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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  Never again, I want a full refund - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dissatisfied again - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I have the car in the shop on three separate occasions in 7 months - twice for ignition coil problems and once for a valve problem. The second time it was in the shop for a week and they rented me a reliable dodge caravan. The last time the vehicle was in the shop they said there was a defective valve and sent my wife home without repairing the vehicle, but not before they backed my car into a wall and put a hole in my rear bumper. I will never buy a volkswagon again. Get something reliable like a camry or accord.

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  Stay away - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Stay away - July 6 - 9:26 pm

  This car is junk. Brakes, clutch, axles, water leaks, you name it. I am going to trade it for Nissan or Toyota.

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  Run Away, Dont buy this car!! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By pennstater - June 30 - 9:53 am

  I was in the shop 13 times in the first two years! Things broke on this car that Ive never heard of breaking before! 2nd day engine was smoking, some type of lid flew off and was burning, alarms and door locks never worked right, locked at various random times, alarm sounded at various random times, I asked for this to be disconnected, was told cannot be done. Fuel pump went at 80,000, cup holders- we wont go there, center console lid broke, headlight on/off button stopped working, all dash lights stoppped working, front spoiler falls off frequently due to being too low, This was the worst car ever.

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  Worst Car Ever! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Juan - June 23 - 1:13 am

  This car has only given my nothing but trouble. I have had to replace the A/C sensor, fuel sensor and the best of all the timing belt broke at 72,000 miles and it is supposed to last up to 105,000. They never wanted to recognized the damage so the cost to fix it was $4,600. Only 50% of the actual car value. As a car: this vehicle is not worth it! As a investment: Volkswagen has the worst customer service: They never help (just lie) Think first before you buy one.

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  dont buy a jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kelly dixon - June 22 - 10:00 am

  many problems with electrical system and exhaust.

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  Be Careful! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ouch - June 14 - 10:00 am

  I would take a moment beore buying a Volkwagen Jetta. It looks great from the outside and it is even fun to drive for the first few miles, but then it all starts to fall apart. First, the little things started to go. The cupholder is a joke, rain comes through the window cracks like a bad umbrella (which they still cant fix), and I dont even want to talk about the ooze that comes out the side of the car. The second year was even worse. I replaced three sensors, a water pump, a window, a head gasket...... This car is now worth more than a Mercedes

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  ALWAYS TROUBLE BYPASS THIS CAR! - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Renee - June 11 - 3:30 pm

  The day after I bought the car the passenger seat got stuck laying flat (my daughter was laying down for 5 minutes while I went into the bank). The electrical system continually goes bad and the car will not start. 2 years in I had to replace the air conditioner. The trunk broke two weeks after I bought the car. I back the car up out of the driveway and it continually stalls out. The oil light never comes on even if the oil is low. I have to replace the headlights and back lights every other month. The Dealership is horrific and I never go there because I am treated so poorly. I pray everyday for something to not go wrong with this car, because it seemingly does.

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  Sorry I bought a Toureag - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Lauren8148 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has caused numerous problems for me. The technology is constantly misinforming me of things. For instance, the tire pressure monitoring system tells me my front driver side tire is flat. A big exclamation point is constanly on my screen. The tire has been checked and is perfectly normal. My advice is....give Volkswagen a few more years to perfect the gliches in this vehicle before you buy one.

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  Worst car ever purchased-dangerous car. - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By joconsecur - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This new 2004 jetta with less than 300 miles failed completely.In the middle of driving-i lost all power -lights- power steering-engine bucked-finally stalled-scared me to death-will seek to give this car back to the dealership tommorrow-Really disappointed in the car-If i was in traffic on a busy highway -it could have been disasterous.

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  Never again... - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Mandys - June 8 - 10:00 am

  If you are considering it, dont. At this point, I doubt that anything more could go wrong with it...4 power window switches, 2 Oxygen Sensors, 1 power mirror switch 1 uncontrollable dead battery right after crappy 2 year warranty expired, knicks all over fenders after 1st week off lot, no warning when I leave lights on, when locking doors w/ remote the car beeps, but the doors do not lock, brakes replaced by VW, they now squeak, and apparently nothing can be done about this, it is terribly embarrassing