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 annoying stuff... - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Thomas - April 3 - 10:10 am

  The V6 is underpowered, but performs well for a vehicle this weight. Smooth ride and excellent handling. After 40k miles in one year, thankfully, no maintenance nightmares. Only annoying stuff that keeps you coming back to the dealership - tire pressure sensors always going out, allignment issues, and way too many recalls. Dealership (Boardwalk VW, Dallas) has an excellent service dept, highly recommended for those in DFW area. Not as well built as some suggest, a couple of creaks in dash. After reading other reviews, I would also be very upset about the reliability of this vehicle for the price paid, but overall a good experience here.

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  major disappointment - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By bengal - April 2 - 5:06 am

  I loved my Passat, but was concerned about reliability when the car was no longer under warranty. (I previously experienced major post warranty repair expense with a 2001 BMW 540) Last week the car died and wouldnt start at a stop light at a busy intersection. I had it towed to a repair shop. The next day the car started and ran fine, with codes showing no problem. The reason for the car not starting problem was unexplainable. Also last week the compressor on the HVAC system died, a $1000 repair. After reading reliability experience of other owners,I was so concerned about the potential for continued problems that I traded for a 2009 Altima and purchased a 100,000 mile extended warranty.

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  jetta - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By aike - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Had suspension problems at 15,000 miles. Dealer fixed (under warranty!) Stated that it probably came off the line this way. good pick-up at high speeds. Go with stick shift. It is, after all, a VW!

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  Great car, but high maintenance - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cl002004 - March 29 - 3:35 am

  Ive had this car for about 8 years now. Im not really a car enthusiast, just need something to comfortably take me from point a to point b without any issues. It does exactly what I need it to do most of the time. The only thing is that unexpectedly random things will go wrong with it. In the past 8 years, power steering broke, oil leaked, trunk door got stuck, and my favorite, the ignition lock(?) broke so that my key would not go in the ignition. Very costly to get these issues fixed, on top of high regular maintenance costs. Replacing the ignition lock cost $700 + towing expenses.

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  Eye Catcher - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lovemyvw - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Overall, I love my Beetle Convertible. Its a ton of fun to drive. It turned a lot of heads this summer with the mellow yellow paint and the top down. Its certainly not a fast car, but it will get moving on the highway. The cup holders are hard for more then one person to use and the back seat is tight. If you take it on a trip, plan on packing lite. If you dont have anyone in the back seat, use the windscreen; it really cuts down the wind and makes for only a moderate wind on the highway. If you buy and the windscreen doesnt come with it; it is worth the money to buy one. The car is great in the snow as well.

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  Overall a good buy - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By simms_jr - March 27 - 3:42 am

  A few things that bugs me about the new jettas is the fact they are down grading materials like toyota and honda for example rear drum brakes whats up with that thats what id expect from civic or a corolla not a VW it came standerd all wheel disc breaks up in till now and the premium feel of the dash gone now hard plastic cheper cloth unless you upgrade whats up with that "you get what you pay for."

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  No regrets - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Macsimone - March 27 - 1:40 am

  I was looking for a hatchback.I checked several makes. I really liked the GTI. Then tried the TDI Golf. Fuel economy displaced the GTI fun factor. As I was dealing on a TDI Golf I tried the TDI Sportswagen. It just felt smoother than the Golf, so I bought a TDI JSW with DSG. No paddle shifting like on the GTI and TDI Golf, but the extra room, smoother ride and great handling made up the difference, no regrets. I have a MB AMG E55 and BMW 335 hardtop convert, so I have transport options. The JSW gets the most use. It is one of those cars you hop in and just go and go and go. It is getting 45 mpg using D and S and manually shifting when I want more involvement. Diesel $ still less than premium.

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  My Third Jetta in Twelve Years - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By A.J. Peterson - March 27 - 1:30 am

  So far my experience has been great. I have had no problems with the car as of yet. My wife kicked the exit light cover off but, I snapped it in place and where the dealer installed the lock box the rubber is turned inward form the holder. I will see how the dealer handles this on the first service. This is my third Jetta, the first one was a 97 GL with a 4cyl. 5- speed transmission, crank moonroof and no power steering but, it did have power windows. My second one was a 95 GLX VR6 and it was loaded with again a 5-speed transmission. Now Ive bought a 06 Spice Red Tubrbo 4 with a 6-speed transmission. I had to get used to the extra gear and driving a stick again. I would have gotten the DSG but, my wife will get an EOS in the fall.

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  An Opinion - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By wscott3d - March 26 - 7:13 pm

  Controls somewhat cumbersome, transmission is too tight, shifting can be abrubt. But this cars ride and acceleration are tops. I use mine outdoors often, ability to raise body got me through some tight spots. Also has decent tow ability with its heavy build and motor. the ability to fold seats down allows packing camping gear for 3. When on the road, acceleration in this engine is excellent and mine gives a slight throaty roar during shifts due to the sport gearing. This tranny is DIFFERENT, self shift or select sport gear or just a standard ride. Great city/country car that is reliable.

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  Unreliable - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By KJM - March 25 - 9:53 pm

  I purchased my first new car ever four years ago hoping to get away from car problems for at least five years and went with the Consumer Reports car of the year. I bought the most expensive Passat wagon with the all wheel drive, and paid for it almost entirely out of my pocket. Since then I have have had several problems with it. Most recently the computer died costing about $2,000. The garage made me wait a week to bring it in. They are the rudest garage ever. They make almost no effort to appese the customer. The last problem I had with really squeaky brakes and they told me it was normal and that bus sdqueked too. I will never buy another Passat.