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:

• 

  Thinking of buying a VW? - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By atlantamark - July 18 - 9:44 am

  Well 700 characters is hard. here are excerpts: After years of owning Toyota’s and Honda’s I was ready to purchase a new car. Bought 2010 VW Tdi with 39,700 miles. After purchase found out with the original owner, it was in for repairs (not maintenance) at the following mileages: 1916, 12258, 14062, 21409, 23772, 33602, 35413, 39361, 39426, 39554. Note how soon after that last repair visit the previous owners sold it. I now have 59k on it and has been in the shop 6 times in 11 months. nav/radio replaced, heating/cooling control panel replaced, broke down with engine issues, seat heater replaced, etc etc etc.,

• 

  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jenae - July 15 - 7:20 pm

  Interior: Paint on door handle, stereo and cup holder peeled off. Faulty cup holder spill drinks while driving. Center console mechanism broke and will not support its own weight. Temperature controls do not light up. Exterior: bumper thing on front has too little clearance and will rip off if you get too close to a curb. Front air vents on bumper fell out while driving on highway. Engine: Transmission failing it has problems going from a stop to moving without jerking heavily and randomly decelerates while driving at a steady speed. Car dies while driving with no check engine light to trigger a code. On a better note, itÂ’s comfortable and I get 26 mpg

• 

  Worst car i have ever owned! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By KM - July 13 - 3:30 pm

  This car has been nothing but a nightmare! I bought it brand new and within 5,000 i started having problems. First, my coolant system went out and it took the dealer almost 2 weeks to fix it. I have had issues with my power windows, and both have been replaced 2x. My car spend 75 days (in a row) at the dealership due to my top not going down and getting stuck. My car has a loss of power when going over 60 mph, and vw said they "couldnt replicate the problem" but it keeps happening. Now my headlights broke and my radio randomly turns off...i cant wait to get rid of this car! I will never buy a vw again, they wont fix anything right and the dealership doesnt even call me back anymore

• 

  Dont buy this car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tony - July 9 - 5:16 am

  From day one this car caused problems. I almost backed into a wall a month after owning the car - the brakes failed. I was told it was an air bubble in the brake line. Brake rotors changed, pads changed, and eventually problem went away. Gas cap light came on from the day the car was purchased. It was not until the car had over 50,000 km on it that they found that the gas tank had a leak. Bearings went on the car just over 50,000 km. Stereo CD player had to be changed out. For a high end vehicle the car had too many issues and spent a lot of time in the shop for repairs. This was my fourth VW and my last.

• 

  Looks Good. Huge Headache! DONT BUY A 2006 PASSAT!! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By laurae22 - July 2 - 8:45 pm

  I hate this car! I am currently selling it "AS IS". I have spent over $5K in the last 2 years that I have owned it. I like the way it looks and that is it! This car has been nothing but problems!!! The Check engine lights is always on. As soon as it gets out of the shop, it goes right back in for something completely different. There are no "cheap" repairs on this car. Nobody but a VW repair shop can work on them, and then they charge an arm and leg! If you live in a small town, it impossible to find someone who even knows how to change the oil properly. Plus they cost $150.00! Will by buying a Toyota Camry this time. NEVER WILL I BUY A VW!!

• 

  Horrible Car - DO NOT BUY ONE! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Pat - July 1 - 1:16 pm

  I have owned my Passat since it was new. It has always had regular service performed by the dealer. I have had a slew of problems since the car was three years old (its a 2000). First, the drivers seat heater went out. The dealer wanted $1,400 to fix it. I needed an entirely new seat - apparently they cant take element out. At 86,000 miles, the check emissions light came on. I needed two new catalytic converters. What kind of car needs two, pray tell? That set me back close to $5,000 for the way overpriced parts. Then little things happened, the Tiptronic wont upshift, for example. The Tiptronic transmission alone cost $1,400 to fix. Then most recently, the passenger window came off its track - $400. I need a tranny flush - $485. In three years, I spent over $9,000 in repairs.

• 

  All the little stuff add up. - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Beth Cloud - June 30 - 2:00 am

  For a car that is only two years old I expected a lot more. For example, my engine fails every other time I drive it in the morning, I have a continual "cocaine" blinker, the window broke and wouldnt go up, the door clicker only works now on the drivers side, the trunk "blocker" persay just broke off, the clock resets itself everytime the car "stalls" but I have an automatic, the armrest broke off, need I go on? And the worst part of this whole thing is when I go to get all of these fixed, the Volkswagen dealership claims that nothing is wrong with the car. Theres a reason why the Volkswagen dealership garage is ALWAYS busy!

• 

  Having no fun with VW - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By havinnofunwith vw - June 29 - 10:40 pm

  I agree with the majority of other reviews. There are a few good points (mileage, fun to drive, roominess) but it stops there. This vehicle is junk. I have experienced many of the issues mentioned, as well as catalytic converter self destructing at 81k miles. I owed a Scirocco 25 years ago. Same deal - fun to drive but unrelenting issues. Swore at the time, no more VWs. The wife talked me into this, but never, never again.

• 

  Disappointed - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By jsmith - June 27 - 4:46 pm

  I love the look, style, and power of my Passat. I was so excited to own a VW Passat. Two months after buying my used Passat, I noticed fluid leaking from underneath the car and smoke coming from the exhaust when I started the car. Transmission fluid was leaking and so was oil from the turbo. Before I could get the turbo fixed my car left me stranded on Christmas Eve. I ended up replacing the engine and turbo, which took 2 1/2 months to find an engine and turbo in good shape. Now a year after buying my car and putting in a new engine and turbo the transmission is slipping and the AC stopped working. I can not wait to get rid of this car!

• 

  Do not buy - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By iceblinkluckNY - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Please do not buy VW no matter what you do. It has poor build quality and the dealerships are rude and useless. I certainly would never buy another VW again. I have 75000 miles on my car in 3 years and have had a window regulator problem, many break lights replaced, an ABS problem, a coolant sensor problem, and the interior of the car has deteriorated. If you do own one, your performance will be much improved by replacing the OEM tires with an all season performance tire (as I did). Using 15-40 oil helps stop usage. I used to use a quart per 1500 miles, now I use hardly any in 4000 miles