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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  Never again! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ERIK - August 30 - 2:56 am

  I like this car. Great features, good looks, good performance. What i hate is vw service. I do not think that vw was ready for the luxury level clientel. My car has been in the shop for more than a month in the 15 months ive owned it. Although there is full warranty but most items are not paid for. There have been numerous recalls. Going for a service is worse than going to a dentist. In conclusion although i like this car and enjoy driving it, the pains that i have been through with 4 different vw dealerships in los angeles area has made me vow to never again buy another vw, no matter how good the car might be.

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  Money pit - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jeff C. - August 29 - 3:53 am

  This car looks great and is fun to drive. Unfortunately, it is also unreliable and lacks quality. I purchased this car in 2001 with only 17k miles on it. Since that time I have had electrical problems, power window problem, steering collumn problem, some recall, had to replace the brakes, headlight out, battery dead, new tires, broken interior vent, and now at 46,000 miles a new water pump, timing belt and gaskets/seals for oil leak. Now, there is some recall for the suspension. Ridiculous. When you combine the lack of reliability with the exorbitant service costs for this vehicle, it is definitely a money pit.

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  some pluses; some minuses - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By leonard bloom - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a VW Passat V6 sedan two weeks ago, even though my first choice was the Infiniti G35. Honda Accords were also in the original mix. So far, the Passat has performed well but there are certain caveats; e.g., no key lock for trunk; the homelink remote transmitter does not light up in the dark; small door handles; gear shifts do not light up;fairly noisy engine.

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  Looks Good, Works Badly - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By CORNJOB - August 23 - 2:03 pm

  Amazing, all of the problems Ive had with this car are echoed in this list of reviews. I bought the car three months ago and its been returned for service five times already. The last time it wouldnt shift out of 3rd gear. Im trading it in for something more reliable. The oxygen sensor, tranmission problems, mass air sensor replaced twice, non-working rear window defogger, broken cupholders, broken sunroof sliding cover. Im disgusted. This thing is a money pit. Its a beautifully designed, but badly executed vehicle. When it worked, though, it was fun to drive.

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  What the heck? - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By pandmonk - August 21 - 10:08 pm

  This car is fun to drive and gets good fuel economy. However, it has a loud cabin and wind noise is loud. The fuel economy is great. However, the back up camera and audio system are so slow to respond, you want to just punch the system in frustration. My Ipod cable doesnt work after two cables were tried, my back up camera takes 15-20 seconds to kick on when I put the car in reverse. Lastly, for a vehicle that is fully loaded and MSRPs in the $32K range, it doesnt come with a USB Port? Even a work truck Silverado comes with 2 USB ports. Overall, I cant wait to get rid of this car. I will never buy or recommend a VW product after this experience.

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  So Shoddy Yet So Cute - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By B & A - August 17 - 9:30 am

  Ive had my 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle for seven years now. Ive had to replace one too many things...a transmission failure at 48,000 miles, the engine literally fell out on the freeway due to faulty motor mounts, I have replaced 2 CV boots, window buttons, light bulbs behind the dash at 20,000 miles, air conditioning, MAF sensor, amongst many other things not to mention cruise control that doesnt work and Ive even tried passing a vehicle once on the highway and my car didnt respond with speed... instead started slowing down by 30 mph! VW used cheap interior materials throughout the car and a 2.0 engine that only pumps out 115 horsepower and sucks gas like its going out of style. Will VW ever get it right?!?!

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  WANT to love it - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ReisngD - August 11 - 10:00 am

  I really wish that I could write a positive review after a year of ownership, but I cant. Although people still approach it like a celebrity, the car has been extremely unreliable--and I only put 7500 miles on in 12 months so far. The dealership has been cooperative in trying to find the problem, but they cannot. It is not having simple window problems either, rather the engine is barely running or cutting out during acceleration. I have never had a car spend sop much time in the shop. Not even a ten-year-old Civic with 150,000 miles. To those of you still in love-- good luck!!!

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  Average with pretense - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Michael - August 9 - 11:56 pm

  The Volkswagen Golf is average overall, with a below average electrical system and well designed, but a poorly built engine. Given the multitude of small (window motor, sunroof malfunctions) and not very small (side airbag misfire, engine sensors malfunction, 80,000 mile timing belt wear-off) defects, you are better served by getting a Lexus or a Mazda.

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  Very Sad - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By AMY - August 9 - 11:03 pm

  I loved my Golf up until this past August when the car hit 35k miles. The car has been the shop 3 times since then with electrical issues. Two of the trips required towing. First, the brake light switch went out and caused the car to reduce power and then it could not be shifted out of park. Next the fuel relay went bad and drained my battery. Could not jump the car, had to be towed again. Now the dash lights come on randomly on their own in damp weather. Dealer has no clue why its doing this. I love the looks of the car and driving the car. But I am afraid once its out of warranty I will be dumping tons of money into it. I had planned on keeping this car a long time but now Im unsure

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  My Unreliable Jetta - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JDF - August 7 - 10:00 am

  My Jetta was extremely unreliable. I serviced it according to the manual but still had my fuel tank replaced at 0 miles before I could even pick it up. My engine was rebuilt at 60,000 miles. My power windows fell down into the door and a piece that holds the window up was replaced. Two plastic pieces kept falling out of my sunroof. The check engine light was always on and numerous O2 sensors were replaced. The final straw was when my transmission went out at 107,000 miles and the cost to replace it was $3200. I traded it in for a Mazda.