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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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  GLB - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gary leblanc - January 21 - 2:00 am

  cramp in the back seat cramp in front seat to let backspace for back passenger. front bumper will break if you hit hard snow in winter...protection panel under motor falls apart in winter...this is a really bad design to reduce noise and protect components (compressor, belts)from snow. If you live where you have winter...be prepare to pay for broken plastic parts around bumper...car is to low. Window will fall from tracks...You will freeze driving to the dealer to get this fix.

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  Thank God for the warranty! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jkocourek - January 16 - 10:00 am

  While the overall performance of the car was great, the car was seriously lacking in quality and reliability. The life of parts and materials leave a lot to be desired - too many items repaired in only two years. Frustrating dealer experience and parts unavailability. Long-term quality/reliability of this model is very questionable. The two best days of my experience with this car were the day I bought it and the day I got rid of it.

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  Yuck - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By walter clayton - January 13 - 11:20 pm

  Having come from four GMC Denalis (01 through 04) I thought I was getting a baby Porsche at a great price. What I have is a vehicle in search of a gear and with lousy torque. This V8 and six speed transmission acts more like a rubber band unwinding when you have to boot it at any speed above 30 mph. The sport selection helps some but it just wont get out of its own way. Lets talk about the wonderful auto lock that locks all the doors whether you like it or not; or how about the lag in opening the locks from the keyless remote. Finally you have to love the feature where you unlock the car remotely and it relocks itself about 30 seconds later. Whats up with that? Mine has no satellite radio and the ties were gone in 15,000 miles.

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  Isnt necessarily aging gracefully.... - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nrlucas - January 13 - 4:04 am

  I bought this car 1 1/2 years old in 2008 with 10,000 miles to replace my totaled 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. I was over the cost of Mercedes maintenance and the Benz-Chrysler era reliability issues, however almost 5 years later this car has proven equally reliable, and because I cant find a good VW mechanic Im still stuck with dealer servicing. I have paid every penny for maintenance of what I paid for my Mercedes...only in a car that cost slightly less than half of what the E320 cost brand new. Its very comfortable, drives nice but there are too many odd failures that have happened to me over the years including having to replace the suspension and fuel pump at 55,000 miles

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  A day didnt go by when something broke! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By trixR4kids - January 9 - 2:43 pm

  It got to the point where virtually every day of ownership meant something else on this barge didnt fall off, break off, peel off or just plain disappear! Electronics were especially "gremlin filled" nightmares. Door locks would stop working, then start locking or unlocking by themselves. Fuel gauge would sit there and pulsate F to E like it was alive! Dash lighting would fade to nothing at night, then come back on brightly until it repeated the blackout thing. After some negotiations, we took it into the dealer and drove out a new Tourag. Then I found out that this thing was built by Chrysler....now I understand!

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  The car I wish I didnt buy... - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Unlucky Owner - January 7 - 2:03 am

  At first we loved the car, looked great, roomy and drove nice. However, during the first year we developed Nothing but problems with no help from the dealer. Suspension problems, engine noise, cd changer was replaced 4 times, window broke, rubber coating in the interior is peeling, thermostat went bad, plastic console broke, seats have mysteriously stained. Service has been horrible. I cannot recommend VW to anyone. See www.myvwlemon.com - I am not affiliated but they helped me solve some problems. Do not buy this car.