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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  Did not enjoy this car - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Not a Fan - May 21 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a major disappoinment. I leased this car new in 1998 and have been trapped in a four year lease! It was great for the first year, but on the one year anniversary of the car, the electrical system shorted out. Since then, my dashboard shorts out and I have to hit the dash to get the lights back on. My stereo gets louder as I try to turn it down. Then my wheel covers ended up missing. To top it all off, my exhaust system fell out, and was not cheap to replace. Now I have an unidentified rattling coming from the rear of the car. I also found that I did not have that great of a gas mileage. Oh well, live and learn. Ill never buy VW again.

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  Not Again - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By kyle clinton - May 18 - 3:23 pm

  I received a new GTI for graduation. On my first trip to college with less than 3,000 miles, 6 weeks old, the compressor cracked and backed off the engine shredding the belt. This car stranded me 120 miles from home. My parents brought car back to VW to be fixed. The fix lasted five days. My parents attempted to drive up to my college and the compressor shut down again, this time 590 miles from home. My parents brought it back to VW again, now they are saying two weeks at minimum. This car only has 2000 miles on it. The Honda Civic Si is looking really good right now.

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  too many times at the shop (bad) - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mildreys Hereira - May 16 - 2:00 am

  I had problems with the windows ( twice), engine,interior,anything electrical. It is kind of sad but this is a brand new car and I have been at the shop to many times. I have contactd Volkswagen of American and they do nothing. The good thing is that I have convinced couple of friends not to do the same mistake by buying a Volkswagen. I will never again buy a Jetta NEVER!You live and learn. I have missed school because tmy car is not reliable. :(

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  Worst car I ever had - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By MADF - May 11 - 12:30 pm

  Too many electronic problems. Problems with the aor pressure system. The cars main computer went out. VW in Detriot does not stand behind the car. I will never have another VW product.

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  Bleck - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Michael Pollack - May 9 - 10:00 am

  The interior rattles are ridiculous, and the dealers that I have brought it to have not fixed them and do not seem to care. It has had rattles from day 1, and the dealers have only made it worse, or simply lied about serivce that was not actually performed. It has been disappointing, and I cannot wait to get rid of it. Its cute and that is about all it has going for it. Forget about picking up more than one person at the airport.

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  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By hatetoureg - May 7 - 5:19 pm

  Save your money and shop else where. We bought this car new in 2007 from Stolhman. I hate the people at Stolhman. They are rude and were soo unhelpful from the moment we had to bring it in for issues at 5,000 miles. In the end they blammed us. This car is beyond disappointing and I wouldnt drive it again if someone gave me one for free with a million dollars. The number of little items that went on the car from the beginning were endless...at 100,000 miles it needed over $8,000 in repairs. I never had an accident with this car. Interior fabulous. Issues included: Tire sensors were broken from day one, transmission, heater issues, window issues, break issues and the list goes on..

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  2002 Jetta 1.8T - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By chumani - April 28 - 11:34 pm

  If it makes you feel better I have a wagon. This car would be a great car if all the parts could be shipped next day from Germany. Good luck with your transmission. You can start thinking about replacing it at 60,000 miles. The tiptronic switch is easy to replace if youre a mechanical geek but if not it will cost you around $500.00 to fix. This is not the kind car you buy parts from your local part store. Be ready to get dirty and learn how your car works or pay a hefty price at the shop and Im just talking about your regular maintenance. If you can afford the upkeep of an Audi then go for it because thats what youre buying anyway.

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  opened can - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By gephart meinstroff - April 27 - 10:00 am

  dont buy it, have had 4 problems with convertible top, no parts available.

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  Waste of Money. Do not buy. - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Angela - April 24 - 1:56 pm

  I bought a 2006 VW 2.0t passat, with 48,000 miles in may of 2009. This car is a piece of junk. Thank goodness I had a certified pre-owned warranty on it, good until 75,000.2 months after buying this, a transmission valve (I think that what its called. Not much of a car expert.) broke. Repair costs totaled $1400.00, which I didnt have to pay b/c of the warranty. 5 months later, the check engine light came on. VW told me that my gas cap wasnt on tight enough. I took it to the dealer, $2200.00 worth of stuff wrong. Once again, all covered under warranty, thankfully. Last week, had to have the car towed from work. Engine gasket broke and pcv valve bad. $500.00. Trading it in tomorrow.

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  Never another VW - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Earl - April 6 - 12:36 am

  This has been my worst vehicle I have owned,first Wagon sold in Oklahoma nothing but mechanical problems. Electronic sensors contnue to go out which are expensive to replace, 82000 had timing belt replaced plus other repairs, $1200.00 now all cylinders misfiring, another electronic sensor,$800.00 plus. The timing chain behind cam loose and chewed up plastic shield making shrill sound when running, cost to replace $1100 plus. If I had taken it back to dealer would be much more. If I can sell it after repaired for what it is costing me to repair it will be gone and replaced with an American made car. If you have more money than you need by a VW it will soon be gone.