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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  Not happy with unscheduled maintenance - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Sam - March 13 - 10:40 pm

  Pros: 42 mpg mixed driving with automatic transmission. Good handling and ride for a small car. Roomy too, but backseat legroom is cramped. More cargo capacity than expected with the rear seats folded down. Good exterior finish. Cons: Unscheduled maintenance, all of which occured in the 3rd year of ownership, include: 3 glow plugs replaced, rear brakes (Rotors and pads), intake manifold clogged with diesel residue, intake manifold gasket replaced due to leak, said leak spraying diesal onto wiring harness which required replacement (These last three being caused by a "fuel quality issue" and not covered by the warranty, $1,200+ to fix.) and tires. Oil changes are expensive too.

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  New Jetta: More Than My Moneys Worth - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By J D - March 13 - 8:33 pm

  I was pleasantly surprised by the New Jetta. Bought the 2.5 without premium package (but not Value Package.) With incentives the price was $20,264. Surprisingly, all the goodies from my A4 3.0 are there, plus more, like rain-sensing wipers and auto headlights. Handling is way crisper than Edmunds review would have you believe, and power is quite adequate if not barnburning. Six speed Tiptronic transmission is the only auto tranny in this price range with more than four gears - - makes all the difference. Seats are really comfortable (very firm as is typical of Germans.) Although assembled in Puebla Mexico the workmanship (so far) is absolutely first rate. No complaints whatever. Great value!

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  2010 2.5 - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jamescrane - March 13 - 1:30 pm

  put car in reverse backed up then went forward it would die. took car to dealer they said it was in my head. i bought this car new with 12 miles on it. i traded it in because of the mechanical issue. really nice to drive but cant be making payments on somthing that dies when you put it in drive out of the factory.

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  Trade this car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lukas - March 13 - 11:56 am

  I traded this car for Mazda 3 with 0 % interest , payment less money , more fun and no problem so far. Passat is junk with nice body. If You like to pay for service, spend a lot off time in dealer i strongly recommended but if you like your car to run and keep the car without of problems trade this car.

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  I Love My Car! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sheila - March 13 - 3:23 am

  This is our 4th VW. The Jetta is our first "new" VW. It handles beautifully and has enough power to get into traffic. Test drove a Corolla and Camry the same day we tested the Jetta and the Jetta won hands down just due to the fun factor. Only problem so far is the door latch on the drivers door catching, and the outside temp gauge. It uses a little more gas than we expected, but the alternative wouldnt be much fun to drive. The sport shift is great.

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  Tarted up Chrysler eh? Worth a look - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By Paul - March 12 - 3:46 pm

  We looked at Siennas and Odysseys, however Toyota werent willing to offer a whole lot in terms of incentives and I knew the Honda was due for a replacement model, so that kept it out of the running. I preferred the look and interior materials of the VW to the Chrysler. In addition, we got one heck of a good price for a loaded SEL Premium. So far, its been perfect for the wife and the kids - she prefers the three rows of accessible seats, compared to our old CUV (Mazda CX-9) Time will tell on the reliability front.

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  Solid Car so Far. - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By V-DUB - March 12 - 12:40 pm

  So far this diesel has been an unbelievable purchase. I wanted to give it a month or so before I reported on anything. I bought the car used with 122 000 KMS on it. I had the timing belt replaced as well as the transmission oil changed and a new fuel filter so there would be know surprizes. I gotta tell anybody who is reading these reviews.....everything I have read about this Passat TDI is bang on correct. This is the smoothest car I have ever driven, very similar to the Audi A4, excellent on fuel, just PURE enjoyable. I am averaging 45 miles to the gallon or 6.4L/100KMS and better on long trips. I have now owned 5 diesels this is the best so far.

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  VW Rocks - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Matt the VW Lova - March 11 - 11:36 pm

  The new GTI comes now in a four door model. The 2006 and 2007 modles have the new 2.0L turbocharged engine with 200 HP insted of the old 2006-2002 modles which had the 1.8L turbocharged engines with about 170HP. The turbocharger adds a lot of gas milage and gives it a lot of all around power. The exterior looks awesome, it looks very fast, dont you think, even the new 4 door version. The new Honda Civic Si is cool, but it does not have the turbocharger and the GTI gives you a lot more space for luggage. The rims avalible on the GTI are also way better than the Honda. Thats what I think anyhow. I am not saying that the Honda is a is bad or anything, in fact Hondas are great cars but the Volkswagen GTI is the way to go.

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  A reliable, high-quality car - 2005 Volkswagen Golf
  By David - March 11 - 7:50 pm

  This is the first Volkswagen I have owned, and I am an very impressed with the overall quality of the car. I spend a lot of time on the freeway each week. The ride is smooth and quiet, and the engine power is more than adequate for passing at normal freeway speeds. Also, I am very impressed with the Monsoon stereo system. The seat and dash materials are all very nice and seem to be of high quality. I have had no problems with this car. As far as the fuel economy goes, I average about 35 mpg all the time, and I dont really try to go slowly or not accelerate too quickly. My previous car was a Ford F-150 that got 15 mpg on a good day, so 35 mpg seems great to me.

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  Need improvement - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By X_VW_Fan - March 11 - 10:00 am

  Had this car with manual tranny for 21 months. Basically I am happy with the performance and still think this is a fun-to-drive car. Quality is a biiiig problem. So far dealer had to fix/change clutch swtich, rear lid strut and power window. Today, the radio is dead.