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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  Mid Life Crisis - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Susan B - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Has been an OK car. Wish I had my reliable Jetta back. Have had to 1) Take to dealership for oxygen sensor recall 2) Have the Piston rings replaced - major problem with oil loss. Thankfully, still under warranty 3) Gas door latch had to be replaced 4) Door started to fall off hinge. Dealer told me they have had lots of oil loss problems and everyones gas door has to be fixed.

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  Most Low-Maintenance Car Ive Ever Owned - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By waterwish - April 9 - 9:20 pm

  I bought the 1999 Passat Wagon used in 2001 or so, with 24K miles on it. It had been an executive car at VW in Dearborn. It must have been charmed, because it was the lowest-maintenance car Ive ever owned. I hardly had to spend a dime on that thing except for oil changes and some regular, reasonable maintenance. This was before VW decided to make everything so difficult to repair on all their cars, so the dealers could make a fortune off of consumers with silly repairs. I was able to do simple things like headlamp replacements myself. In 2004 I stupidly traded it for a new one at 0% financing and now Im stuck with a lemon. Dont buy an 04 Passat Wagon!

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  3 DAYS OLD - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By AJOAB - April 9 - 10:00 am

  JUST HAD DELIVERED 2 DAYS AGO..1ST IMPRESSION LOVE IT..FEELS LIKE CAR IS WORTH A LOT MORE..HAVE V6 STANDARD NON PREMIUM..LOVE SPORT MODE..PREV CAR WAS 5 SERIES..POWER ON TOUAREG IS FAR BETTER.MY FRIENDS THINK THE CAR IS WORTH $45K..DASH V/COOL,

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  Great Wagon - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By nimra - April 9 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Passat Wagonused for business has more room than most Message centermidsize SUVs

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  Be careful with 4motion GLX - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By dfmarcus - April 9 - 10:00 am

  This car is great except for one problem that VW cannot fix - the 4motion clunk. Heres what happens… Say Im driving at a speed over 25 mph, and then slow down to around 10-15mph. If I press the accelerator (no stopping), the car jerks really hard into gear. It feels like Ive been hit from behind. VW is aware of the problem and expects a fix within a couple of months. I am not the only person with this issue. http://www.clubb5.com/forums/viewtopic.p hp?t=70416&highlight=4motion http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread? id=1274244

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  Jetta GLS 1.8t - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By George S - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Car is all-around solid. Great interior design with blue and red instrumentation, comfortable seats, simple layout. Performs well, especially fond of acceleration. A sedan, yes, but dont count on fitting large people in the back seat unless the driver and front passenger are each 53". Tiptronic is cool but slow.

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  Disaster...love the car, but 10 service calls?? - 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
  By lastvw - April 8 - 11:52 am

  This has been a nightmare. I have been back to the dealer 10 times with check engine light issues and ad blue issues. brakes squeal in reverse. tires very hard to balance. great car...but I dont have the time for the service....if you buy one, must buy the extended warranty (3rd party).

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  Pretty Happy w/ first Vdub - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Passat Lover - April 7 - 5:10 pm

  I have had the same experience with the O2 sensors mentioned by others, however I had it replaced once and have just ignored subsequent O2 communication and it goes away. The car is a joy to drive and the AWD was solid in the 2008 snowfall. I also have a private mechanic and have avoided VW dealers due to their nightmarish, weak customer relations I hear about constantly. Overall I have been very happy with my GLX. Excellent power, handling and ride. At the time I bought the VW I had also driven an Audi A6 Quattro and opted for the VW. I will go VW again....

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  Love the car - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By sherryV - April 6 - 10:00 am

  Love the car. It is a dream to drive. We had a 98 Honda Accord and compared to what we were driving , I really love this car. Its so far my favorite in price you cant go wrong.

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  Awesome! - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By MattCC - April 5 - 7:13 am

  Coming from a Ford family is was hard to purchase a car from across the pond but I am glad I did. My last two cars were ZX2s and did a great job getting me though college and graduate school but moving to the CC is a whole new story! This car is just so tight and responsive compared to any Ford I have ever driven including the Mustang. This car is even nicer than my fathers LS and my wife’s MB. Only thing I would do different is get the car in Black and get the Nav. Not sure why some people post that they are getting bad gas mileage… I do a lot of highway driving and average 27-30MPG (probably due to the six speed).