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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  First Year for Touareg - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mary Lou King - June 24 - 9:16 pm

  For such a bulky vehicle (I have to fold in mirrors to get in garage), I am very cramped with the drivers seat all the way back (64"/230 lbs). It is hard to see left or right rear by turning in the drivers seat. The owners manual does NOT describe how to set the dash clock. I had to go to two dealerships (7 sales persons and three mechanics before the clock could be set). I e-mailed VW about the clock and NEVER received an answer. This truck gets very poor gas mileage (about 13 mpg) for a 6-cylinder. there is no immediate response from the gas pedal when starting out. Access to the engine appears restricted due to the intake manifold (?) covering top of engine. Ill find out for sure when its time to take a wrench to it.

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  It looks good but... - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Reggie Heins - June 24 - 10:00 am

  I have only had my VW Beetle for three months. The whole right side lighting was out from the day I bought it and an officer pointed it out to me. Found out the fuses were falling out and broken. The window rolls up on auto but when it gets to the top it comes right back down. The tail lights have already burned out and had to be replaced after a full 5000 miles. And last but not least, the drivers seat apholstry seperated on the door side and the little platic hinge cover on the right side of the drivers seat broke off and fell in the floor. The dealership said I must have broke it because they have never seen one do that before, and refused to fix it.

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  Still Fun, but No Improvement - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By JOE - June 20 - 1:03 pm

  The 07 Beetle still lacks the charisma of the old Beetle. So? We should expect more for the more money we pay. How about power seats (sit higher, too), locks, mirrors, a better stereo (MP4), free DVD navigation, cool electronics? Eliminate the pillar and rear blind spots. Give it a better trunk lock. How about the top receding into the boot with an automatic tonneau cover or an power hard top? Give it more power. The handling needs work. It has a firm ride, cut the sponginess. Hey, give it better gas mileage, please! Also, give us attractive mirrors.

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  Fool me once - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Teri - June 20 - 9:30 am

  As I write this my VW is dead, dead, dead. We were so excited the day we bought our passat. We loved driving it, loved the luxury of the features. What we dont love are all of the repairs. It is constantly in need of something and everything (and I do mean everything) is at least $500 on a VW. We just got it back 3 days ago, spent $1000 after having at the dealership and our mechanics for over 2 weeks and the hunk of safe, solid steel is just as dead and just as broken as it was when we towed it in the first time. VW suggested we let them take it and they would get us into a new one. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and it would be another story. No thanks, VW.

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  Poor reliability spoils GTI fun - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By Laja Dare - June 19 - 10:00 am

  While I enjoyed the performance, comfort and styling of my 2000 GTI, I cannot recommend this vehicle due to constant breakdowns. Reliability was very poor. The power window "retainer clip" broke three times, the glove box hinge broke twice (cheap plastic), and virtually every exterior bulb on the car burned out within 24 months. A valve blew in the engine, the clutch went out at 40K (a thousand bucks to replace), the CD changer went on the blink and on and on and on. I spent countless hours in the service lobby regretting my purchase. Dont get taken in by the plush interior -- this is a cheaply built car. Have a look at the Impreza, RSX or Sentra...

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  Not the bang for your buck. - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dejaentendu247 - June 16 - 4:16 am

  I bought this car and literally a couple months later everything started going bad. Ive replaced the exhaust system, shocks, cam shaft sensiry, spark plugs, fuel injectors, the whole coolant system, and the list goes on. The style of this car is awesome, and the interior is really cool too, but its been non stop trouble for me. If you want to own any Jetta around this year, you might as well buy a Mercedes Benz b/c youll spend the same amount. Honda and Toyota will never leave you hangin. (The spark plug wires alone were $100.00, which should be $20 bucks)

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  Never again! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Never Again! - June 10 - 7:10 pm

  Well, where to start...Lets see I leased my Jetta in 2005 and liked the car so I ended up purchasing (although the sunroof had to be rebuilt and the driver window motor had to be replaced) I thought these things were just a fluke. Literally as soon as I purchased the car the check engine light started coming on every couple months, it actually came on twice in one month once!!! I took the car in every time and they fixed it under warranty. Now my factory warranty is up and it came on once again and I took it to the dealership and they stated that it was a secondary air pump, which is NOT covered under the extended warranty that I purchased. What a shocker!! it will cost over $500 to fix.

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  Class Action Lawsuit - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeffrey Puterbaugh - June 9 - 8:06 am

  Initially, I loved this car, it was a blast to drive and is very stylish. That was until the problems started. This will read just like so many other reviews. Rear brakes went at 20K, Mass air flow sensor went at 30K, water pump went at 40K, coil pack and assoc. electircal went at 60K. I paid $25K for this piece of junk and expect better from VW. With so many of the same problems occuring with so many of these cars, there definitely should be some accountability on VWs part. These repairs should be covered. I have no choice but to seek out other owners to join me in a class action lawsuit. At this point, I simply cannot afford not to sue. Contact me if interested.

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  engine needs to be replaced - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By ron - June 4 - 3:46 pm

  hoped to keep the car a long time. now have paid $900 to have oil leaks in engine repaired. found out vw acknowledges engine problems but has not called for a recall. my mechanic advised to get rid of asap which I plan to do as soon as I can get the oil light to stop going off. have also replaced front axle, headlights, trunk hinge, coolant leak, dip stick replaced twice. car looks great, too bad all this has happened, but it is my last VW.

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  VW New Beetle Always in the Repair Shop! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By J. Engle - June 3 - 2:40 am

  We bought a new 2000 VW GLS 1.8T since my wife had owned an original Beetle for over 15 years. We were hoping the second time around would be as good or better than the first Beetle she had owned. The New Beetle we bought was constantly in the shop for chronic and annoying electrical problems. The entire front dash wiring went out just after the warranty expired. We got tired of spending repair money on this New Beetle and the fact that it was constantly in the repair shop for electrical problems. We went out and bought a new 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid which we love for the gas mileage and which has never had any repairs other than routine maintenance. We will never buy a VW product again!