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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  Excessively Burning Oil - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Andrew - October 11 - 1:26 pm

  I purchased a used VW Passat with 19k miles. At one point, I checked the oil dip stick and discovered the engine consummed 2 quarts of full synthetic oil in approximately 4900 miles. I approached the dealer and I was told this is normal for this engine. In fact, the service person stated, I should consider myself lucky, others are burning more! With no help from the dealer, I called the 800 VW number (March of 2010). As a solution,VW staff stated I could go to the dealer, have them change the oil, and return within the 6k oil change interval and at that time,(and at my cost) the dealer would weigh the oil and determine if I was within VWs standard.

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  Great Vehicle, would buy again! - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By My New Passat Wagon - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Actually purchased this car via internet-telephone...the dealer was low pressure. The salesman was well versed in the cars features and professional. Would definitely buy another VW, this is my third and while the first one had its quirks the last two have been a dream.

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  Marvelous to drive, miserable to own. - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dennis - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I love driving this car: it is so refined -- beautiful interior, wonderful road manners, responsive performance. Headlights stink, otherwise its a joy to drive. But... I hate owning this car: despite putting extremely low mileage on the car and performing all scheduled maintenance on the dot, Ive had and endless parade of extremely expensive problems. Engine leaking oil in FOUR places (three of them directly onto the catalytic converter, for maximum fire hazard), clogged heater core (no heat), transmission leak & slippage, all three ignition coils failed, brake booster failed. Build quality is vault-like, but component engineering is criminally poor.

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  I Wanted To Like This Car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By chad3072 - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in 2008 with 17,000 miles on it. Now it has 40,000 on it and its been in the shop 3 times. The first time it went in the exhaust pipe ripped right out of the turbo and it sounded like a diesel truck. The next morning after I got it back I put my A/C on and it didnt work,so back to the dealer I went. They had to replace the whole compressor and flush the system. Two months after that it started to make a growling noise when I hit the throttle hard to pass, guess what I took it back and they said it was the cam shaft. I got it back last week and tonight I went to pick my daughter up from day care put the key in and tried to start it up and the engine is locked up.(JUNK)

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  one month very good - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By CMc - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Great mixture of fun to drive and fuel economy. Getting about 36 mpg city and 45 highway. great stereo, love the sd memory card feature. Surprising trunk space; I like the bluetooth connectivity.

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  Id never buy another VW - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jhawklaw - October 11 - 7:33 am

  Ive had more problems with this car than any Ive ever owned. I bought it new and the Check Engine light has been on more often than its been off. The driver and passenger window have fallen through the door 3 times (the last 2 VW paid for). The O2 censor and Mass air flow censor have been replaced 8 times. The right rear brake calliper has gone out twice. It has electrical problems out the wazzoo. Expensive to repair and constantly needs repair. Germans over-engineered it to a fault. Interior falling apart. "leather" comes off door handles, glove box broke from normal use. Replaced hazzard switch (before it was recalled). All in all very bad car experience.

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  reliable - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kkingston57 - October 10 - 8:49 pm

  Have had car for 55K miles and still have original tires(Bridgestone Turanzas) getting 40+ MPG and drive conservatively. Have heard of people getting 50 MPG. Is this downwind?

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  Well Mannered but boring - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Winter1 - October 9 - 2:46 pm

  This is a well mannered wonderfully smooth vehicle with a gorgeous interior, especially all lit for night driving. Underpowered in summer driving with the A/C on. Smoothest car that I owned, but needs more HP and handling. Winter all wheel drive performance was excellent once I ditched the stock tires.

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  Drives like a porsche - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bob Young - October 9 - 5:17 am

  Ive replaced many parts with OEM parts, The Radiator, front axles(2), new brakes- front/back, timing belt, water pump, front airbag, turn signal led strip, 4 new tires- 65k warranty. Body has a few small dings and scrapes, leather interior is very good condition, overall a good daily driver or 2nd backup vehicle, dependable and drives great.

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  So Far, So Good - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By david85m - October 7 - 3:20 pm

  Well, after swearing I would NEVER own another VW after my experience with my 2000 Beetle, I had to get a new 2006 model. I bought the Gecko Green Beetle, and so far, Im THRILLED with the car. The small changes theyve made to it (cupholders, chrome around vents, exterior lights, 5 cyl engine) have made all the difference. It is like no other car on the road...I just cant stay away from it! It does kind of stink that Im always scared it wont start due to previous experience, but so far so good! Ive had just a few small issues, the rear hatch sometimes takes two tries to open, the speakers rattle pretty badly and the gas mileage is way worse than before.