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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  poor decision - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gsutton - August 28 - 2:00 am

  great car to look at, replaced 2 O2 sensors, brakes,bumper pulls off if parked too close to curb, chronic, unresolvable rattle in gear shift, console latch broke, mirror control fell off, cloth interior impossible to clean looks like %&*@ all the time. Never again!

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  What is the matter with Volkswagen - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Another Jetta Owner - August 28 - 2:00 am

  We purchased our 2002 Jetta due our past experience with owning several prior to this. The car has given good gas mileage, but has recently started to burn oil. We have had to have front windows repaired and the passagers seat repaired. Volkswagen feels that burning a quart of oil per 1,000 miles is acceptable. We are going to get rid of this car as soon as possible, before anything else goes wrong. Transmition started to jump on cold mornings. Dealer says transmition is compensating. What ever!! Alot of rattles. Too bad, we really wanted to like this car.

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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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  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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  Beware - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Bill - August 21 - 10:10 am

  Great car for the first 48,000 miles but since then the car has been in the shop every 2,000 miles with check engine lights. The cooling fans, EMC computer, parking brake peddle, several emission controls, radio, windows and sun roof controls have failed and it is in the shop now for new engine coils. My wife will not drive car out of town because we can not trust the car to get her home.

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  Glad Im handy with a wrench - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By ns1915 - August 20 - 5:32 pm

  Why I will never buy another VW. Replaced control arms twice in 80,000 miles. Bad ABS module, bad CCM, bad ECU, all oxygen sensors have been replaced, engine sludge problem, two bad window regulators, Emissions Workshop Errors all the time. Every two winters battery needs to be replaced. Took it to dealer for a check engine and was told I had 2 bad catalytic converters, $2,300. Had it scanned somewhere else and was told that it does have a catalytic error, but the dealer failed to mention several vacuum leak errors. I replaced $20 worth of vac hose, problem solved. Havent had an error in 10,000 miles, this is a record!! Replacing the above parts with non OEM has helped a lot.

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  German Enginerring...HA!! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By jmooney000 - August 20 - 2:36 pm

  I am the original owner a 2002 Passat 1.8 Turbo and while we love the way it drives it has been a money pit! Glove box latch broke, hood strut broke, check engine light comes on at least every 3-4 months and its always a vacuum line or O2 sensor, ignition coils have been replaced twice and now the heater core is clogged and neither the dealer or VWoA will step up and admit its a known problem and fix it. I agree w/ others on this site: do not I repeat, do not by a VW. I also own 2 Hondas and a Toyota and all 3 are very reliable and easy to work on yourself so you dont have to take it to the dealer all the time. Do yourself a favor and stay away from VW!!

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  Now I Know - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Shirley - August 16 - 4:03 am

  I bought this vehicle from a friend who leased it. Couldnt figure out why she was getting rid of a new sharp car. Now I know, it is falling apart. Brake wires underneath car are a hazard. The shocks squeak and It sounds like a transfer truck when you crank it. Grear shift stuckin park now its broke and nothing keeps it from slipping out of gear. Last but not least the air bag light keeps coming on faulty. That has been fixed twice. Not to mention two wrecks and no deployment?

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  its mediocre - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By slb805 - August 14 - 1:36 pm

  So I bought the car and initially it ran fine, but over the two years Ive owned it, things have begun to break down. The passenger window screeches when I roll it down, it gobbles up oil and gas. I have to put oil in it every 3 wks or so its a rare occasion when the engine light is off. Its an automatic, but the transmission shifts very funky it lurches sometimes and lately has been making weird noises when idling its fun to drive when it puts out but unfortunately that is becoming less and less. It seems like 1/2 the ppl who own a beetle love it & the other 1/2 absolutely hate it! I think Im growing to be the half that is displeased dont be fooled dont buy the car because its "cute"

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  Loved this Car - 2000 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By clio30097 - August 9 - 3:20 am

  I loved this car until it hit 40,000 miles. Since then, its cost me around $200/month just to keep it on the road. No major mechanical problems, just things like air bags, lights, and now a problem with the window regulator -- the window wont go all the way down because, apparently, they dont make the regulators fit the window frame! Still, its a fun car to drive and Ill keep it as a second vehicle -- just have to buy one to drive while this ones in the shop.