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 Gas Mileage, Poor Construction - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Pete - September 14 - 7:50 pm

  I picked up a used 2002 Jetta last fall. Since I drive a lot of miles a year, I wanted the good gas mileage of a diesel and none of the complexity of a hybrid. VW is the only game in town for a reasonably priced diesel car, and the Jetta was in my price range. The car delivers the good mileage that I expected. I average 42 mpg, and usually cruise around 80-85 mph. I have had no mechanical issues in the 20,000 miles I have driven it. My gripe with this car is the build quality, or lack thereof. The Monsoon stereo is junk. I have two blown speakers and the antenna died, therefore there is no AM reception. Also, there are more squeaks and shuffling sounds in this car than my 98 Pontiac Grand Prix had. Plus, the center console has pretty much fallen apart.

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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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  Piece of Junk!! - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Karen Cole - September 14 - 2:40 am

  Lemon!Threw a rod yesterday Always kept up with oilchanges. From the day we bought this car NEW we have had trouble with it ranging from front axles,water pump,seat belt sensors, transmission sensors, etc. Have been towed 4 times. Thousands spent on repairs.Now we have o replace the motor. Call customer care all they ever give is a canned answer Sorry you feel that way. They dont care about their consumers. Their no corrosion warranty means nothing unless it actually rust through. That makes no sense!!!

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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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  2003 Volkswagen GTI VR6 Update - Dont buy a VW - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Rob6r - September 13 - 5:43 pm

  This car has given me more headaches than it is worth. My problems with it to date are as follows: 1-radio knob broke and fell off, headrests were missing upon delivery. 2-breaklights stopped working (dealer fixed) 3-front right wheel well fell out! 4-driver side seat was defective and replace 5-passenger seat was defective and replaced 6-on board computer display issues...dealer would not fix unless they saw it happening. 7-battery defective and replace at year two, 20,000 miles 8-dealer gave on computer display, replaced cluster with another yet another defective one 9-back for another gauge cluster... If you buy one, live close to the dealer, youll be there a lot.

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  It just keeps getting better and better - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By akalita - September 12 - 1:46 pm

  There are no matches for this car in this class and price range. I would even pick this over BMW 3-Series. The engine, even though its turbo, feels like V6, there is no hesitation, and it picks up speed flawlessly. Interior is like a soundproof music studio, no noise, except some wind noise at high speeds. Ride quality is impeccable. It is solid on straight aways, and cornering is supple, even though theres slight body lean in extreme cornering. The car stops on the dime and without any nose dive. Interior designers must be blushing from all the praise at VW. It is interior that looks like $40-$50K cars interior. Heated seats, mirrors, 6- speed auto, all windows auto up/down feature, much more

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  Love This car - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By ilmnc - September 12 - 11:00 am

  All my life I have owned American made cars. Then came time for a new car and we decided to go with a Passat for more room. The car can fit two full size children car seats and a booster in it easily and it is good on gas. I have never had so much fun driving a car before this one. Not even the new Ford Mustang was this much fun. I now find excuses to drive the Passat. It handles like a dream and is very responsive to my style of driving. It has a smooth and quite ride and an outstanding sound system. The standard safety features with the addition of the rear side airbags add a sense of security. You feel totally protected from whatever could go wrong during your drive. I love this car.

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  Amaaazing Car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWNut02 - September 11 - 5:26 pm

  I bought this car after a serious accident in my turbo Subaru. I love the design, safety features, style and performance. Its got the upgrade factory 17 inch alloys and spoiler. This car looks tough. I bought it with 52,000 miles on it in 11/05 and have already put 16,000 miles on it. This car is hands down one of the best Ive owned. I have had no major service issues to date. Im a satisfied customer. VW: Drivers Wanted!

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  Exceeded nearly all my expectations - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Joe Freeman - September 11 - 10:00 am

  The Golf (including GTI) was the only car available in the US in early 2002 that was of interest to me. I chose the GTI mainly because of the 1.8T engine, since the Golfs 2.0 was mundane. I was very concerned about reliability and quality in general, as production of the Golf/GTI had just been moved to Brazil, but the GTI exceeded nearly all my expectations, including excellent build quality, fit and finish, and in 1.5 years and 18,000 miles, no significant defects had surfaced. The cars performance is excellent, as is comfort, but the 5-speed gearbox is rather crunchy and the cars handling is good though not quite what I had hoped for.

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  Ugliest car VW buids - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By rollerskate - September 11 - 10:00 am

  VR6 engine is this cars best asset. Ugly looking from the outside. Just tell yourself its a Jetta when youre in it driving.