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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  Worst car I ever owned - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Chris - September 19 - 6:16 pm

  Worst car ever, bought it new and it was in the shop less than a month later for fuel system problems, then it was air bag lights 3 times over the course of about 2 years. Then came the complete system meltdown at 53k miles when the mass air flow sensor went out, the a/c completely died and a fault in the temp switch required complete replacement. $2100 fix for the last set of problems. Get an extended warranty with this car. Fidelity saved me $2100. The next day after getting the car out of the shop, I traded it in for an Acura. No more German cars, ever! The interior is a bit chintzy. If you push in on the door, the plastic handles flex in and pop, annoying. Hate that car!

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  55,000 miles and the car wont start! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By beetle_owner - September 19 - 4:17 pm

  This is the cutest most fun to drive car ever....when it works. Oh...are you thinking about taking the car to a mechanic outside of the dealership to have it worked on for cheaper? Dont even think about it...many mechanics either wont want to touch your beetle or they will not be able to fix it since its an electrical nightmare thats built like a puzzle! And how is it that a chord has broken on the top? That happened at about 40,000 miles. One more thing...if something breaks, like the radio...you have to get it fixed right away before it starts affecting other electrical things in the car...sigh...selling it asap once it comes out the shop (been there a month already).

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  Not Worth It! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Dawn Stewart - September 19 - 11:56 am

  I have owned my 2004 Volkswagen Touareg V6 for 18 months. I am looking for a way out due to being stuck on the side of the road 6 times with my small children. It is not reliable at all!! The Touareg is great to drive, when it drives, which isnt often. It has been in for service for sooo much stuff and I have had very bad service experiences! Unbelievable experiences! I am afraid to drive it with my kids. I dont trust this vehicle.

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  So much pain in my rear! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Michael Mann - September 19 - 4:13 am

  By now we all know that VW has built a car with massive electrical system problems. What I want everybody to know is that when you take this car to service they will try to stick all the expenses on you. For example: two days ago my ABS warning light went on. I have read that this is a common problem with this car. I called the dealer, scheduled service, drove to work, and couldnt get the gear off from park. I Had to tow the car to service. But I was armed with a recall note for the brake switch that seems to be faulty on this model. I found it from this website! But since mine was purchased in 99 (its a 2000 model) the dealer claimed Im not covered. We did a little dance (me yelling) and all of a sudden it was covered!

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  poor performer - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By neveragainvw - September 19 - 2:00 am

  everyone seems to say its fun to drive but i dont see it. acceleration is slow, car just lacks in performance. you have to dig through the entire front end just to get to the engine. and WAY too expensive to fix. would never own another vw. ill stick to the japanese imports and domestics

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  Great looks - No reliability - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nathan - September 16 - 4:46 am

  Electronic problem with ABS system. Radiator sprung a leak. Electronic problems with air flow. Electronic problems with rear breaks. Master brake cylinder had an internal leak. Brake light switch is defective. Horse power and fuel efficiency are lower than spec. Power windows do not operate properly. Side mirror adjustment dial poorly made, for that matter there are cheap plastic parts throughout this car. Arm rest latch broke, ashtray for year passengers will not stay shut. Lower black grills in front of car fall out. Front bumber cover pops off. Black paint around dash board peels off. Cloth interior poorly made and glued down. The door locks have barbs on them that pinch skin!!

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  Fun Car. BUT, in shop every 3 months! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jason-AZ - September 16 - 2:00 am

  The car is fun to drive. But, there are so many problems with the emission system the car has to be taken to the dealer about every 3 months to be fixed. Sometimes the car is out of comission for several days while parts are being ordered. This car is not reliable.

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  Cute Car for everyday driver.. - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Antonella - September 13 - 10:26 am

  Ive owned my jetta gls for almost 2yrs. Never had any major problems. However i bought the cloth interior and it is HORRIBLE. Every piece of lint sticks to it and its really difficult to clean. Spend the $ for leather. Its not a very quick car, if you want something fun, this is not the car for you, something pratical,then yes. Im thinking of buying something with a little more power. 115 horsepower is pretty minimal. Cute car for a first time driver.

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  Fun to drive, awful to own - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By j palum - September 12 - 11:50 pm

  A stone lodged in the brakes, the front grilled chipped from a small stone hitting it on the road, the front drivers side window fell inside the door on a cold day, the car had problems starting if the temperature was below 0 degrees, it also bogged down on the highway if you turned on the air conditioning, the power fuse blew and stranded my wife on the highway, the tires lasted less than 50,000 miles, the torsion bar for the trunk stiffened making it serious exercise to open the trunk, the clip on the armrest cover broke, and the "mag" wheels peeled. It handled well and got good gas mileage, but it wasnt worth the hastle.

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  I need a Chiropractor after 45 min - O, the seats! - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Thom - September 12 - 12:38 pm

  Ive owned a 2015 Passat TSI SEL for about 18 months. This is my 5th VW product over the past 40 years. Granted my other cars have been Volvos during this same period. I currently have both. Since I bought this car, I only need to drive about 45 minutes and my back is breaking. Same for my passengers. I wish VW would do something for owners of these vehicles - offer some "goodwill" or replace the seats. I think there may be an issue with DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) similar to being on an airplane. The seats are too short and therefore offer no support. The suede / leather seats are hard as a rock! Dealer told me to drive with the seat warmers on to add flexibility to the seats - pretty tough to do when its 100 degrees outside !