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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  Buy a Different VW - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By VeeDub_Gal - September 25 - 1:16 pm

  I bought the New Beetle to get away from sedans for a while as I had a 01 Taurus (big mistake) and an 03 Camry previously. The Beetle was all a sedan wasnt (unfortunately that also included being practical, easy to drive, and roomy). I kept my Beetle for six months and have since seen the error of my ways and bought an 06 Passat (which I highly recommend).

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  Passat is mediocre - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Konjo - September 24 - 12:06 pm

  VW uses very low quality materials. Interior peices wear very fast (especially door handle coatings). Check engine light is always on. Tie rods and control arms, oil system, sensors, vacuum hoses are major problems you will likely encounter with this car.

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  Looks can be deceiving - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Julian - September 20 - 12:25 pm

  Bought the car because I fell in love with it since I test drove it. Fantastic interior, excellent performance and suspension overall. Have owned this car for 4yrs now. Bought it with 20,000 miles. First year car ran like a champ no issues what so ever. Then came second year of ownership and everything went down hill after the warranty expired three months before. Water pump failure, $1,500 fix. Six months later water pump failed again. I though the mechanics were idiots and did not know what they were doing until it failed again a year later. Anyhow, Ive had four water pumps replaced in three years. Intake manifold failed twice, PCV valve failure and of course fuel pump failure which are all "common" problems due to poor engineering according to dealer. Constant oil leak until I had to have valve cover gasket redone. Oh yes, rear main seal failed at 40,000. The car has 50,675 miles at the time of this review. Great car when it runs but I have spent more money on repairs for this car than the maintenance work done on my two previous vehicles combined.

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  Lots of issues - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By bkhal - September 20 - 5:48 am

  I leased the 2009 Tiguan and after doing that I will never buy another VW again. Within the first 6 months one of the door handles came off in my hand. I had it put back on but it would fall off every few months. I also had severe leakage problems with my sunroof and had the interior ceiling reupholstered- twice. This car has serious moisture problems and the windows are completely fogged up every day. I need to keep a towel in my car to wipe down the window everytime I need to drive somewhere. The mildew smell is awful and there is growing in the car. Im grossed out by the car & cant wait to get rid of it. Its ashame b/c its adorable and drives well- just has too many issues.

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  Fun & versatile; but some flaws - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By David - September 19 - 3:30 am

  Good sporty drive feel but not a true sport car feel. Back seat big enough for 1 small adult. Great top; easy, quick, plus sunroof. Flaws: Poor traction or excessive torque on start up - front wheels easily spin. Bad tires (Goodyear Eagle LS-2) on my 17" wheels. Tires easily ruined by normal potholes (at $200 each)and have poor traction. I replaced mine with a different and vastly better brand for $175 each. Rough transmission with lag on acceleration and when automatically upshifting. Noticeable surge when transmission downshifts. Recall on my 2.0T engine which VW didnt inform me of and wont provide info on. Ugly exterior rear end. Cheap looking interior plastic wood.

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  Rough Shifting - VW Needs To Fix!!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By pj - September 17 - 12:56 am

  I would not buy another because of the shifting issue. The van surges at times when shifting into second gear and downshifting. Reported to VW shortly after driving off the lot - new. NO response from VW NA. They offered to let us trade it for a Touareg but the dealer would not work out a deal that was affordable. In the end we are upset at VW and not thrilled about the sales manager at this site. The van is a nice kid hauler. We plan to keep it for 3 years and then dump it IF VW does not fix the issue.

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  Okay - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By srs1997 - September 14 - 10:57 pm

  A car that has good overall features for price. Build quality has been okay minus a few spots where roof cloth has come down. Easy controls, but have had trouble with manual seat control.

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  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By kachopsticks - September 14 - 4:39 pm

  My family purchased a 99 passat auto 1.8 turbo back in 2008 with roughly 87,000 miles on it. It has been my daily driver since then and now is about to hit 120,000. Since buying the car we have had to replace the following in approximate order: Power Steering Rack: $800 ABS break module: $250 - (we did the install) Turbo - $1000 Engine Coil Packs - $300 We have also had to replace lots of little things. My headlight assembly shattered randomly while driving. The windshield wiper motor broke ($100 for that part!!!). When replacing it I pulled out a NAPPA motor so it was the second time the part had broke. This is on top of regular maintenance such as tires, oil changes, and breaks.

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  2001 VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gary B - September 13 - 11:03 pm

  We have had our 2001 Jetta now for a little over two years. It was basically bought for my wife, who doesnt drive many miles. Overall, I think the car is, at best, average. I find the leather seats to be extremely uncomfortable. In fact, I cant seem to drive it for more than fifteen minutes before my lower back starts killing me. I also dont find it to be user-friendly at all. The cupholders are in the way of the radio. Personally, Im sorry we bought this car.

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  Avoid like plague! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By klee - September 10 - 7:30 pm

  Its a question of when and not if with regards to problems you will have with this car. I averaged a trip to the dealership every single month I had the car. Countless hours of my time wasted on getting all sorts of problems fixed. tire wheel bearing, reflash of radio, reflash of software, transmission valve, cam shaft, fuel injectors, spark plug, broken low horn, broken left speaker (non-standard speaker size so no aftermarking without fabrication), peeling of paint on radio, hard down shifting, cracked cv joint and of course, the excessive burning of oil! (well over a quart every 1k miles, was told this was normal! oh come on!) unless you like living at vw dealerships, AVOID!!!