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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  sell @ 90000 miles - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By john - September 3 - 6:30 pm

  Our Jetta was great until it reached 90,000 miles. The first thing that happened was the check engine light came on. After unsuccessful 3 tries by VW to correct the problem (average $300 repair each time) the light remained on. At 92,000 the generator went out (cost $850). You would have thought it was made of gold or something. That depleted my savings of which I was going to replace the timing belt/water pump (recommended @ 100k) @ $900 and the front stablizer mounts @$250, but instead I sold it. It was a great vehicle until 90k when it began to eat us out of house and home.

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  Keeping the fingers crossed.... - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By T Digs - September 3 - 10:00 am

  After owning Hondas and Yotas, I took a chance on the Passat. For the money, I beleive its one of the best looking cars on the road. It has performed up to my standards thus far and although it doesnt see much highway- its at its best there. The turbo lag is truly noticeable, but once you shift into second, the rocket boosters kick in. Noticeable exterior flaw that Ive noticed on mine and others is the fogging and subsequent BAD LOOKs of the chrome trim around the windows. Given the excuse as many have heard that it mustve been caused by a car wash. (guess I should just leave it dirty). Crossing my fingers it can deal with a long WI winter.

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  Good and Bad - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By g2driver44 - September 3 - 8:26 am

  I bought my 02 Jetta new from the dealer and put 263,000 miles on it. The Good: I fell in love with gas mileage..700 miles to a tank. This was my first import car and the handling was awesome. I traveled from Washington to N. California and never broke down. The most comfortable seat I have ever sat in... maybe because I spent all my time in this car, it was custom fit to me. The resale value of this car only took me 24 hours to sell. The Bad: The cost of maintenance on the TDI was enough to drive you mad. $500 every time they had to look at the car. I had some check engine lights come on after 30k, 60k and 90k. Burned through countless o2 sensors.

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  Its a shame - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Steve C. - September 3 - 1:56 am

  It let me down. Ive maintained this car well. Babied it, in fact. Did all of the proper fluid changes, including brake and coolant flushes, rotated tires, etc. But it still began to require expensive repairs around 70,000 miles. Brake pads only lasted around 30K. The exterior and interior held up well. The leather seats are soft and durable without much care and conditioning. The car handles great, does good in the snow, but oil leaks and coolant problems ruined an otherwise great experience. I wouldve kept buying VW products if they could just hold together to 100,000 miles without expensive repairs. Sadly, they cant. Nice car, just dont keep it much past the warranty.

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  Audi lite - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By former audi owner - September 2 - 2:26 pm

  Coming off of an 06 A4 lease and wanted another small German car. Loved the A4 but it was too expensive. Decided on the SEL knowing that it didnt have the same power or amenities. Ive only had the car for 2 weeks and Ive driven mostly in heavy traffic. My initial impression is that the SEL has a solid feel and is responsive. Low end torque is a little sluggish though. Interior is nice and clean. Im not getting great gas mileage but Im hoping thats due to the initial break-in period. All in all, a very impressive car for the price.

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  Needs Improvements - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By Choisan - August 31 - 2:00 am

  This car was my first brand new car. Here is my grand list of bad behavior by my little golf; rear break pads and rotors replaced at 20k, radio replaced due to sticky buttons, mid console replacement due to damage during radio installation, rear break pads replaced again after another 15k miles! At 40k miles, water pump and timing belt went! Covered under warranty, but they also had to replace oxygen sensor and mass air flow sensor. Bottom line, the car is neat, but reliability sucks, VW service dept. sucks, and customer care folks suck too. So, I hope that my experience will help deter future suckers from buying a German engineering nightmare.

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  Love my 2nd Passat - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By vigupta - August 31 - 2:00 am

  I love my 2000 Passat GLS. This one has the 5-speed stick, which makes the car much more fun to drive. My 1998 Passat (RIP--smashed up by a drunk driver) was the Tiptronic automatic. Much slower.

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  Great, except for seat comfort! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By heathera - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Great car!

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  Stylish and Practical - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By 4petite - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Up to 1200 miles and having fun. Minor little transmission problem that fixed itself. This is my first German car so Im a little worried about reliability, but it sure is more fun than my Toyota. Great safety features for the price.

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  VW wolf 1999 - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dionj82 - August 29 - 8:10 pm

  This was a reliable and fun car. I never had any mechanical problems whatsoever. The only electrical issue i ran into was of course the window regulator and the instrument cluster. I loved the sound system and the body style most about the car. Sadly my wife was in a wreck which totaled my jetta, whats amazing is she had no injuries. The safety features were on point. Overall i would say say its a decent car to own!