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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  Paid too much - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ABD - April 9 - 12:10 am

  2002 Beetle GLS 2.0 Bought in July 08 trying to sell in July 09. My son paid $7,900.00 he put 10M miles (96M miles) on it and is trying to sell it for $4995.00. Had to fix driver side power window. Cat went bad VW has 10yr extended warr. Replace brake cables. New tires. 6 disc change went out replaced it. Replace seat buckle to get the air bag light off. Orig key and remote didnt come with car son bought one $200.00. Quick lube shop stripped drain plug. They paid $400.00 to replace oil pan. Now they mechanic says it should have timing belt and water pump replaced. What a money pit. I own 2 toyotas and you change oil and tires when needed and they just keep running. Wouldnt buy VW or Audi

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  3rd Tow in the Month of June - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Bug Hater - April 5 - 10:00 am

  Vehicle has been towed for the 3rd time in the month of June 04 - each time for repeated, but varied electrical problems. Not my idea of a "finely tuned German automobile". First repair took seven days due to parts availability and then vehicle only operated for five miles. Second repair was exactly 61 miles later, again another electrical problem. Repeated calls to Volkswagen CustomerCare center have only produced repeated apologies, but no solutions - At this point, I would not recommend this vehicle or wish my experiences on anyone.

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  Numb steering and bad gas mileage - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Edmund Liu - April 4 - 10:45 am

  The steering is so numb that a U-haul Ford cargo van drives better than this little car. Comfortable ride compared to Japanese rivals. Only gave me one trouble that the lock housing cracked and was fixed by warranty. I mostly drive around town so I got 16.5 MPG no matter what kind of gas I used ( I noticed that Chevron gets a little better, not the tire pressure problem ) I never see a 200 miles out of a full tank ( 14.5 Gal ). I believe the max MPG I got on freeways is 29. It feels safe. Doors are very heavy. Solid build quality. AC vents want to fall apart all the time, and I dont know why. Engine is sluggish when started if the day is cold. Overall, if you want a safe car and dont care about anything else, this is the one for you.

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  VOLKSWAGEN FAIL. - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By 4real2006 - March 29 - 4:24 am

  expected more when purchasing new 2006 Passat, previous car was the new beetle and a friend had the 2001 Passat, when changes were made that must have cut costs with interior design and electrical system. Within 2 years, the AC failed, front headlights, interior lights and service buttons were always on. Also, after two summers of heat the ac controls, stereo buttons and auto windows had blistering and then peeling. Looks like a pos! Still drives fair considering the electrical system is out of whack. Last time I will buy new - over rated, definitely last time buying VW. Best car ever was Lexxus. **Note: the guy still driving his 2001 with 185,000 miles plus. Buy new VW & good luck.

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  not like the 2002 - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By northern - March 28 - 3:50 pm

  We test drove a 2009 Jetta TDI wagon to compare it to our 2002 TDI wagon. Our 2002 gets mileage almost 10 mpg higher than the 2009. Fit and finish are about the same. With diesel now lower priced than gas here in our state, and teh difference in mileage, we will keep running our 2002 for a long time to come. After VW screwed up and lowered the mileage, find yourself a 2002 or 2003 TDI diesel if you can and buy that instead. They command a huge price premium in our area being they are so much better than the 2009 models.

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  my vw is a lemon - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By McJJrod - March 28 - 2:00 am

  I only had my passat for 6 months, where 60 days from this time the car was in service. For this time Iv driven the entire fleet of cars from local rental shop. Did I buy a new car or a waranty- lifetime rental?

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  WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By dr.l - March 28 - 2:00 am

  With only 14K miles this car has already had five (5) items that needed repair. Breather hose, vacuum hose,temperature sensor,ignition coil, entire dashboard gauge assembly. It seems to have been poorly assembled and the dealer cant get parts. 1 to 3 weeks wait. I worry every time I take the car out of town. Its like the old clunkers I had in school. I am terrified of what will happen when the warranty expires.

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  A contradiction - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Barry - March 28 - 2:00 am

  I fell in love with the Jetta 1.8T when I first drove it. After owning one for several months now, I am no longer in love. While the Jetta performs well and is still fun to drive, the quality of the car is just awful. There are creaks and rattles galore. The front rotors needed to be re-machined after 1000 miles. The stereo was wired incorrectly and one of the speakers was blown. One of the air conditioner vents fell off. After driving a problem-free Nissan, this just makes me mad. Dont be fooled by the test drive: this is not a high quality car. Search some discussion boards and VW enthusiast sites and youll see what I mean.

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  Crappy car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By otwersky - March 19 - 12:07 am

  Car drives great! BUT.. Things keep breaking due to poor quality parts!!! For instance, I was forced to replace two window regulators that broke in half although one window was never used... the regulator just broke for no reason... And for that reason, I will never purchase another VW. Their parts are either cheap, badly made or dont fit. If the car was well built, it would be a gem.. Thanks to the **** parts, VWs are ****!!

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  Need improvement - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By X_VW_Fan - March 11 - 10:00 am

  Had this car with manual tranny for 21 months. Basically I am happy with the performance and still think this is a fun-to-drive car. Quality is a biiiig problem. So far dealer had to fix/change clutch swtich, rear lid strut and power window. Today, the radio is dead.