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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  Wish I wouldve researched this one!! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By iamatester - March 25 - 12:33 am

  Just bought my 5th VW, this time a 99 VR6. So far I am impressed, but like everyone else, the Check Engine light has been the bane of my existence. Not sure why it randomly comes on and off. Other than that, I love the power. For the door squeaks I use a product called Gummipflege (German product- which you can get at any BMW parts store), Best product ever for removing squeaks. My last car was a 04 1.8T, and I never shouldve gotten rid of it, but wifey needed a new car, so I sold that and got her an Odyssey. Oh well, I will always stick with VW, but the Scion tC has caught my eye, as well as its sticker price.

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  transmission broken - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By w seferovic - March 24 - 6:36 pm

  1st needed to replace exhaust recycle unit 2 and the 5 speed manual transmission ripped itself apart at 90k miles cost over to $4000 repair

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  Big Smiles; Big Scratch for a Hot Hatch - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By Masswhole - March 24 - 10:00 am

  This is an Audi TT 3.2 with interior space and a 6-speed tranny at 75% of the cost. I "downgraded" from an Audi A4. Before that, I loved my Jetta GLX, esp. the responsive, peppy motor & tight suspension. The R32 has luxury, more pep, less curb weight, stickier suspension & Haldex AWD--a good compromise between the two cars. Im installing a 22mm rear antisway bar--the back end feels sloppy with high-speed swerving. (Factory tire pressure is too low also.) Im 30 y.o. and the GTI is aimed at the 18-24 y.o. demographic. I now get less road respect (less garage respect too; more door dings) post-A4; people (including cops) see a VW w/o understanding its performance.

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  Great ride, but take a look at the 2006s - 2005 Volkswagen GTI
  By Smoove - March 23 - 10:40 am

  With the new models coming out, I got a great deal on a 2005 GTI 1.8T. This is a kick-butt car especially if you live in an urban area. It has a lot of fun to zip around narrow streets and into and around traffic. Its reasonably comfortable enough for long road trips and trips to the slopes/casinos, but practical enough for the daily commute and running errands. Ive seen a lot of complaints regarding the gas milage and I have to agree. To be perfectly honest, this car is so much fun to drive aggressively that I think the poor gas milage could easily be attributed to the drivers. Im coming up on 7,000 miles and the only issue Ive had was the rear wiper stopped working...during a downpour no less.

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  Love this car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brentkate - March 23 - 1:30 am

  We have owned three Volkswagens and loved all of them. The Passat wagon is fun to drive, great on long trips and comfortable for our family of four day to day, not to mention it looks great. It has been in the shop several for various things such as the brake sensors going out, replacing tie-rod ends and cracked oil pan. It developed the typical oil leaks around 80,000 miles and sometimes we still get a whif of oil smell well after it was repaired. It is great to drive and easy to maintain. Find a mechanic who knows Passats inside and out, they have helped us anticipate several things before they became costly. There have been some issues, but I would by another one tomorrow

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  Stylish Small Car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RadStude - March 21 - 9:33 am

  I bought my Jetta used with 54,000 miles on it and I now have 72,000. It burns a little oil, but that isnt a big deal to me. It has proven reliable, I havent had any electrical issues. Its gas mileage has been around 26 in town and up to 37 on highway 5 in CA. I love this car. I think most of the people complaining about it expected a bargain Mercedes, which this car is not. It is, however, a excellent small car alternative if you are tired of the vanilla vehicles coming out of Japan. Reliability-wise I had more problems with my 1997 Mazda 626 (3 O2 sensors). My one breakdown was mechanic related (non dealership)... He didnt tighten plug #3 and it exploded into the cylinder. I replaced the plugs, and it runs like a champ!

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  Great Pocket Rocket! - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VNMVR6 - March 20 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for almost 5 years and it hasnt let me down yet. It runs very smooth and quiet. Quick acceleration. Only problems I have had are the usual VW problems - window regualator failure & loose door molding. No major mechanical work has been needed and my car has 75,000 miles on it! Continues to run strong.

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  Gets the job done - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Naderhood - March 19 - 4:53 am

  I bought this car brand new due to the year end sales and 0% financing. I wanted a smaller sedan that would get great fuel economy and do its job. This car accomplishes all that and then some. This car went for 700+ miles on a tank of diesel. Currently averages around 550 per tank and costs just under $40 to fill up. Its a great little commuter car. On the down side, the diesel lag is very very obvious in this car. Anyone who says otherwise is still in the honeymoon phase. Accelerating from a stop is very annoying. Either you get the obvious lag or you burn out your tires every-single-time. However, Im not a speed racer so I can deal with that, but just know to expect it despite what a few are saying here to the contrary. Also, for a 2014, I feel VW should be embarrassed that this car doesnt come with a standard USB plug. Rather, it comes with an ungodly VW specific plug that only uses VW cables that you can only get from VW stores and they are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced. The car charger cables that the car comes with are a laughable 6" in length, which leaves your phone dangling from arm rest as theyre too short for your phone to rest on anything. It is such a massive fail on VWs part. Ill keep the car because it does its job, but hopefully VW gets its act together on the new models.

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  love it - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By love it - March 19 - 2:50 am

  I bought my VW with 24000 and know I have 60000. I dove it from Texas to Chicago with no problems. It is a very expensive SUV to fix, but if you change your own oil, or buy your own parts its way cheaper. Tires are the worst. I still cant find a place that to get them changed. They run from 700 to 2000 dollars.

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  Not Too Shabby - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By maro71 - March 18 - 8:26 pm

  Ive driven one of these as a loaner vehicle as our 2008 SE 2.5 was in the shop for repairs. We bought it used a month ago. Fortunately we were under warranty. The car was loaded including navigation. I checked out the sticker price in the showroom and they had it for around 29,000. In my opinion diesel is the way to go vice a hybrid. After 2 years or so you have to have your batteries replaced in a hybrid. In a diesel they keep on chumming. I was getting around 43-44 mpg and here in PA where its all hills. The quality is down sort-off. If youve never owned a VW you wont know the difference. Prior owners such as my self (87 Jetta Gl and 95 Jetta GL) its readily apparent.