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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  A4 1.8T Replacement - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DHunter - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I searched long and hard and finally decided on the Passat. I liked the A4 1.8T Quattro styling better, but the performance of the Passat 6cyl was superior and features were much better for the price. I only wanted 4Wheel drive so that ruled out the Acura TL-S, but this car was a strong contender for price/performance. Last year body style for Acura TL is 03 though. Other new cars looked boring, too boxy, or too pricey (e.g. Honda, Maxima, BMW, Audi).

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  Wow!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By passatmo - July 30 - 10:00 am

  My wifes 92 Q-45s transmission went out. Had to get something else. Test drove 4-5 cars. Test drove a "demo" GLX and LOVED it. Brought it home yesterday. She let me drive it about 25 miles on the freeway while it was turning dark outside. It drove like a dream! Then I turned on the lights and the instrument panel lit up! WOW! Shifted to Tiptronic at 70 mph. Wife drove it to work today. I cant wait til she gets home so I can have another crack at it.

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  My perfect car! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By starlightmiracle - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I have owned Jettas for the past 5 years and just bought a new 2003 TDI Jetta. I absolutly love it! Im still on my first tank of gas and have already gone 445 miles, and still going! Not bad for an 11-12 gallon tank with 45 MPG (Automatic).

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  So Fun, ill only drive it! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By boujeesmom - July 30 - 10:00 am

  easy to park, fun to clean, good on gas

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  The Black Pearl has Sunk! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Black Pearl - July 30 - 5:43 am

  My vehicle was damaged on delivery, it had a chip in the windshield, scratches in the paint, and bodyside moldings were damaged, but it was one of the last 5A, cloth, non-sunroof (headroom), Black/Black GTIs left, and since I drive a lot, I wanted a fun factor with economy and power. Then the car developed a body flex which turned out to be a bad hinge in the door. Then it developed rattles in the dashboard and now the rotors pulse and vibrate when stopping. It is a cool car, but I am afraid I have to give it back to VW (Lemon Law) just after 7,000 miles. Too bad, the kids loved daddys "Turbo." The dealer staff has been pleasant, its not their fault that this car was made defective.

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  Killing me softly - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By lemon - July 29 - 9:16 pm

  I wish I could love my Jetta, but more than that, I wish it loved me back. Throughout our six year relationship, the poor quality and unreliability of this car has turned me against all VWs. The burning of oil, constant glow of the "check engine" light, broken cup holder, broken glove compartment door, replaced O2 and fuel sensors (more than once), dropped windows, failing electrical system, nonworking locks, molding pollen "filter", and of course, the never ending leak have all made my VW experience unbearable. Not to mention the large number of recalls that have me visiting the less than customer service oriented VW dealers in my area. Save yourself the hassle- avoid the VW Jetta!

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  No More VWs - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By real_kadini - July 29 - 9:06 pm

  This 2008 Rabbit is the 2nd Golf/Rabbit in the family since 2003. The 1st was a 1999 Golf which nickeled and dimed us to death, mostly with lightbulbs, but also other sometimes unbelievable electrical failures. The reliability ratings on the 2006 and up VWs were vastly improved over the previous years, so I took a chance and bought this one in 2010, certified, from a VW dealer with 50K miles, as a graduation gift to my daughter. She couldnt afford to operate it so I bought it back from her with 59K miles thinking it would be a good work car for 3-4 years. WRONG! (continued below)

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  Wont make this mistake again - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disappointed NJ Girl - July 29 - 6:03 am

  After researching many AWD vehicles, including SUVs, I bought a Volkswagen Passat AWD GLX because of the handling and many options that you get for the money. Well, you get what you pay for. As soon as I got my car, I brought it in three times for warped rotors and was told by VW each time that there was nothing wrong. Literally, as soon as the warranty was up, VW agreed that my rotors were warped and charged me $700 to fix them. When I called the main VW office, they didnÂ’t want to hear about the unfair treatment that I received. Then one year and $1,200 later, my ignition coil needed to be replaced. Now another year later, I have another hefty bill to pay for the cars throttle body & catalytic converter to be replaced.

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  Lots of irritating issues - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By Steven Scholla - July 28 - 8:50 pm

  Gas lid broke, fuel sensors, folding top mishaps, windows go up & down repeatedly for no reason. paint scrapped up on rear folding roof, roof wont fully set on car body, sounds like a rattle trap, gas & brake peddle to close

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  Great Car! - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Luis @ Houston - July 28 - 7:13 pm

  This is a great car. $70k style with $30k price. 2lt turbo is adequate. 4- seat concept is nice. It developed a water leak inside but VW of America called me to bring to the shop to have it fixed. They know now the door seals accumulate water and are fixing. Great styling outside and inside. Good motor. turbo boost. Great seats. Im 59" married no kids and car is perfect for us.