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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  BAD EMISSION SYSTEM - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By albertobp67 - March 25 - 7:22 pm

  My 2006 Passat was my dream car in 2006, 40k miles later the engine light came on. $5,000.00 USD later it is still on. I take it to the dealer as required they change a part here and a part there, bill me lots of $$ and 1 to 2 days later the light is on again. Ive had it, I will write to VW the dealer owners and anyone else that might be able to assist in fixing the problem.

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  Quality Review - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By carlo frazzano - March 25 - 11:53 am

  We bought the car new in 2007 and are generally satisfied. Mechanically the car has been good but build quality needs improvement except for the paint job which is the best I have ever seen. Problems we have had are: 1. Three headlight bulbs replaced. 2. Entire locking mechanism for power convertible top had to be replaced. 3. Coolant temperature switch replaced. 4. Four trunk pistons failed with the fifth now broken. 5. Seat belt retainer bezel broken off and replaced. Fuel mileage is average that is 25 around town - less if air running and about 30 mpg at 65 mph if air not running. Trunk space is inadequate and simple repair under the hood is difficult and expensive.

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  Ignition coil Problems!!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By trbochrg - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Love the looks, love to drive it, but the ignition coils are no good, and my dealership is giving me the runaround. They dont care that my coils are failing, and their only option until March is to bring it in, and replace them with coils they have that will contiue to fail!!! What service!!! Cant even get a straight answer about when the new ignition coils will be available!

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  Ten W8 complaints - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By datt - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Steering wheel misaligned. 1st wk in shop to find antenna wire partially severed in mfg. 1. Rear seats dont fold. Trunk 50% reduced from front drive Passat. 2. Steering hard. 3. Seats uncomfortable on long drives. 4. Xeon headlamps used as running lights. Dealer unaware replacement bulbs are $200 a pop. Running lights cannot be disabled. 5. First oil change $105. W8 requires 9 quarts synthetic, with two changes in 1st yr owners expense. 6. Mileage disappointing. 7. Glove box small. 8. Trunk access operation and lock inconvenient. 9. Radio so-so. 10. Sprays itself badly on wet roads.

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  2001 JETTA DIESEL, - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By BUCKMASTER - March 25 - 2:00 am

  EXCELLENT CAR NO PROBLEMS YET ,WE HAVE 67000 KM ON OUR JETTA ,NEW BRAKE PADS FRONT @BACK AT 60000 PLUS REGULAR OIL CHANGES EVERY 16000 ,IT IS A GOOD CAR IN WINTER STARTED ON THE COLDEST DAYS BUT IT SHOULD HAVE A BLOCK HEATER /2003 HAVE THEM . FUEL ECONOMY IS VERY GOOD 40.00 FILL UP 950 KM TOWN 1150 HIGH WAY ,EXCELLENT POWER

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  Love and hate this car - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By majorgeek21 - March 25 - 1:48 am

  I bought this car about 15 months ago and unfortunately it was one of the Jettas that was built in Mexico...so far in this year Ive replaced the compressor ($620) the Temp compressor ($220) the compressor again which was under warranty, the timing belt and water pump ($650) and most recently Coolant fan ($260) not to mention the transmission is at the very start of going out. Its fun to drive and Im sure the ones built in Germany are great but the ones built in Mexico have HORRIBLE reliability and now Im trying to get rid of the POS. its eating my money in gas too! It doesnt get as good of gas mileage as it should...If you want one make SURE it was built in Germany!!!

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  Always broken, Expensive to fix - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ashton - March 22 - 11:33 pm

  Granted, this car was used and had 109,000 miles when I bought it, but it has been nothing but trouble. Had to have it after my cousin got one (and I got to drive it)! Both radiator fans broke within 2 weeks, $460. Multiple cylinder misfires. Some crazy coolant system-related engine code (P2182) that never goes away, had to have the thermostat and the thermostat sensor replaced, $400+. Strut mounts and CV boot joint need to be replaced. Transmission slips going into 4th. Finally found a good VW certified mechanic, but parts are expensive! Trying to sell the thing.

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  Conflicted - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jaimy - March 21 - 10:20 pm

  I bought the car new, and planned on keeping it for a long time. I love the way the car drives. However, the gas mileage is not great. (18 AVG. around town, 24 avg on hwy) Especially when you have to use premium. So far, weve replaced several ignition coils, two water pumps, two temp.sensors, and a timing belt. The front bumper keeps coming loose. And now the car makes a suspicious clunking noise. Its most likely the axle. And the radio has issues. We will be replacing it very soon.

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  Fun, economical, but too many problems. - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Kristi - March 20 - 6:50 am

  I have been a VW driver my entire life and never even considered anything else, but this car has been a huge disappointment. The electric windows malfunctioned twice, the trunk latch has had to be fixed twice, the sunroof wasnt draining properly so every time it rained I had 2 inches of water in my car, the back seat head rests are broken, the lens cover on the headlight pops off randomly, and I have an electronic issue causing a drain on the battery, so the car is dead and has to be jumped about half of the time. Our neighborhood mechanic couldnt fix it so we took it to the dealer, they had it two weeks and still were unable to solve the problem. We sadly will not be buying another VW.

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  Great fun and reliable - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jen - March 19 - 6:56 am

  Classic VW - fun to drive, great performance, good handling and safe. Always feel fun and in control at same time. Turbo really gets going once you learn to drive it.