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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  Minor problems will lose customers - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By drat445 - October 24 - 3:20 am

  We have 99 Civic SI + 02 Passat wagon. The Honda has had no major issues, meanwhile, the VW: sunroof doesnt respond to dial. The trunk no longer responds to the drivers side button. Alarm sometimes goes off when car is stopped and doors opened. Recently the car floor got very wet... turns out the drainage from the sunroof can get clogged. Apparently the AC is somehow attached to same drainage. Dealer svc mentioned this is a common problem. Seats (cloth because we have dogs) seemed comfortable during the purchase, but are quite painful to some on long-distance drives. IMO a lumbar support location problem. Gear ratios between 1st and 2nd is very poorly spaced. Somewhat noisy, rough ride.

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  Happy Bug - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dave341 - October 19 - 8:48 pm

  After 6 years and 65,000 miles we still love the car. Great fun in the summer with the top down. No mechanical problems yet, a trouble free experience.

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  Best all round car Ive ever owned - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By allen - October 17 - 5:30 pm

  2001 Passat GLS 1.8T wagon, 5 speed. A few mods, VW sport springs, wider wheels and tires, rear sway bar. To my surprise this has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. Almost 70,000 miles, driven pretty hard by several people. No major problems yet and only a handful of minor ones. All fixed at home. Changed the oil religiously with Mobil 1 synthetic, upgraded brake rotors and pads. Great car. Just got lucky I guess.

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  Ode to Jerry - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Greta427 - October 15 - 8:10 pm

  This car is not for anyone who cant handle a few (well okay, a lot) of quirks. Having driven this daily for three years and put 100K miles on it in that time I would describe this as a reliable car. Word to the wise all VWs have a timing belt, if it blows, chances are so will your engine :( I loved this car. It was super fun to drive, had lots of zip for a 4 cyl and with low annual maint costs. Keep up with the maint and you will have little to no serious issues. I would highly suggest replacing the timing belt sooner than recommended just in case. Overall, my beetle, Jerry was very dependable with few "real" problems. Check engine light was always on due to fault O2 sensor.

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  Sludge - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By ugh - October 15 - 2:13 am

  I loved this car until the sludge set in. The dealer indicates that there is sludge ruining the engine of this car (and thousands of others like it). It is outrageous that VW will not remedy this problem. It is clearly a design flaw that is costing VW customers thousands of dollars. Also, I have had to replace the O2 sensor several times.

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  Fun to Drive, Annoying Quirks - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ryan - October 14 - 12:50 pm

  I have owned this car for a year and a half and it is a blast to drive. It begs "drive me faster." The keyless entry is great. The beeps are so anoying though, like the selt belt, passenger air bag off, and others. If I run into a store my wife has to bucle the seatbelt to make it stop dinging. The VW service department where I purchased my car is terrible. I needed new tires after only 6,000 miles, and my car cant stay aligned. So it has great performance, but the misc. problems make me want to sell it.

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  Almost a great car... - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By lowman99 - October 14 - 2:00 am

  This has been a really good car, except for some occasional problems. Within the 3 years I have owned it, the air conditioning has failed (a few times), one of the CV boots cracked, and oil seal ruptured, and the driver side power window mechanism broke. All of these items were fixed under warranty (for free). Get the extended warranty if you buy this car!

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  My problems - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ASavage - October 14 - 2:00 am

  First the good news, VW has decided that the mass airflow sensor is covered by the powertrain warranty ($350 you wont have to spend every 3 years or so). I have also had problems with tie rods, coil packs, and the windows in hot weather(not wanting to roll back up). Ive had problems with dealership service in New England, but my dealer in Virginia was great. Overall, not a bad car, but it has gotten considerably more expensive than I expected.

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  becareful!!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By argentineink - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I had three major oil leaks, was under warranty and was fixed. window fell in on both driver and passenger side, seatbelt in back *middle one* is stuck and wont get loose, center cupholder is broken, back cup holder is broken, oozing stuff out by the front doors, cd changer reads *cd error*. most problems have been fixed by VW. car has 65000 now, and it uses 5 quarts of full synthetic oil *4.99 per quart* in less then two months! friend works for vw told me to take it in and if they cant fix it, to get rid of it! i have 900mi left on warranty, well see!

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  My Experience - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Len - October 13 - 7:46 pm

  I bought my touareg after a careful research in publications to see what vehicle could go farther per tank full. I wanted an SUV that could go fast, far, be stable and competent off road. I live in Miami and after several hurricanes I saw huge lines at the gas stations when a hurricane may be heading here. I needed a car that would take me out of the state in case a category 4 or 5 hurricane came here. My touareg v-6 has an epa rating of 21 mpg and a fuel tank 26.6 gal with a theoretical range of 556 miles. I go from my house in Miami, to I-95 to the Florida turnpike to I-75 to the state line using Cruise control and tiptronic on 6 gear in one tank full. This is over 475 miles. This is great.