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:

• 

  The usual - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jill - January 24 - 12:53 am

  From me you get much of the same: Love the looks, annoyed by the reliability. But its good not to have a car payment. Since buying my car in 1999 Ive replaced the coil pack at least once, maybe twice, replaced the wiper motor (which then failed again but I got a replacement free). In the last 4 months, at about 80,000 miles, Ive replaced the O2 sensor and manifold, which combined with the wipers cost about $2000. I need a new catalytic converter, which will be around $1300. Yet I cant afford a new car, so oh well. Combined city and highway overall mileage has been about 25 mpg, so thats decent.

• 

  Help - How do I get rid of this lemon? - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By wniece - January 24 - 12:43 am

  How come everyone raves about the Passat build quality and interior fit and finish? Own a 07 passat wagon loaded with options and it has more squeaks and cracks than my 86 year old grandmother! Been in shop over 18 days for various problems. The dash is coming apart and falling off, the black paint on the door lock buttons are bubbling and peeling off, the leather has discolored...any suggestions on what I can do...we do have a Jetta 07 - that is excellent! Dont know what happened witht the Passat??? It still looks new from the outside.

• 

  Awesome Car, High Performance Potential - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By BlackRabbit - January 24 - 12:16 am

  Not only are the 2006 Volkswagen Rabbits looks appealing but also the engine size and the power it delivers are great. Turbo charge this car and the GTI / R32 will be left in the dust.

• 

  17,000 miles on it and it could be a death trap - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By duckmom - January 23 - 9:13 pm

  The first 17,000 miles were pretty easy, nothing out of the ordinary to report. Since then I have been in 4 times, once was 20,000 mile service. One time for broken media cord, one time for car stalling at low speeds and currently for an air vent on the passenger side being stuck on causing cold air to constantly flood the cabin, for stalling again at low speeds and failing to rev past 4000 rpms, which creates a "stalling" effect on the car. This is not good when you are accelerating to get on the freeway, which is when it has happened twice to me. I am really bummed, up till recently I loved my Tiguan. Thinking I want to get rid of it before the warranty expires.

• 

  still runs, but i"m mechanical - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By tim9999 - January 23 - 2:56 pm

  Bought used for cheap, needed clutch, bad A/C. The clutch was 600.00 from the clutch guy I know. Heater core went out at 120k this is typical i guess. Heres what I did: disconnected heater core, ran heater hoses to A/C heat exchanger, (A/C bad anyway...) Now heats ok. Needed water pump at 130k. Runs strong, handles great for big car. Nice leather interior. Huge inside area. Easy to work on compact vr6. Have done all work myself except clutch.

• 

  Overpriced - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brandon - January 23 - 9:23 am

  Its sad because VWs look great when new, but thats about it. As they age, the interiors age poorly, showing wear quickly and making the car look older than it is. The reliability is this: the check engine light comes on at least twice a year and each visit costs at least $300.00 (diagnosis is $100 alone). Recalled parts are replaced once, then when they fail again, you pay. I have been getting very poor customer service. Ive let my friends know to steer clear. If youre going to deal with poor reliability and high repair costs, might as well get a name plate you can be proud of, i.e., a BMW or Mercedes-Benz. That will be my next purchase.

• 

  70k and still good - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By jeffbaynard - January 23 - 8:06 am

  Just turned 70k mostly highway on this excellent V6 car. I fully plan to keep it; it feels like it has a long way to go maybe 200k. Reliability has been excellent, no check engine lights and no repairs needed. I do plan a major preventative maintenance at 80k consisting of timing belt, water pump, roller, atf flush, new brakes, new battery. I already did plugs, oil changes 502.11 synthetic only, cabin/air/ fuel filters myself. Tires replaced at 50k. I do have the harsh downshift into 1st sometimes but it never amounted to much (so far). Hope this helps. I do recommend this car but check the records and keep up with the maintenance.

• 

  If Only I Knew - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By LoveHateVW - January 23 - 4:56 am

  Bought this car at 99K miles, previous owner took exceptional care of it. As had happened with my previous VW though (2000 Jetta), stuff started going wrong with the car shortly over the 100K mark. While understandable with a high-mileage car, the small things in the design of this vehicle were what surprised me, negatively. Shoddy plastic parts often broke down, such as the hatch release and center console. The sunroof is also a water hazard, but I hear VW has issued a recall on that. Love driving this VW, but hate owning. Water pump, oil pan, timing belt, starter, and window reliability are some things to look out for. Keep this in mind if you are even thinking VW.

• 

  New leftover 2009 EOS - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By Jeff - January 22 - 6:13 pm

  We bought this along with a new 2010 Golf tdi. So far we have about 3000 miles on it, and it has preformed well. Most surprising is the relatively good fuel economy. Overall we have posted 29.8mpg with a high of 36mpg, and this is winter and the car has a ways to go before fully broken- in. We picked up the car for $26,600 or $5700 off MSRP. Its still too early to tell how this car will turn out but so far it is good. The only drawback is the weight of 3500 lbs, but all convertibles are heavy, and this is one of the lighter ones. Cornering although acceptable is not as crisp as lighter German cars. This is our first convertible, so well have a better idea after our Wisconsin summer.

• 

  Very Pleased with our SEL Routan - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By stjohns - January 22 - 4:39 pm

  After over a year of trouble free ownership we can recommend the Routan as a high quality family frendly van. Feature and handling have been 1st class. VW carefree service at zero cost is risk free. A lot of after market products can be purchased at great prices thanks to T & C sibling. to high volume siblings at Chysler.