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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  So Bad We are Selling It After 15,000 Miles - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dave Melichar - December 15 - 12:20 pm

  We have had this car for a bit over two years and it has been in the shop five times. The windows have stopped working twice, ocassionally the sunroof will refuse to close, there are pieces falling off in the engine compartment, the dash squeeks (the dealer refuses to even acknowlege it is an issue), the console cover would not close completely and the radio has been replaced twice. We have a two year old who when playing with the vents was able to break the vent louvers with one finger. You would think a car designed for a family would be robust enough to survive the two year old one finger inspection. All this in 15,000 miles. This is not what I would call a well designed car.

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  Bimmer Killer - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By VR6Guy - December 14 - 6:16 am

  Love my VR6 Passat 4Motion! I bought this car down in Florida the day before I drove back to Jersey. I got to test out VW service within the first 24 hours, apparently some sort of recall wasnt done on it and my car went into safe mode somewhere in NC. Roadside came and got me in about 20 min, "Trip Interruption" paid for a kush hotel, my meals and a loaner. 2 days later I was back on the road. My Passat turns heads with its muscular looks, and I love when I can kick a 5-series @$$ off of a red light, or the kids in their 6 cyl Stangs.

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  Great Car, cant beat TDI- - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Geoff - December 12 - 10:53 pm

  Nothing but good things to say about this one. I have had four other VWs, and I enjoy this the most in terms of reliability and looks. NO major problems after 150k miles, TDI still feels like new, fuel filter does need to be changed every 20k, otherwise will feel loss of power. No problems with knobs, wiring, other than rear latch can be difficult to use in really cold. I guess the worst thing was engine sway mount did break, causing engine to torque more under load. Have hit 65MPG on highway-only driving doing 60mph!

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  Great car, not great fuel economy - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tiguan2012 - December 10 - 8:28 pm

  Bought this car at a used car sale by our credit union. Had no intention of buying a Jetta but took a test drive and I was sold. My previous car was a Volvo S60, before an A4, so I was used to a European car. The Jetta was a lot less expensive than the Volvo or the Audi but the ride was comparable. I owned this car for about 18 months before moving to a VW Tiguan but had no problems with it.

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  Pretty, but a Gamble - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By santiagofdz - December 9 - 4:43 am

  Buying a 2000 VW Bug is a bit of a gamble, you can get a wonderful car, or a unreliable lemon, so its best to get your hands on a 2003+ model. I have had a myriad of electrical failures / hiccups with my Beetle, and I get the feeling that this wouldnt be so dire if I had a better dealership. Ive also had the problems with coolant pumps, engine speed sensors, the fragile window switches and more recently the HVAC controls. Also, some of the interior trim chips/wears very easily. Yet I still cant hate my car, its a good car for driving around town, gets a lot of attention, feels well planted on the highway, is very tough chassis-wise and its generally pleasant. But it could be so MUCH more rewarding

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  Missed the mark - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By stevehu - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Nice fit and finish. Porsche is going to hold value WAY better. VW is better looking. 1: No passenger airbag shutoff 2: No reclining rear seats. That was dumb.

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  Same again - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By maca - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Nice car. Good head and leg room. Quiet. Dont even ask me to put a muffler on steroids on it.

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  Love it now time will tell - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By tiguan2012 - December 7 - 12:12 am

  Just picked up our 2012 Tiguan SE 4Motion yesterday so clearly too soon to tell but so far we love it. The end of model year incentive made the deal quite attractive, we figured the 4motion-SE would be good for resale when the time comes. The ride is very smooth. Took test drives in the CR-V, Mazda CX5, Hyundai Santa Fe/Tuscon, Kia Sportage and Ford Escape. Any of them would be fine, but we just liked the styling and European ride of the Tiguan. 2nd choice would have been the Sportage.

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  Powerful diesel car - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By timm333 - December 5 - 2:55 pm

  Well this was my first time buying a new car, so I thought I would get what I wanted. I knew I wanted a diesel and the Jetta had all the other features that I wanted too. I bought the car on July 5th, 2011 and in the three months I have owned it I have already put 10,265 miles on it. I figured I might as well break it in while it is still on a warrenty. The engine puts out a lot of torque for its size. The 6m tranny is nice and you can get going fast pretty quick. I have only had the car up to 90mph and it handles pretty good at that speed (all though I dont drive it like that for long). I get more than the advertised 30pmg in town and have hit 50mpg on the highway.

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  Lemon of all Lemons - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DanH8VW - December 5 - 1:10 pm

  Just a warning just dont do VW. I absolutely hate this car, because of poor service and reliability. I dont go anywhere for fear it will break down again. VW service is horrible. I have a door that has never opened, just not safe. I have needed CV boots since the day after I bought the car. This car was a replacement for my 2002 Jetta, which was a death trap. I fear for my safety in this car. I have leaked every fluid since it was new. Dealers and VW state meets specification. I wonder should they be prosecuted for theft. I have paid more in maintenance and repairs than what the car cost. Ontario VW wants $2800 for each CV boot replacement, more than its worth.