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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  good looking poorly built - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By hodad - June 18 - 10:00 am

  The car breaks down incredilby easily. My starter failed as did my airbags.

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  Low Quality but cute - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Ed Rooney - June 15 - 1:33 pm

  We purchased a 2008 "S" with automatic about 3 months ago for my wife, with the intent of passing it on to our daughter next year. I was reluctant to purchase this car based on customer reviews of previous model years. I should have listened, because this piece of junk has been in the shop 4 times to fix various squeaks and rattles and we havent even had the first oil change yet. So far gas mileage has been in the 22-24 mpg range, mostly suburban driving. While its within the EPA estimates, its still low for a car this small. Did I mention that it requires synthetic oil and a filter not carried at any quick lube establishments?

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  One headache after another - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By rotaryfan - June 13 - 2:50 am

  Dont get me wrong here... VWs are excellent cars when they are running 100%. The problem is 99% of the time they are not running properly. Case in point here is my 2000 Passat 1.8T. After 5 years of ownership, I drowned thousands of dollars into repairs. Blown turbo, oil cooler cracked, brakes went soft early on too. The list goes on and on. Sludge had built up in the engine and finally, after 83k miles, the heater core broke. I will NEVER buy a VW again. This is the worst car Ive ever dealt with and I dont know why I kept it for so long.

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  poor performance - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By David Bos - June 12 - 10:00 am

  Turned car back in to many problems.

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  Do Not Buy This Car - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Engine is Garbage - June 11 - 9:46 am

  Purchased this car CPO from a VW dealership. Have had it maintained at dealers, check ups, synthetic oil, etc. The water pump busted on my way to Cincinnati less than a year after I had the car, Ive had numerous problems with the engine that have been covered under warranty... but in less than 2 years this car has left me stranded on the side of the road 3 times waiting for a tow. Most recently the ignition coil went about a month ago and then the same thing happened this morning. Im actually waiting for a tow truck now and as soon as they fix it today Im driving to another dealership to trade it in for a Subaru.

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  More wrong then right - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Warchild - June 9 - 2:00 am

  The Cabrio is a fun car. Granted, its not fast or roomy, but its been fun when it wasnt being repaired. Two trips to get the side mirrors replaced when they stoped defrosting. Two trips to get the exhaust rehung when the mid- muffler section fell off. A trip to fix the broken cd changer and another when the latch on the top failed. Yet another trip to have the interior door panels replaced. Engine stumbling has forced me to take it to the shop for the third time in a week. Even after all that I can still say I like the car. The lack of quality is the real bummer.

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  Everything was great, until... - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lisa - June 4 - 10:43 am

  I have had this car for 5 years. It was doing great until I hit the 75,000 miles. I drive about 72 miles a day, so I understand that the ware and tear is a lot more then others. I had a warranty up to 100,000 and right when it passed 100,000 the "oil pressure STOP" light went on. According to what I have read, it looks like these models have a sludge problem. It looks like they have been having this problem for most of their passat models. They do have an extended warranty for 99-04, but not 05. Also, they make it hard to cover, because they want EVERY SINGLE piece of documentation of oil change services. Now Im stuck with this car, trying to figure out if its worth fixing or get rid of it

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  Fun to drive, a pain to maintain - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By GTI703 - June 3 - 2:00 am

  It is fun and easy to drive in heavy DC traffic or on roadtrips. The car is very stable on the highway and it plows through winter weather. The biggest problem is the reliability and build quality which is horrible. The car squeaks and rattles like a 72 AMC Gremlin. The fuel system is a nightmare. My car has had constant prolems with fuel delivery. It was in the shop for nearly 3 weeks right after I bought it. When starting up, The gas revs and then the car stalls out. You have to pump the gas to keep it running The window regulator failed . It is under warranty but the dealer hasnt had one in for a month. .

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  Jetta problems - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jettanomore05 - May 31 - 10:17 pm

  I bought this new. This car has the worst paint job I have ever had. The front of the car seems to have many little dots of paint missing. Now I have a history of driving many cars in my youth on gravel roads but never with this car. I cannot account for this problem. I had to have something replaced in the transmission early on due to horrible thud sound. It still does this at times but they cannot find reason. THe car has been carefully maintained but I just had to replace water pump, tensioners, thermastat, and because of this timing belt was also recommended. Total cost was over $1,050.00. Car has only 59,000 miles on it and is gently driven.

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  Do not buy Volkswagons - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By MichelleM - May 29 - 10:00 am

  My experience with my new 2002 VW Passat has been very, very disappointing! Over the 18 months that I have owned the car, I have had to bring the vehicle in for service 7 times for repeated problems, including faulty ignition coils, electrical systems failures and mass air flow system replacements. I have maintained the car, as recommended by the dealership (e.g. maintenance every 5,000 miles) however, have had nothing but problems!. I would not recommend purchasing the VW Passat to anyone. If you are thinking about purchasing a VW Passat and have any questions about my experience, please feel free to email me before you make your decision.