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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  Great to drive, expensive to repair - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Renee - November 21 - 7:13 pm

  Still love to drive the car, but frequent problems now at 7 years. Motor mounts, catalytic converter, CV, top of engine leaking oil despite 2 repairs - list goes on. Also weird electric issues throughout life of car - display showing avg mpg started malfunctioning after a year, 2 yrs ago sunroof started opening/closing on its own, etc. Even the hood open hydraulic died (no prop stick on a VW) - an $80 repair. No way will this car make it to 10 years and my next car wont be a VW based on this ones reliability. Bought new w/ regular maintenance - all done at a VW dealership.

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  The convertible beetle I own - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Tom Ratliffe - November 21 - 10:00 am

  handling, manuevability excellent. Gas milage not outstanding but satisfactory. Overall, a fine car for roaming around the island.

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  Beautiful Car - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Eric - November 18 - 8:33 am

  I extensively researched this car before purchase. Its exterior design is unique and the interior is luxurious and comfortable. The car (related to the Porsche Cayenne) appears to be worth more than what I paid for it. Also some great deals on 2005 models. Fit and finish are excellent - I poured over every square inch of it and didn’t find any defects. Nada! No excess carpeting, paint overspray, etc. One complaint is the back seat leg room is a little tight - the middle “hump” doesn’t help. Also steering wheel and air conditioning controls are complicated - will have to take some time learning. I look forward to 36 months and/or 36,000 miles of pure enjoyment! LOL

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  Great car, needs some improvement - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By Helicon Twist - November 17 - 2:00 am

  I went to VW after giving up on GM. The GTI moves quickly and handles beautifully. Its suprisingly roomy for a compact 3-door, with unbelievably cargo carrying capacity. The interior is very comfortable and remarkably upscale for the price. However, there have been some (minor) build quality issues (nothing related in any way to driveability), and VW needs to seriously address these in the future. VWoA also needs to serously improve its customer service, and its dealership network.

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  Power Windows need Prozac!! - 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
  By vetteviper - November 16 - 9:28 am

  We have had the car 1 week and noticed the windows have a mind of their own in terms of rolling up. It stops halfway up and then lowers to where you see about an inch of the glass and after several attempts, we get it back up. At one time it was all the way down and would do nothing when we pulled up on switch, just sat there. Both windows behave this way. I will be calling my dealership in the morning but almost afraid of what they tell me after reading about all the problems with out any solutions that worked.

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  1 year old and literally falling apart - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By trevsta18 - November 13 - 2:43 pm

  Oh jeez where do I start?! First of all, I have owned this car for a year now. 30k. Falling apart. The front bumper paint is coming off, the tires that came on the car are crap. I am constantly resetting the tire pressure light, its faulty or something. Headlights gone bad, center armrest is ripping and now, I have to get the engine mounts replaced after they charged me for the alignment and tire balance which they said would fix the shaking on the freeway. Are you kidding me?! Its a brand new car and the engine mounts are bad?? This is ridiculous and the first/last VW I buy.

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  Fun, great milage, but unreliable - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By iceman - November 11 - 10:00 am

  The Golf TDI is great on gas. I average 48 mpg (mostly highway). It is comfortable for the driver and passenger, but tight in the back seat. For a diesel, its amazingly quick. The downside has been reliability. Right after the warranty expired I had an electronic ignition failure. The car would just shut off. It happened once in an intersection and I almost got creamed. $250 and two trips to the shop later and it was fine. Last month I noticed a loss in power. The dealer blamed an air sensor. Fixing it was $500.

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  German Engineering in MEXICO? - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By fishingfewl - November 9 - 11:03 am

  German Engineering? I was VERY dissappointed to find out (after purchasing ) that my car was assembled in Mexico with 35% of the parts made in Mexico also.Anything that is made from plastic can and will break. Be sure to lubricate the vents with armorall as if you dont they will stick and in my case break and just fall apart when trying to adjust them . aty 36,500 miles the the A/C compressor took a dump. 10,000 miles later it is on its way out again. I purchased it at Compass Motors in Middletown . I would not suggest buying anything from here as they do not like to stand by the factory warranty . They can and will try to take every penny out of your pocket . In 0ver 15x 4 repairs A+mpg

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  Keeps on Amazing - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Ss28 - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This is one great SUV. Great on road feel with the air suspension, tons of adjustability and versatility and nice pick up from the v8. the interior is very elegant with nicely appointed leather. Wood trim is not bad and the guages are beautiful. ONly complaint is the stock sound system. I have no problem with the gas mileage as I anticipated it to be bad before I bought. Back seat space isnt great but I mainly keep the seats folded for hauling my dogs.

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  50mpg and Fun-to-Drive - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By flash9 - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Purchased the VW TDI Wagon at the end of June. As of July 20th it already has 2,250 miles on the car. It has averaged just shy of 50mpg on mostly highway miles. It is fun to be driving a stick shift again, and the low end torque of a diesel in amazing! The car is very nicely equipped for a $20k car.