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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  The Poor Mans BMW my butt! - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JorgesVWNightmare - June 15 - 10:00 am

  This car has been one nightmare after another. I have a love hate relationship with this car. It is fun to drive and the engine and the transmission have been good, but everything from windows, to ac compressors have blown in this car, and the rate for fixing this car is almost as high as working on a BMW. Come to think of it, for what I spend on fixing this car, I could have bought a BMW. I love the way this car dirves and handles, but I hate the tempermental features this car has, windows, cruise control knobs, a/c buttons shking loose. A poor man simply cant afford a VW, next time I wont buy the imitation.

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  2002 TDI Golf - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By gary moore - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I had a probelm with the front passenger door- water was getting in through the mirror area. It took the dealer four times for the probelm to be fixed after I had threatened them with the lemon law.

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  GREAT - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By JVW - June 15 - 10:00 am

  NICE CAR! BETTER FIT AN FINISH THAN OUR JAG XKR. BETTER PERFORMANCE, RIDE, ETC THAN THE ML430 WE TRADED. VERY QUIET AND A GREAT RIDE WITH THE AIR SUSPENSION.

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  So Far So Good - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DJ - June 15 - 6:33 am

  I bought my car on July 30th in Minnesota, and drove it 350 miles over the weekend, and 900 miles back to Colorado yesterday. Im coming off of a BWM 328xi lease, so this is a step back in many ways, but BMW is too expensive right now. They wanted $30k for a buyout! For less than $19k, so far Im feeling really good. I got Black, and I like the exterior styling. With tinted windows, its a sharp car. I also like the tan leatherette interior - nice contrast to the Black. The quality of the cabin is excellent. Performance is pretty darn close to my 328xi from 0 to about 40, but then it lags the BMW. And I miss 6 speeds. Overall, a solid car, but will it go in the snow?

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  Okay Car, But I Would Not Buy Another VW - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 123Blue - June 13 - 6:10 am

  This our third VW. We also have an 01 Beetle and an 04 Passat. I purchased my 05 New Jetta 2.5 in June 2008 w/ 27k miles on it, previously a loaner. Compared to similarly priced cars (Civics, Corollas) the Jetta had a lot more features for the price. Fully loaded with leatherette interior, rain sensing wipers, auto lights, etc. Nice ride, a little sporty, not too fast, but not too slow either. Reliable as far as getting from point A to point B, but way too many problems with the build quality. Faulty trunk latch, auto window stopped working, lightbulb sensor going on and off, sunroof acting funny, buttons peeling, even the gas cap not unlocking. Will not be buying another VW!

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  Nice Car, but... - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By PaulM - June 12 - 9:36 am

  The 03 VW Golf is a very practical, fun to drive car ideally suited for urban commuter use. It was very reliable up to about 60,000 miles, then problems started to crop up, starting with a glow plug failure. After hitting 100,000 miles, I have spent $4,000 on repairs (injector pump, timing belt, water pump, cooling fan, strut mounts, controlling arms). Where I live, diesel generally costs 10% to 15% more than gas, mileage is probably 30% to 40% better than a gas model.

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  Its worth the few flaws!! - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By kassidyheath - June 10 - 12:01 pm

  I bought this car last year with 100,000 miles on it, and throughout the additional 16,000 miles ive driven, the problems have been minor, few, and far between. I felt confident buying it with so many miles already on it because Volkswagen engines seem to be bulletproof. Initially when idling, the engine would have a tendency to overheat in the Florida summers but having a mechanic for a father and adjusting the cooling system there havent been any problems since. The transmission is a little rough during acceleration and deceleration, but its 14 years old. I rear ended a pickup once pretty hard and the truck suffered a lot worse than the Beetle! Very safe, love this car.

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  I love it! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sam-sf - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I did have some of the problems with the electrical system as stated by others, but luckilly it was all fixed while under warranty. Otherwise, the car has had very little problems and has been a great car to drive.

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  Why Hybrids? - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Robfisher03 - June 9 - 2:00 am

  My Florida car. Great run-about economy with performance to boot.

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  Plastic Water Pump Impeller Failure - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gorvcamping - June 8 - 11:53 am

  Just in case your 2.0 Liter-powered VW (not sure of other engine designs) develops unexplained overheating with no external coolant leaks, it is most likely a internally shattered PLASTIC (yes you read that correctly) impeller that has failed. Unfortunately, it is about a 4-hour shop job to replace the impeller, since it is driven by the timing belt. So most of the front part of the engine must be dismantled in order to get to the impeller! COST: about $600-$750 parts & labor. If you are mechanically knowledgeable, parts (impeller, timing belt, tension pulley, and thermostat) will cost you about $210. When buying a replacement impeller, be sure to specify an ALL METAL replacement!