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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  Caveat Emptor- VW Passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By splittie - May 16 - 4:23 am

  I am not a first time VW owner. I have owned 7 VW’s over the years (’68 Karmann Ghia, ‘84 Scirocco, ‘82 Rabbit (petrol), ‘88, Camper, ‘93 Jetta GLX, ‘97 Passat, and my current 2006 Passat 2.0T). I have been a loyal VW customer through the good, bad, and the ugly. My VW opinion changed forever after my recent VW purchase : 2006 Passat 2.0t with a 6 speed manual. The car not only left me stranded on the 101 at 3 am in the middle of nowhere California but it caught fire minutes after the car shut off

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  Fisrt & Last VW - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By FLA.T-REG - May 13 - 4:50 am

  My VW experience has been horrible. I have finally given up on taking it back to the dealer for warranty issues because the problems are always there after the visit. Their response when I asked if they got everything taken care of was "couldnt duplicate the problem" or "onboard computer didnt show any issues." Well, let me tell you something, Im surprised that someone hasnt been killed (maybe they have and Im not aware) due to driving these defective vehicles. Specifically, I refer to pulling / merging into traffic and having it "fall on its nose" when you try to accelerate! This is my biggest issue with the vehicle, however I have also had all the malfunctioning warning signals, etc.

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  2000 VW Beetle - aka Crap Mobile - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bisrdhazrd - May 8 - 10:00 am

  This is the most disappointing car Ive owned. The interior is falling apart - plastic pieces break, the arm rests are peeling off the door. Several recalls. HORRIBLE service from the VW service shop - LIES, LIES, LIES. A few minor issues with mechanical, but majority is interior problems. I do not recommend buying in the VW family!! If you do - GOOD LUCK!

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  What a piece of Junk !!! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dr. Mike - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I cant wait to get rid of this piece of %#$@*!!. I got a 39 month lease, that is up in 3 months. I am turning the car in early, next week before something else falls off.I have been stranded 4 time now due to the "clutch safety switch" whick would burn out and not let me start the car. The gas cap door cable has broken twice, the last time I had to pry it open with a screwdriver to put gas in. The buttons for the power windows have all broken, one of them twice. Since it is a Diesel, its almost impossible to start in cool FLORIDA weather. The list goes on and on, but Im sure you get the picture. Im YELLING at you to stay away from this piece of trash.

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  German for "Piece of Junk" - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By theronald - May 3 - 9:36 pm

  This car was really nice for about the first 3 years that we owned it. Ever since that point, it has had many nagging, expensive, and repetitive failures. (Among those too numerous to mention - Door Handles, Controller, O2 Sensors, Belt-tensioner) The Yellow light has been on more than it has been "off". Were it not for the fact that I was unemployed on & off for most of the past 4 years, we would have "dumped" it on some other poor sap. Have talked to several other GLX owners - most had same problems. Their highly-touted "German Engineers" should all be fired, and replaced by the guys from GM. (Ive never had to replace all 4 door handles on a Buick twice!)

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  Do you really want one? - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By redjetta98 - April 30 - 8:13 am

  The Jetta is an interesting car in the beginning when you get it and step on the gas and let out the clutch it feels good you want to drive it. However as you begin lifes journey with the vehicles things start to break such as the back rotors which wear out every 40,000 miles because of a "design flaw" the window cable, not the motor, fray because of a "design flaw", the O2 sensor fails because of a "design flaw". Bottom line the entire car is a design flaw and is made with cheap parts which snap together in some instances. Dont be fooled by its good looks, these cars are money pits. Why do people still own them? Most likely they owe more than what the car is worth and are just trying to get by.

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  EXTREMELY DISAPOINTED - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By mfallo - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I FELT IT URGENT TO DO A REVIEW ON THIS CAR. CONSUMER REPORTS RATED THIS MODEL YEAR BEST FAMILY CAR. ILL TELL YOU WHY WE WERE DISAPOINTED. CUP HOLDERS IN TERRIBLE SPOT, FUNNY SMELL FROM ENGINE THAT CANT BE EXPLAINED BY ANYONE, YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR DRAGGING ON THE GROUND, BLACK FABRIC INTERIOR A NIGHTMARE TO KEEP CLEAN, SMALL PIECES OF RUBBER AND PLASTIC LININGS FOR CONSOLE AND REAR CUPHOLDERS COMES OFF WHEN VACUUMED, CANT OPEN UP CUPHOLDER COMPARTMENT IF YOU SPILL SOMETHING. THE STEREO SYSTEM SOUND IS MUFFLED AND THE FUEL ECONOMY RATING IS NOT TRUTHFUL.

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  Rattle, Rattes, and Rattles; but its fun - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rattlejetta - April 26 - 2:36 pm

  This car has tons of rattles, the dealer can never fix any of them and returns the car soiled each time. A defective seat track which was suppose to stop the instrument cluster rattle took four months to order the part and then the problem still persists. The car is five months old and has been for six unscheduled services.

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  good, but coud be so much better - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By gary warren - April 22 - 2:46 pm

  As a salesman with bulky samples to lug around it is perfect, small outside, huge inside. "removable" seats arent very sophisticated, the driving position is very awkward, needs the Passat tilt wheel ( why DIDNT THEY!)also needs a REAL overdrive to help improve mileage. The handling is quite good, feels solid, it IS a little noisy at speed . I have over 58,000 now and dealer says the A/C compressor might need replaced ?(choke) overall, it took awhile to "get used to" but it suits my needs quite well.

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  Dont buy - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By steponme274 - April 21 - 9:43 am

  Ive had my car for two years. At first I loved it, it was cute and trendy. Well now every time I pull out of a parking space my front bumper falls off. Ive had to replace two batteries. My electric windows died. The interior is shot ( leaks, falling headliner, parts breaking.) Ive spent thousands in repairs. Today Im going to the auto shop to replace the reference sensor $233 and the oxygen sensor $247. Non stop repairs