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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  The Bug I Had To Have - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Meillasdad - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I kick myself everyday for buying this car. It was so cute, that I didnt think before purchasing. It has given me problem after problem. My interior is peeling too. I have replace countless sensors. I now have a EC... sensor going bad. My gas cap release only periodically works. The paint chips easily, however, it still looks really nice with red colour wax. I needed a new throtle assembly last month, $1000 installed. I have put $3000 in three months. Time for new car, eh?

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  2008 VW Jetta SE Auto - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By carnut1973 - November 12 - 10:41 pm

  We purchased our 2008 Jetta SE (auto) brand new. My wife was the primary driver on our Jetta and we could not have been more pleased with the Jetta. In fact, 7 months later I bought a 2007 Jetta GLI for myself. We considered an Accord Coupe but the Jetta was $3,000 less and had more features. The car now has over 50,000 miles on it and still has not had any repairs--just regular maintenace...still on original brakes and tires, even. City driving returned around 22 mpg and highway driving would return up to 35 mpg...usually averaged 32-33 mpg on road trips. Quiet and comfortable to drive, cavernouse trunk and loaded with features.

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  Feel Cheated - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nora - November 11 - 5:00 am

  The mantra at the time of purchase was reliability. Now the mantra is how expensive maintainance will be to keep it from breaking down (again). My car has only 36,000 km on it, it has cost me a fortune in preventative maintainance and still broke down leaving me stranded about 600 miles from home (ERG valve). Dealerships have a monopoly and once you purchase they are free to charge you what ever they want if you want to keep your warranty. I do not feel confident driving distances after authorized service technicians have warned me of potential breakdowns. I will never buy VW again.

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  Driver Drving AWAY - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By David Chochol - November 10 - 3:00 pm

  CC brought me back and is now Driving me away. I cant wait to trade it on a LS430 Lexus. Stain in the rear window will not come out with anything! Seems to be the plastic melted into the glass. Sand grinding sound in the steering colunm which was replaced @ 2,700 miles, 700 on the miles driving back and forth to the dealer. Ebrake fully killed battery(dealer said no) the is a service recall,(NHTSA Item Number: 10029084) Only 2000 miles. Paint has Flaws on trunk. FLOOR MAT get folded under your feet liek Toyota. Speedo is OFF 4 MPH. 65 is actally 61. VW dealer said this is accepted. BS.

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  Reliability, Build, and style - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By connor7 - November 7 - 12:54 pm

  I bought my MKIV almost a year ago, and cannot sell it to any offer. Between its peppy engine and reliability, I love it. The 1.8t has been nothing but good news, but be warned..Know how to drive and maintain these cars or you will have issues. I put 40k on it in the past year for work and school, going 100+ on most highway journeys, bringing it to 236k. Besides the belt changes done by the previous owner, its needed very little work. No oil leaks or power loss, or tranny problems yet. The trannys usually cant pass 150k but I guess im lucky. A con is the materials used in the interior. Headliner falling, door panel upholstery falling off, and finish fade. Numerous modifications available

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  new owner and loving it - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Buggy Bob - November 7 - 3:13 am

  We just bought this car and we love it. The ride is solid and smooth. The interior feels really spacious when your inside but when you look at it from the outside it looks smaller. Optical illusions....very cool.

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  Not Buying VW Again - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By orchid - November 5 - 12:46 am

  My experience with my VW Golf has been less than great. I received atrocious customer service at the dealership where I bought my car and only OK customer service at other dealers in San Diego. Anyway, as for the car itself, it handles well WHEN IT WORKS, but the faulty brake light switch would prevent me from buying another VW. Its failed ONCE PER YEAR for each year Ive owned the car, with a cost of $125 per repair. The brake light switch causes the car to get stuck in park. This is a known defect for Golfs manufactured around 2001! Why wont VW fix this problem? I have had other repairs, but this is the most irritating. I will buy a Toyota next time.

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  Love My Touareg - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Donald Tretler - November 4 - 8:50 am

  My Touareg is a terrific looker, bold, strong, bright and Colorado Red. Not a day goes by that someone doesnt remark about how sharp she looks. She is comfortable, solid and well built. The ride is great, she handles well, just hugs the road. Visibility is good. So far she has been great in snow and I drive from NH to FL with less fatigue. The sound system is quite good, everything works and I have not had anything go wrong. I love my Touareg!!

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  So far, so good - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By pghtiny - November 3 - 1:06 pm

  I placed an order for a 2.0T manual sport package Passat sedan in late March and got the car in late June. The car is well worth the wait. After over 4 months, Im still exploring the features available in this car, especially the radio system. I do mostly city driving, so that takes a hit on fuel economy (22-24 MPG). When I do get on the highway (27-31 MPG), though, this car wants to go!! Only time I had to take it to the shop was when I had the dash panels disconnected with a connector unplugged and I placed the key in the ignition to open the windows. A third party programming tool could have solved that problem without going to the dealer. I upgraded from a 1986 VW Golf.

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  Own 2002.5 MY/2003 spec - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Love my 3yr old VW! - November 3 - 10:00 am

  With 50k of miles my VW is holding up well. No problems except the ECU for the dash needed to be replaced. I love the high quality feel of the interior and driving dynamics. The 17" alloys dont detract from the feel of the ride and look great. The beige interior gets dirty very quick tho so its not recommended for families with young children. The 1.8T with the automatic has tons of turbo lag but I can live with it.