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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  Road warrior - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By farfugnugen - January 16 - 8:33 am

  This car averages 22 city 27 Hwy (@75- 80). If the road is good, the car is great, smooth ride, fairly quiet, excellent feedback and handling. 70 mph no different the 90 mph. If you live where the roads are bad, this car is not for you 70 mph will not be tolerable, lots of road noise, and you will feel each bump. Driver seat is great, IPOD could be better(cant see the songs, only track numbers), radio is better then o,k but not great. JPL. BOSE, infinty much better. Very good with one driver on goods roads or in heavy traffic. I love the electronic break, so you can relieve foot pressure with stop and go traffic. 30,000 mile a year road warrior,the seat is the second best Ive had. 8k mile

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  Still satisfied after 4 years - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By JAC - January 15 - 7:03 pm

  We purchased our wagon new about 4.5 years ago. We have been very satisfied with it. It has run well the entire time and the only time there was a problem that was not a recall was when we got bad gas, which isnt the cars fault! Its been driven 1/2 way across the country a couple of times and the gas mileage is pretty ok, averaging 30+ MPG on the highway.

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  V ersatile Vehicle - 2001 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By Tubaman - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I bought this Eurovan used, less than a year old with about 11000 miles, still under warranty. No mechanical problems except a driveline seal replaced under warranty. (Ive always had it serviced at University VW in Albuquerque.) I find it very comfortable to drive long distances, but my wife finds the seats too tall (seat to floor) for sustained comfort. Acceleration is fair with the VR6. Fuel economy is about 20 mpg. The Evan can pull a light trailer too.

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  Great SUV - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By M. Kass - January 14 - 1:36 am

  This is a solid crossover SUV. I have the SE version. Rides like a dream - very, very smooth. Features are great, nearly on par with BMW or MB. Interior is also well done. Seats are very comfortable for all passengers, and theres plenty of legroom in the back. My MPG has been higher than advertised, Im getting about 20/28 instead of 18/24.

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  Love It! - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Frankie - January 13 - 12:20 pm

  I just bought this car a couple months ago, havent had it too long. My first vw. But i love it! Had to have two of the regulators replaced when i got it but no surprise by all the reviews i keep reading. The back right Bose speaker blew out. The clutch is starting to wear out too, but i think the owner before me drove dirty. So once i get a new clutch ill be running smooth again! Wish my car had the heated leather seats though..

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  TDI Plus and Minus - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Terry Thompson - January 11 - 11:20 pm

  The TDI Beetle is a great idea, I bought it because I assumed it would get good mileage and last a long time. Yes and no. It generally gets good gas mileage but there is a problem. Our diesel fuel isnt all that good and the engine has a tendency to combine some of the bad components with carbon particles which, over time, ends up clogging the intake manifold. There has been a solution (a rather expensive one) but VW no longer supports it. You can get to about 30,000 - 40,000 miles before something has to be done. Know this going in, if VW figures out a solution to this problem, the car is a great buy, if they dont stay away.

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  Good Car several problems - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Sean Hunt - January 10 - 4:40 am

  Like most VWs the handling and feel is great. It is a heavy car with a large 5cyl engine. It is a loud engine and the Transmission is not properly tuned for the engine. We had the premium sound system that had the base flare problem...i found a service bulletin on the internet and contacted the dealership and they fixed it under the warranty. The transmission does not downshift until it is almost at a stop. So when the car is going 30mph its still in 5th or 6th gear. And it starts sputtering a bit. Also the tiptronic manual shift has a loss of RPM for a moment in second gear after the shift. And we are noticing a slip and clunk shifting move. I think VW will find a problem soon.

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  Can VW succeed with the Pheaton ? - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW Out to Lunch - January 9 - 10:00 am

  The car is pleasant to drive. The big problem is that VW and their dealers do not seem to be on the same page when it comes to important things like what kind of oil to use for oil changes. The owners manual and VW say to ONLY use 5w40 oil which meets VWs 502.00 standard. That means a synthetic oil. Dealers appearently are tying to not give customers sticker shock on oil changes because they all use conventional motor oil on the order of 5w30 or 10w40. VW has recently issued an 8 year extended warranty for many VWs with the 1.8 turbo gas engine yet they dont seem to be able to convince their dealers to use the very oil that they, VW, says to owners is so very important. Go figure.

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  Big Disappointment - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By MikeLozzie - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Love the engine and styling, the car is way fun to drive, but Ive had it in the shop far too often: ignition coils (four of them, one at a time), brakes (at 20k miles!), headlights (twice), now the transmission is acting up. Im going baqck to Japanese cars.

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  Decent investment - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By michman247 - January 8 - 11:19 am

  I bought this car used, 2.0l, 5 speed manual, with under 95k miles. So far I havent had any problems and it runs great. Overall, the exterior and interior are fine, nothing to brag about although it is a little snug in the back. The car handles well, the power is what youd expect out of a 4 cylinder, 1st gear is almost worthless. As far as maintenance is concerned, I can do most of the basics easily but the more advanced fixes are not cheap. If you can find one that had the timing belt, water pump, tensioner and etc changed recently then youll save yourself a couple hundred dollars. If I had the choice again, Id probably purchase another VW.