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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  Great mileage---if it runs - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By quite_unsatisfied - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I have had several breakdowns with this car. This was bought as a new car. First, I had an electrical problem, where the security system broke and kept the engine from running. Then, at 30000 miles, the glow plugs and glow plug relay went out, and had to be replaced at my expense because they were not part of the "powertrain" even though the car would not run without them. VW wouldnt replace my warped rotors at 10000 miles saying that they were "within tolerances". Then I had to pay to get them replaced when the warranty ran out. It stopped running yesterday at a busy intersection. I am extremely dissastisfied.

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  THIS CAR SUCKS - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By REZO - October 28 - 2:00 am

  1. 8 SEPERATE TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR THE IGNITION COILS. 1 EA. FOR DIAGNOSTIC 1 EA FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE. 2. 2 TRIPS BOTH FOR VACUUM LINE PROBLEMS. 3. 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR A SECONDARY AIR PUMP PROBLEM 4. 2 TRIPS FOR AN EMISSIONS SENSOR THAT WAS PROBABLY RUINED BY THE NEXT PROBLEM. 5. NEEDED NEW ALL NEW PLUGS BECAUSE THEY WERE FOULED. YES, I USE THE CORRECT OCTANE, THANKS FOR ASKING. 6. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTER THE AIR PUMP WENT BAD, I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK AND HAVE THE COMBINATION VALVE REPLACED. 7. AND MY FAV THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR. IVE HAD 3, YOU?

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  At the crossroads with this vehicle.... - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By scottx25 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  The diesel engine purrs, gets great mileage and will probably last forever. Great seats, handles well. Now for the negatives (at 40,000k): Sticky rear hatch, replaced, still sticks. Plastic window clips broke, dealer replaced with metal clips, supposedly warrantied 10 years. Buzzes and rattles that come and go. CEL light, replace glowplugs and relay, $500.00 Rear pads and rotors, plus one of the calipers froze and needed to be replaced, $800.00 Front door sags when opened - a bolt BROKE OFF on the inside of the door for no reason, $300.00 sunroof shade broken... Gas latch opening by itself... Blah, blah....

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  single mom with a car....... : ( - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By shelljj - October 25 - 11:46 pm

  that cost more than the kids do. june 4, 2010 i fell in love, 3 months later i realized my mistake. the reason reason being my engine was burning to much oil so it had to be replaced and the a/c compressor went. today june 13 2011 my car is in the shop because i smell burning oil AGAIN. Also, when my speed is over 55 i hear a low buzzing sound. does anyone else hear that? i love the way it looks, even the way it drives when Im not afraid its going to catch fire. smh! it a love hate relationship with this [violative content deleted] ride.

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  Too Young To Die - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Vector - October 23 - 10:13 am

  I purchased my Jetta in 2001, with only 17k. In the 7 years that Ive owned it, the rubber on the sides fell off, the cruise control went out, the keyless entry stopped working, the airbag light goes on and off, and worst of all the transmission is dying at 86,000 miles. The repair shop (a costly VW only shop) could not fix the cruise, the key or the airbag light. They said that I will have to get a new tranny, which would cost more than the car is worth. It takes a lot of effort for it (automatic transmission) to get up to 20 mph (gets up to 50 rpms), and it jerks into second gear. Once it gets to 60 mph, its ok but it takes a lot of work to get there. Not so much fun to drive now.

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  Mixed Bag - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Paul - October 21 - 2:55 am

  TDI has great gas mileage, good power, heavy, road hugging solid car with good storage. Radio went out and that caused a parasitic drain on the battery for some reason. New radio cost $700 plus and while I could have lived without the radio the dead radio was actually draining the battery for some reason and this is a common issue. Fuse box went out and it should not have. The throttle box went out and it should not have. Those were all costly repairs. I had two glo plugs go out but I can live with that and understand that. I love it when it runs and it parks well in an urban area. Then there is the emissions issue which is by now well known and yes I feel deceived like everyone else. I was/am hope to get 300,000 miles out of the car given it is a diesel. I have 65,000 now but I do not know how the fix will affect the car. All in all.....I should have bought a Ford or perhaps a Mazda or Subarau

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  unreliable and overpriced - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Samson13 - October 21 - 2:00 am

  Except fpr great milage, the car is cramped, especially in the back, very expensive when compared to other makes with gas engine, very expensive to maintain and mechanically unreliable. Had trounle with whell bearing, glow plugs, trunk struts, rear brakes. Oil change and filter are ridiculously expensive. Apholstery is a lint magnet. The saving in gas does not justify the extra costs in breakdown and routine maintenance.

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  Another warning light - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sharon - October 19 - 2:50 am

  I purchased my passat used last fall. I was really excited to get it. I got a lemon this time. It is in shop about once a month with a warning light on. Already had part of the dash replaced and about 3 software upgrades. Both headlight burned out at the same time. Just turned 50K so the warranty is gone. I am just waiting for the next problem. VW has let me down. I am going back to toyota as soon as I can.

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  Un-Reliable after 50K miles! - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By negaverse - October 16 - 2:56 am

  I bought the car brand new in 2009 and it was a great drive at first. The car was awesome for the first 2 years. I drove it about 20k miles a year. It was so comfy and fun to drive esp on long trips. But, after about 50k miles, I had so many problems!! Those dreaded EPC lights would always come on! I ended up taking a huge loss on the car with another 1.5 years to pay off but I had safety concerns with a car that would stop accelerating in the middle of the road. I have heard the myths bout VW electrical issues but did not believe them until I bought my own VW. Unfortunately they are true.

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  Poor Quality - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By ihategti - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Windows fall into the door every alternate week. Excessive body roll, this car is NOT fun to drive.