that it has been the best car I have ever owned. It has had no problems. The mileage is slightly better than the 1994 Jetta that it replaced averaging 25 MPG in the city with the 2.0L and 5 speed. The Monsoon sound system sounds great and the functions are straight forward. I only have 2 complaints, the placement of the cup holders that block the radio controls and the dimmer switch for the high beams. It is too easy to push it back when using the turn signals. I looked for quite awhile before buying a car and found this to be the best driving, most fun car for anywhere near the price.

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  Check engine light blues! - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 4 Paws - April 24 - 9:10 pm

  Bought the TDI wagon with manual transmission with sunroof and sat nav system. Good styling, handles nice, runs good and only sips fuel. The check engine light came on before I made it home from the dealer so I drove a loaner for a week. Two weeks later the light came on again. Another loaner. More time in the shop. Nice little car but I really have issues with the reliability. In all honesty I cant recommend the car but I have lots of good to say about the dealership.

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  Burns Oil - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By rrosborough - April 24 - 11:09 am

  I bought my Passat brand new off the show room floor. I was thrilled to have this car. It looked good, ran good, and for the first 50,000 miles I didnt have any problems. Then I began to realize that it burns oil ridiculously. I took it in to have the dealership run an oil consumption test, and of course they said it was fine. Told me it burns 1qt of oil for every 1,200 miles. So I had the option of not driving my car as much, getting oil changes sooner, or just plain ol adding oil. Either way it really sucks. Took the joy of my car away from me. Im pleased with it, but I dont like having to keep up with the oil consumption, adding oil, or changing oil more frequently.