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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  Avoid this Vehicle - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By bswansen - December 20 - 10:51 pm

  I purchased my 2007 2.0L EOS in December of 2006 and have been relatively happy up until now. At 72K miles the cam shaft sheered off and required a replacement of the cylinder head. The VW service rep also recommended a timing chain and water pump replacement. $6000 later I have my car back. The AC unit also "blew up" and I had to replace the entire system (condenser, evaporator, etc...) Another $2000 (not at the dealer this time. After paying 20% of the original purchase price after only 72K miles, what used to be my favorite car ever has become an albatross. BTW, if you do buy one,l dont let VW dealers service it after the warranty expires. My experience with several dealers sucks!

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  Worst reliability Ive ever encountered - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Andrews - December 17 - 5:10 pm

  The car was purchased used with 33,000 miles on it from CarMax. I purchased the extended warranty after reading spotty reliably ratings. Thank goodness I did. This car has been in the shop five times in the past six months. Weve got a rental Chevy Cobalt for now. Side note: While the Cobalt is not in the same luxury range as the Passat, Im extremely surprised at how nice the car is. Im looking at getting a new Malibu to replace our lemon VW.

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  Great Intention, Average Execution - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gee - December 16 - 5:50 am

  Ive had this car for 6 1/2 years (120,000 miles). Its stylish, well designed, has good fuel efficiency (2.0 engine), is comfortable, and fun to drive. However, compared to modern cars, the build quality and reliability are only average (below average if compared to a Japanese car). Rather than list everything that has gone wrong, Ill say this: averaged over the most of the cars life, Ive had $1,000 of repairs per year. It would be closer to $1,500 if I didnt do most of the diagnostics and labor myself. All of my problems have been mechanical, so the body and interior of the car look GREAT. If you can get one used for a few grand, and dont mind putting $1,000 a year in the car, its a buy!

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  overall, good car - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By srihari - December 16 - 4:40 am

  First of all, I am six feet six inches, most of that legs! Given the fact that I prefer small and efficient cars, nothing that I tested came close to this VW in terms of leg room (lots!). When I first drove it, I was very impressed with the cars power and handling. Interior fit and finish is baby BMW style, gorgeous combination of black and beige. Not so good: the car is heavy! Feels almost like a an older American car: heavy, with a large displacement but uninteresting engine. Lots of torque but no fun to rev up. Nothing like a Mazda or Honda in terms of tossability. Getting about 24-25 mpg, mostly highway. If I floor it just a couple times per full tank, mileage drops to 21 mpg!

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  Needs storage space - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By ejhonda - December 13 - 10:00 am

  The Passat wagon has been good, except for one glaring oversight: absolutely no bin storage in the interior. The glove compartment is very small, and requires you to either remove the owners manual to make room for other items, or to keep the owners manual in the door pocket. The door pockets are very tiny, and the console storage area is virtually non-existent. Other than the storage issue, this car has been a great car to own. Very peppy, comfortable to ride in, and the heated seats and leather interior has been a dream.

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  My car hates me! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Kim - December 13 - 8:40 am

  Bought my jetta used. Ran great 4 a while then the problems started. 2 water pumps, 2 alternators, all round brakes once a year, hose harness broke causing oil to leak on fire wall, timing belt, lights blow out or short out until you tap them often, all 4 VW caps on wheels fell off. Bumper cover almost fell off, paint peeling on hood, front arm rest lid broke, stereo knobs fell off, radio comes on by itself sometimes causing battery to go dead when car is off and parked, moonroof has a mind of its own sometimes wont close for a few tries, steering wheel and dash trim is peeling. Need a new transmission and emission work which I cant afford so she will sit while I cont. To make pymts on her!

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  Vehicle Rollover Safety - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Tiguan Rollover - December 11 - 10:00 am

  Just FYI: Purchased this vehicle for my wife; last week she was side-swiped by a taxi. Car rolled over on one side (drivers side), then righted itself and landed on top of a third vehicle with 2 wheels in the air. The build on the vehicle saved her life; without the drivers side airbags, my wife would be gone!!! Insurance is replacing the vehicle, and Im getting her a Tiguan again. Thank goodness for VW!!!

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  cool car. some draw backs - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By RE - December 11 - 1:50 am

  Style is obviously good. But the interior (radio and environmental) is not that impressive. The fan comes on full speed with a twist of the temp control and other buttons/knobs... I find it pretty annoying. The leather seems pretty cheesy. If you put something lightly heavy on the seats it show an indentation forever. I have the std. Speaker system installed. The sound quality is not horrible, but its pretty bad. The speedo is also off by one mph. At night the interior lights do night dime enough. It gets pretty bright once your eyes adjust to dark.

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  Look elswhere... - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By John K. - December 11 - 1:23 am

  On paper this looks like the Ideal SUV but after purchasing and driving for just a few days I realized I was not happy. The seating is uncomfortable, I avg. 10.6 mpg in NYC stop&go traffic (I have a heavy foot), stereo lacks bass, Navi is sub-par compared to others & consistantly off actual car location, interior trim flaked, TPM system faults frequently and the VW dealer I dealt with was the actual worst dealer I have ever seen. After servicing anything on the car i always found something they damaged or did not replace/ fix to original condition! Fed up after only 10 months and traded for a acura with much better reliablity. Overall a very disappointing experience.

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  Too many trips to the shop - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By FGRR3 - December 7 - 9:03 pm

  I like how the car looks, drives, etc., but I have had too many trips to the garage. Both drivers and passengers front window malfunctions, an engine sensor, transmission gasket leak, dash lights, and there is still an intermittent shifting issue that never seems to crop up when the mechanic is looking at the car. Dealership has been responsive, all repairs covered under warranty.