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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  Great Car - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John - October 6 - 6:03 am

  This car has excellent handling, great fuel economy, and is a real blast on twisty roads. The Goodyear tires are great in the wet and dry. The only problem with the summer tires is the need for winter tires and rims. The ride is a little stiff but well worth it when you want to play boy racer. Overall this is an excellent car.

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  TDI Sportwagen not all its spozed 2B - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By zenmoose - October 4 - 11:26 am

  I bought the thing in a bit of a rush in June to get the tax break, though I had researched it. I bought a basic TDI wagon w/ no moon roof. Basic bluetooth only calls out as another reviewer commented. (Are you kidding me? LAME!) OK. Forget the bluetooth, cant be fixed or flashed. It needs to be replaced at better than a grand. Sigh. The car is fairly well built, looks good, rides ok, moves along well enough. It has a design flaw. This heavy (200 lbs more than the sedan) beast is PRONE TO STALLING. I have driven many manuals, but this is a problem. It has an ultra light flywheel. If it lugs, ECU shuts off at 850 revs! You must turn the key all the way off to restart (Danger!)

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  Could improve in everyway - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Pierre B - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I liked the exterior design of the car, and thats what fooled me in to buying this one, first of all, it seems like it does not have a windshield, it is very noisy, and it kills gas, I get around 170 miles to the tank in the city and about 230 miles on highway, these are the real numbers, dont be fooled with 21 city 30 highway, if your grandma drives the car, you can save gas but if you try to keep up with everyday traffic you will consume around 12 mpg in city and 18mpg on highway.The trunk leaked water in the first month. And dashboard creaks from every point when its cold out and rattles when its warm, this maybe a lemon.

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  blue bug - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Blue Bug - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I love my convertible bug! However, the drivers window shattered due to a malfunction. Truly cant put alot in the vehicle but its a fun car!

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  my first VW lemon - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By prof - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned VWs since 1967 and this is my first lemon. The window regulators have failed in two windows at a cost of repair of $330 each. The oil consumption was so bad at 30K miles that they had to replace the rings. Every month it seems like another $300 bucks.

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  Fun to drive, but many problems/issues - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By BitBucket - October 2 - 10:00 am

  The problems through 29k miles: - 3 oxygen sensors - front window regulator failed - horrible tires w/ no grip - car goes into Drive from Reverse VERY slowly - rear brake pads GONE (I verified this myself) after 25k miles - weak A/C, already re-charged once (less than 3 years) - industrys shortest door-to-door warranty (2 yrs? 24k miles???) - tranny - car didnt shift out of 2nd gear last winter, repair covered under warranty (thank goodness) Unfortunately, at least in my case, you really do get what you pay for. Theres a reason this isnt a $30K car, it behaves like a $16k car.

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  Great car - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Steph - October 1 - 2:50 pm

  This is my first car and I couldnt be happier with it. I learned how to drive stick-shift on it and the 5 speed is fun to drive. I have no problems with it breaking down, but its not a winter car. My top leaks when it rains hard and if I go through too big of a puddle the car freaks out.

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  Outstanding Car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bhdfield - September 27 - 12:13 pm

  My 2000 vr6 jetta was bought new, and now has 159k miles on it. Just replaced original front pads, rotors, and control arm bushings. I still have the original clutch. High quality components. There is no squeak, rattle, or false noise. The leather seats look like new, as does the clear coat, which I did not ruin by allowing ham fisted kids to scratch to oblivion. These are very well designed cars. There are a handful of weak components, with easy solutions. Coil packs crack after 70k miles. Solution: epoxy, and it will fix it and last forever. Some plastic parts in the cooling system will need to be replaced after 130-150k miles. Big deal, its a car with miles on it.

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  farfrumworthit - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By unhappy gilmore - September 27 - 4:43 am

  I am a 3rd time VW owner and have to say - I think VW has done a fantastic job on the new Jetta 2.5 BUT; the quality lacks in so many ways. My first VW was a fox - I have seldom ever admitted owning one but there it is. Nice car. My 2nd was a Jetta 2.5 L 5 speed - the vehicle had a throw out bearing issue in the trans at 2500 miles. I traded it and got a new black automatic one. Since owning it, I have found the transmission can at times be unresponsive or indecisive, the air conditioner condensate drain line was never drilled at the factory and had to be drilled at the dealer after the vehicles floor pan got soaked. The center cap fell off in the car wash and broke. -farfrumworthit

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  Maintenance Nightmare - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ianr25 - September 25 - 2:21 pm

  Car has less than 13K have had to bring back to dealer 3 times for faulty engine pressure sensor, problems with changing radio stations, playing cds the leather trim around the steering wheel is coming apart and the trip odometer is broken! Have a friend who had the same car and said she had to bring it to Volkswagen 3 times for the same problem. Car is horrible over major potholes. However i must admit everything else aside it is fun to drive and everyone who gets in it is impressed