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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  Long term review - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ray P - November 5 - 6:19 pm

  Not to get into my utter disgust with the TDI cheating scandal, my car had suffered a turbo failure at 36K like many others along with urea tank replacement at 70K. Other than the above issues the car was fairly decent. My only major issue that I have paid for dearly is related to poor ergonomics due to poor driver seat, misalignment with respect to steering as well as gas and brake pedals. These became obvious in time unfortunately after logging lots of miles. Another annoyance was the diminutive buttons and their location for cruise control especially for long commutes.

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  Fun at the start but not when needed! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dubvhill - October 31 - 2:46 am

  I bought this car used and heard nothing but good things about VWs. I thought i was getting a dependable car that would last a long time. I was wrong, but must say it hasnt died completely. About a year into my purchase the check engine light came on. Being a poor college student, making it on his own, didnt have money to fix right away. Long story short 4years $7k in and the check engine light is still on. Making money now to fix, but tired of the circling fuel system of death. I am waiting for this car to die to buy a new car. My luck will be this car goes forever with the check engine light on. At the end of the year I will donate to train fire fighters, so the misery will die.

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  Jetta Junk - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By staffrc - October 26 - 10:33 pm

  I take very good care of my autos. Service is done as specified by the manufacturer, always using the best quality parts available. This Jetta is the worst car that I have ever owned. I have bought 17 new cars in the last 20 years for my family. I have owned Nissans, Fords, GMs, Mazdas, Dodges, Toyotas and Mercedes. Any of these autos are hands down better autos than a VW Jetta. Maintenece on this Jetta is the worst I have ever seen. I have a 2004 Corvette that costs far less to maintain than this piece of junk. Do not even use VW and Mercedes in the same sentence. VW is not even close in any aspect to a Mercedes. Do not buy a 2006 Jetta 2.5.

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  The car that breaks down weekly - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By felix11111 - October 26 - 10:00 am

  It spends more time at the dealer than actually runs ;-(

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  Fun when it runs - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By VWregret - October 24 - 5:43 am

  I loved this car when I bought it. But, when the repairs started, they never stopped. It spends most of the time these days in the shop. The repairs over the past year include $900 turbo, $500 timing belt, $650 coolant feed line (dealer), $600 struts and many other $200+ repairs. I cant even sell it because of other repairs that need to be made to it. Its a piece of junk. I wish it wasnt because I really liked this car. I will never buy another VW. Never.

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  Great car, for the most part - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Not Pink - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new in 1997. Since then I have had a few quirky problems (like the driver and passenger side door locks needed repair twice. The locks also freeze in the winter. The cruise control and the trunk lock also needed repair) otherwise I have had no major mechanical problems. I think the biggest thing to watch for is the front end alignment. The car needs to be aligned quite often, which could be due to the fact that I live in Maine and the roads are terrible in the winter, but...I have been through 4 pairs of tires in 6 yrs. Overall its a great car.

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  Loss of Faith - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nomoreVW - October 17 - 10:00 am

  At 20K, the car began to have a gear grinding problem. Took the car to 2 dealers on 3 occasions and on got the same explination, "Its normal." Can someone tell me what "normal" car grinds gears? I ended up bleeding the clutch and replacing the gear oil myself. Problem mostly solved. At 24K, the temp guage goes out. I found out at vwvortex that its probably the temp sensor, so I replaced it. At 32K, the check engine light comes on. Havent taken it to the dealer yet, but I suspect its the mass air flow sensor. Now at 34K and the driver window falls down! This will be the last VW/Audi I ever own.

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  Toureg Tough on Kids - 2010 Volkswagen Touareg
  By McDonald NC - October 11 - 6:20 am

  Ive had the Toureg for 7 months. Great for an individual or for a couple. But, the back seats are very erect and my kids wont get in the car unless were traveling less that an hour. Just not comfortable in the back seat. Also, when I lock the car with the key fob the alarm goes off about 50% of the time -- very frustrating especially when with a customer. Lastly, I am forced to use Flow Volkswagen for service-- Unbelievlably bad service. In summary, a great ride but my kids avoid it, no trunk space, and the local dealer is a nightmare. Will be selling or trading soon.

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  Im sorry but I traded - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By nkelley62 - October 7 - 6:54 pm

  I bought the car (as a woman would) for the stuff that the salesman told me would work. after I signed the paper work and got the car home stuff didnt work. I took back to the service dept to learn that the car only had the buttons and lack the add ons that I wanted. The other turn off was that my feet would burn when driving the car. The air system would default to heat making it way to hot for me. My gas mileage was horrible getting about 15-18 mpg. I had to fill up twice a week. I thought this was too much since I only worked 10 miles from home. Sadly traded the car

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  I Hate my Jetta - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Luvzh2o - October 7 - 9:43 am

  My car has been nothing but an expensive project since I bought it 2 years ago. Fist I had to have all 4 struts replaced, and new tires and alighnment. A few months later it needed a new exhaust and still is having cat issues. I have replaced both front axels, the brakes, new timming belt, and water pump. I have learned how to fix the Windows cause I have had all 4 break on me and its actually simple to replace the regulators, but getting the window back in to possition is a pain. The crank shaft possition sensor was just replaced and now its going back to the mechanic today, there is something wrong in the front end and it needs the valve cover gasket fixed and is leaking oil. What a pile!