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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  Miss my Jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Karin - February 26 - 11:53 pm

  I had my jetta for almost 6 years and loved it overall. It was a manual transmission which made it fun to drive. The only problem with the transmission that I had was that it had difficulty going into 1st. It got great gas mileage and other than when the AC broke during a 10 hr drive in the summer, it was great on trips. I did have some mechanical issues including a $600 fix after I attempted to replace the battery and the whole computer shut down. I had electrical problems too and the cup holders and side window adjusters broke often. However, I drove it until I totalled it in March. I will say that I was only hurt minorly and feel that the car was very safe.

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  disposable car - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ruizd - February 26 - 2:10 am

  I bought a 2003 convertible beetle with 60k. one week after driving it i notice a hard shift, a few days after an oil leak was noticed. I took it a Volkswagen dealer and they did a diagnostic and confirmed what I told them, suggested that I do a transmission fluid check and it could fix the problem I said BS. I had read all the complaints about this car and my mechanic also told me that I should have never bought it, he pointed out the the transmission could not be serviced and all of the hoses are made of plastic that with heat they become brittle and break.. so I took my loss and bought a Honda accord. dont buy this car is disposable. I would never buy a volkswagen again..

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  So Far so Good - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW_MTL - February 25 - 10:50 pm

  Just got my 2.0T Passat two days ago and it has been a blast to drive. No issues yet. Will revisit in a few weeks with more detailed review.

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  Happy Customer - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By J. Huston - February 25 - 10:16 am

  tons of gadgets, kind of hard to figure out. spectacular interior, exceptional stereo system, car handles fine, braking ok, exterior elegant, great paint finish, fun to drive.

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  Id still be driving it but... - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dad - February 25 - 4:43 am

  Loved this car. Had 8 miles when I drove off lot, it was "retired" at 100K. Drove it like a high school kid and got 45 mpg. Took good care of it mechanically, synthetic oil changed twice a year, regular dealer maintenance (mostly). Went 90K miles on original timing belt (recommended at 60K). I tried "babying" it to improve mpg but got worse. It liked going to redline on every shift. Id still be driving it and expected to go another 100K if my daughter had not totaled it (she walked away with bumps and bruises only).

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  Follow-up review - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By fshifteh - February 25 - 3:08 am

  This is a follow up to my earlier comments about my Routan. I have more than 24000 miles on the car. During the past 20 months, I had to replace my front brakes and rotors twice. The rear rotors have also been turned twice and the rear brakes were replaced as well. Fortunately everything has been under warranty. Even though I could consider buying this car when the lease is up in a year, but my concern is that I have to replace the brakes every year since it wont be covered by any service contract.

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  2015 Passat Limited Love it ! - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Eddie - February 25 - 2:34 am

  I love my Volkswagen Passat, is has a nice interior with soft materials it feels like you are more expensive car than what you pay. Nice German Engineering like it . 1.8 TSI has a plenti horsepower to move it does the job done and at the same time save you money at the pump!! Getting 29-31 mpg in the city using 91 premium gas wow!

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  Great sedan - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Pedro - February 24 - 8:06 pm

  I have owned this vehicle for 2 months, and have enjoyed every minute of it. My 2003 Passat was a great car, but this one is even greater. It feels sporty, yet roomy, and offer great gas mileage.

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  Better Than the Other Two - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Megan - February 24 - 5:50 pm

  This is my first VW and I absolutely love it. When I was looking for a new car, it came down to Audi and VW because I have had BMWs in the past and they are expensive to maintain, even in Germany. The VW gives you more standard features that are options on the Audi. I was very surprised to see how much was standard. Everything I wanted on a new car, I was able to get with the VW, and at a lesser cost than the Audi. I am extremely pleased with my decision. I live in Germany, and have learned that my car is very fun to drive and is extremely fast with little effort from the engine.

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  Love/Hate Relationship - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Sarah - February 24 - 1:03 pm

  I bought this car just 3 months ago and the love of the car died very quickly. 2 weeks after having the car the check engine light came on and it needed a thermostat and temperature sensor ($600), then a few weeks after that the oil light comes on, cant figure out why, now 3 months later the moon roof has decided to pop up and down all on its own, its creepy, I have just gotten to the point that I laugh at the car when one of the lights comes on. I love the look of the car and its fun to drive, people wave at you and smile when they see you but Volkswagen did a horrible job at making this vehicle and really makes German engineering look bad. I will never buy another Volkswagen product again