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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  Where did it go wrong?!?! - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By Nick - July 12 - 8:46 am

  The GTI is fun to drive. The handling and power are average. I recommend the 02 and up GTIs (30 more HP). All the rumors about the electric and use of cheap parts are true. The sunroof drainage tubes are cheap rubber hoses that will leak on you. The power windows will go out on you. The cheaper stock turbo hoses will leak or bust. Get use to seeing the check engine light on. stock suspension is too high and loose for the handling one might want. I recommend upgrading to the 20th/337 GTI suspension. I am on my second oil pan and second fuel pump. Get the timing belt done as soon as possible. If that goes out it takes the whole engine with it. Poor design!!

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  Piece of junk - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Eric - July 11 - 10:36 am

  I bought this car new in 2002 since day one it was an electrical nightmare. Air cond. stopped working first year. It took a month for the dealer to fix. It took 7 trips to the dealer and me figuring that there was a short in the telescopic steering wheel. Besides the at least 50 or so times this car has been in the shop, the best is when the timing belt snapped while backing out of a parking spot ended up costing me $3500 because it has an interference engine where all the valves get bent requiring head to be redone. There was a bulletin stating there was a problem with antifreeze leaking down the wiring harness, of course this happened to my car. Do not buy this car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Great Gas MPG, Great Car - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TDI Lover - July 11 - 4:36 am

  Great car, a bit more refined compared to the last few years. The 1.9l with the 6 speed auto works great together. Averaging over 40mpg so far. I have had it 14 days and and over 2000 miles on it so far. Cant go wrong.

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  Just the Facts - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Descartes - July 10 - 9:43 pm

  On July 10, 2006, I took my 2001 Volkswagon Passat wagon to the dealer for a safety recall replacement of of an item related to the right rear wheel. I had called one week earlier to make an appointment, however after showing up, they said that they did not have the part. Today (8/3/06), the same thing happened again! I had even called the day before to confirm that the part was in and that they could do the replacement! Other problems include: 1) a drive train axle broke 18 months after the purchase, 2) none of the cup holders work (they broke off or are stuck closed) and 3) I had to glue the glove compartment shut after months of trying to fix it.

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  lemon beetle - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By verna portugues - July 10 - 8:53 am

  I have spent over $8,000 trying to get my beetle to stop jerking without avail. Now I have to spend another 6,000 to replace the transmission. And I still owe on the car. the beetle is a pretty car but not worth the hassle.

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  Ill never BUY a VW again! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mitch - July 10 - 7:56 am

  After 6 mnts of owning the car it was in the shop weekly.There was some kind of light that prevented me from taking my car out of park!what!?Then for no reason the back seat belt tightened up to the point that it would not move, it was so tight that it was ruining the leather in the car.Then I was told I needed new spark plugs and a spark plug wire set,it was $13 per spark plug and the wire set was $350!Total it was about $500 for a simple fix! Then my coil pack went bad which was $600 plus they told me that my coil pack ruined my plugs and wires again,(happened about a week after i already replaced the plugs and wires). I dumped that car at a dealership and will never own a German car again!

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  Very impressed - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike A. - July 9 - 9:03 pm

  Having only ever owned Honda Accords and Civics, I decided to take a chance on an attractively priced new 2016 Jetta Sport 1.8t automatic with Lighting Package. I really love driving this car. Its smooth and refined. The 1.8t has nice power delivery and the automatic transmission shifts quickly and smoothly. Style wise the Jetta is understated and more mature looking than other cars in its class. There are a good amount of hard plastics used in the interior, however the fit and finish is superb, and the overall look is upscale and classy. Very Audi-esque. The interior also delivers where it counts with a very nice leather wrapped steering wheel, amazingly comfortable and good looking two toned leatherette seats, and a nice infotainment system. You can tell the engineers put a lot of thought into driver enjoyment. Little niceties include a fully adjustable arm rest, quality leather around the shifter, factory all weather floor mats, one touch window up/down switches, extremely comfortable front and rear seats, auto opening trunk, and xenon headlights that turn while steering. The car is also smoother, quieter, and noticeably quicker than my Civic. All this for less than $18,000! The only negatives worth mentioning are that the audio system needs a lot of tweaking just to sound decent, and the piano black trim on the interior scratches very easily. Again, great car for the $$.

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  Very impressed - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike A. - July 9 - 9:03 pm

  Having only ever owned Honda Accords and Civics, I decided to take a chance on an attractively priced new 2016 Jetta Sport 1.8t automatic with Lighting Package. I really love driving this car. Its smooth and refined. The 1.8t has nice power delivery and the automatic transmission shifts quickly and smoothly. Style wise the Jetta is understated and more mature looking than other cars in its class. There are a good amount of hard plastics used in the interior, however the fit and finish is superb, and the overall look is upscale and classy. Very Audi-esque. The interior also delivers where it counts with a very nice leather wrapped steering wheel, amazingly comfortable and good looking two toned leatherette seats, and a nice infotainment system. You can tell the engineers put a lot of thought into driver enjoyment. Little niceties include a fully adjustable arm rest, quality leather around the shifter, factory all weather floor mats, one touch window up/down switches, extremely comfortable front and rear seats, auto opening trunk, and xenon headlights that turn while steering. The car is also smoother, quieter, and noticeably quicker than my Civic. All this for less than $18,000! The only negatives worth mentioning are that the audio system needs a lot of tweaking just to sound decent, and the piano black trim on the interior scratches very easily. Again, great car for the $$.

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  New Tiguan - First Impressions - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By TimG59 - July 9 - 1:00 pm

  Picked up our new White Gold w/Beige SEL 4-Motion a week ago but had to drive 4+ hours to get it due to the non-availability of what we wanted in our area. Great vehicle and I broke a personal cardinal rule about buying a car the first year its offered because I was so impressed with it. The rear-view camera didnt work but the techs at my local dealer found a loose connection behind the radio. They rebuilt the connection and it works just fine. There is also some wind noise from the roof rails. There is plenty of room and comfort front and back and the acceleration & handling is fantastic. Well see how the mileage works out as it breaks in over the next month or so

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  Nice When it Runs - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lemon Holder - July 9 - 2:00 am

  Have owned the passat for less than a year and has been in the shop for 28 days. I didnt buy a new car to be in the shop all year. Typical problems coils fail, esp. in cold weather. Power relay also failed. Various engine alarms need to be reset. All parts are typically on back-order and take 2 weeks to get. Will invoke Wisconsin lemon law soon and attempt to get refund.