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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  Beware of the 2001 VW Passat - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Antoinette - June 4 - 10:16 pm

  Beware of the 2001 VW Passat 1.8T. I have had numerous problems with sludge coating the engine. I replaced the oil pump twice and had various other expensive problems.

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  DONT BUY A VW! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ihatevws - May 19 - 12:49 am

  I bought a 2006 VW Jetta TDi brand new. I am giving this review now that it has 130,000 miles on it. Heres the scoop. At 85K miles the dual mass fly wheel broke. Cost me $1500 to fix. At 90K miles the A/C compressor went out, cost me $750 to fix. At 110K miles the copressor has gone out again. Guess why? Cause the cooling fans under the hood went out! Guess what else? The relays are built into the fan so you have to buy the entire fan assembly. This car is nothing but junk. Its been a total nighmare and I hope VW goes out of business very soon! Next time I will buy something from Japan!

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  Wife had to have this DUNE - 2016 Volkswagen Beetle
  By jitney - May 17 - 12:11 pm

  In my opinion, the VW Beetle engineered should all be offered other jobs somewhere else. The car is VERY noisy and a with a very rough ride. Road noise is very loud, this cars seems to have no insulation to buffer outside sound, especially tire noise. VW chooses to not have a Garage door controller. How stupid that seems. The Vehicle does not come with license plate holders, they are dealer provided, the dealer we went through used very cheap ugly holders, and wanted to drill 1/2 holes in both bumpers to attach them. We declined, and will have to find our own solution. thanks VW. About the best thing I can say about this car is it looks nice. The interior is nice, and electronics seem to be pretty good. Backup camera, and sensors work well. Our 2006 VW Bug was a diesel, and was twice as quiet and had a garage door opener that worked great, I for one am sorry we traded up to this vehicle, I was disappointed. I think my wife is also, but wont admit it since she just had to have one.

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  Dont Make My Mistake. - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Gregg - May 5 - 10:56 pm

  Not impressed, what a mistake. The transmission shifts way too often. The around town mileage is horrible. (11) & to top it all off the dealership cat fix it properly because its actually a Chrysler. If you want a Town & Country then buy one at least Chrysler can fix it for you without having to run to the other dealership to obtain parts.

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  I dont like it. - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dissatisfied - May 5 - 10:03 pm

  We bought our Passat new in 2005. Within 3 months plastic pieces began to break. We have stopped having them repaired because the new parts also break. We have had the front tires blow out twice because the car wont hold an alignment. The trunk lid has become so stiff that my wife is not able to open the trunk. Now the car is in the shop with excessive sludge buildup after we used VW for most if not all oil change service. This car has been worse quality than any other car I have ever owned.

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  German Engineering My Butt - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bigwombat - May 5 - 1:57 pm

  The automatic transmission 01M of this car made between year 1999-2003 are known to be the most unreliable transmission ever made. Look for it online, there are so many reports of these transmission breaking down from 100k to 150k miles. Mine is even considered a good case, where it broke down right after 200k miles, but throughout my ownership of the car I dropped so much many to fix and maintain the transmission, that in the end, I dont think it is worth it. Pros: Gets decent MPG. Can reach high speed. The manual version seems reliable from reviews. Cons: Horrible auto transmission. Loud. Weak acceleration. Expensive to maintain.

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  What happen to German engineering??? - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jam - April 26 - 10:00 am

  I love the interior & exterior design and thats the only good thing I can say about VW. I had so many problem w/ this car that Im planning to trade in. Here are some of the problems: (1) engine oil consumption (1qt/ every 1000miles) - dealer said it was normal but now VW has a special repair kit. (2) air flow meter failure (3) oxygen sensor failure (4) door lock actuator problem (5) rattle from interior (6) Catalytic converter failure.... And Im preparing myself for window regulator failure soon (it hasnt happened yet but my rear door window dropped few times). And most of all, bad treatment from dealership makes me to hate myself for buying VW.

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  SAFETY ISSUE BE AWARE - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By simoghize - April 19 - 6:27 pm

  i hate a car in front of me which caused other 2 cars ahead to be involved in the accident. the damage was severe as the whole front of the car was crashed including the engine and the passenger was fatally injured, he had a shoulder dislocation. what surprised me are the airbags, they never deployed even though i was driving 60 mph. after few days volkswagen of America sent an engineer to inspect the car. After he left i noticed the seatbelts are loose and the bottom cover is opened, it seems like he did it in purpose. before he came the seat belts were fine. what most surprised me is his decision that the airbags cant deployed in this case. iIshowed him the bottom of the car where is the chassis, it was bent from the direct impact of the forces that came through the bumper which also cause the front beam to twist, but never gave me a satisfied explanation. People who try to buy this car and have kids please be aware of this safety issue, my family was blessed to get out of this accident just with a shoulder dislocation, which could be worst. My next step is lawsuit against VW.

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  Problems with Jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By S. Adams - April 17 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car thinking I wouldnt have a lot of repairs. Numerous problems have occurred: oxygen sensor replaced 3 times, driver visor replaced, cup holder replaced(2) passenger seat spring replaced, catalytic converter replaced, air conditioner compressor replaced, 1 keyless remote doesnt work, rust in trunk, engine light on 4 times, batteries (2), mass air flow meter replaced, wires replaced, throttle body replaced, timing belt, V-belt, 2 tensioners replaced, car jerks when changing gears (dealer cant explain), ticking noise under hood (dealer cant explain); not to mention regular maintenance. I will never purchase another VW vehicle.

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  German engineering - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jg - April 9 - 10:43 pm

  The car has been very good in most respects with the one great exception. The electrical system is atrocious. One problem after another with many of the plugs and connectors burning off. Lights interior and exterior which sometimes work sometimes not. Also,nearly every visit to the dealer for repairs ends in a $700 to $1000 bill. NO more farfagnugan for us.