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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  Quirky but a blast to drive - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By morndew - August 25 - 12:43 am

  This car is VERY fun to drive. There are a couple spots in the power curve in which it accelerates like it has a nitrous tank. Floor it while doing 20 mph or 60 mph and youll feel the giddyup. I have had to take the car back to the dealership twice, once to replace the window lifts, which left the window open on a cold November night miles from home. Not fun! There was also a recall on the ignition coil. On cold wet mornings I occasionally experience a reluctance from the motor to get going. This may be more ignition coil problems or something else, I dont know. But when you can drive twisty roads like youre in a go-kart, its easy to forget the periodic trips to the shop.

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  If It Sounds Too Good... - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By David - August 24 - 10:10 pm

  If I had to do it all over again, I probably wouldnt. The Touareg sounded good and was comparably priced for the category it is in. I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle starting with tires wearing-out in less than 8,000 miles with no recourse from VW. My truck has been in the dealer for service numerous times. Two days ago it would not start and was stranded in my garage. VW roadside service came but could not tow it because the battery was dead, the key stuck in the ignition, and it was stuck in park. Ive had numerous campaign upgrades for many of the Touaregs computers. Several trouble lights announce with no solutions given in the owners manual.

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  Worst Car Ever!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By MelinNj - August 24 - 1:52 am

  Dont but this Dodge garbage! Nightmare since Day 1! During the first year of ownership, I bought pre-owned with 25,000 miles on it, my dealer had the car more than I did! I have a stack of repair orders 2 inches thick. They replaced the motor twice. Has nothing but defective parts. Now Im going through an issue where the car wont start at all. Replaced the starter and Battery. So then I do some more research and find that many others about the same problem! Not sure why this has not been recalled! The door seals leaking, the doors fill with water, the electrical system has gone crazy causing all windows to roll down during the rain and not go back up. Garbage!

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  This is a truely amazing car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rizk.ds - August 23 - 9:32 pm

  Ive been driving this car for months now, and it has been my first car, hopefully my last. Im at 260k+ miles and everything is good.

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  Car is great....sevice horrible - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Gloria Barfuss - August 23 - 2:50 pm

  It has been a delight to own and operate our 2002 Passat. We receive many positive comments about its exterior looks as well as the performance this car exibits. We have just experienced our first mechanical problem with a blown aternator that wiped out a cell in the battery. We realize that cars are only machines and it was fixed, however, the service work was extremely poor. We have loved our car but hate the service department, consequently we are questioning if we well buy another Passat. It is sad that the sevice dept. can ruin a great car. Over all the car is great and we were looking forward to the new Passat..not anymore.

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  I like it - 2009 Volkswagen GTI
  By gatlin69 - August 23 - 1:56 pm

  I have had this for a few weeks and I can say it is a very fun car to drive. I was a bit disappointed that there was no bluetooth. Everything feels very solid and I can say the seats are very comfortable. I would opt for the 6 manual, but I have heard from other owners that the DSG was a blast. I am not a big fan of the plaid...so I opted for the leather...more power options for the seats would be nice and I dont like the roll switch for the heated seats (but they do work good). I had one major issue I got the 18in wheels and sunroof package and with such low profile tires 250 miles I hit a pot hole and had to replace the tire.

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  CRASHED! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Bo - August 23 - 1:40 pm

  SO my parents bought the bug for my older sister then it was handled down to me..i hated it at first because i felt like i was driving in a BUBBLE and it was not air resistance.(everytime driving on the highway i felt like i was going to be blown away with the wind)..ANYWHO i came to love the bug cuz it started to become fun until one day i lost control on the highway and crash!!!! (accident not my fault) ohh and did i mention SO MANY DAM PROBLEMSSS!!!! ughhhh so yah i dontthink ill buy another beetle again..and coming from a future car designer this is bad..design is good..reliability...not so good

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  Great Drive - Fairly Reliable - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jimmycricket - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive put 35K on this since buying it and they have been a great 35K. Driven long distances, cities, twisty coastal roads are the best! Most fun Ive had in a car. Just started having some electrical problems, but until this not one single issue (other than molding coming off and having to be glued back). I am debating selling at 65K miles because of what could come. Want another VW - been a pleasure.

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  poor rating - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By kschoen148 - August 23 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this car for less than 3 years and have had many many problems with it such as mechanical failure, to defects, not being able to get the tires off the car to do a tire rotation. The car is very comftable but has slowly fallen apart at the seems. In the past 3 months I have replaced the undercarriage protector, 2 new headlights, replaced the light bulbs in the dashboard 2 times, replaced all four brakes, replaced lug nuts that had to be chiseled off to get the tire removed, an alignement of the subframe and back window motor fixed. none of this is under warranty. VW doesnt consider this a lemon. Also this car takes premium gas only.

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  Wow - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By gandaft - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive driven alot of cars and for the money I would have to say this one of the best. It has plenty of room for the family but the drive is that of a sports car. The design of the interior is sleek and very comfortable and so far Im very satisfied.