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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  Keep up with it! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Justin - May 10 - 6:33 am

  This is NOT a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. It is INFINITELY better. Things people forget, however, is that with performance comes a lack of "reliability." Dont read reviews about how people have a lot of problems. This is not a problematic car. It is a car that uses performance parts that needs to be watched and maintained. Mine was big money to keep running, but worth every penny. It drove like a sports car, carried a family like an elite sedan, and looked more expensive than it was. It never had an issue that disabled it, and it never had an issue that wasnt to be expected with the high mileage it had. This car costs about $1500 a year to keep up with repairs and maintenance. Beware, and enjoy.

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  an alright car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Andy - May 9 - 8:36 pm

  The VW jetta is my first car I own and it good for a person who like to drive leisurely. Its suspension is Rather soft and there is body movement in the corners. But thats not much of a problem if your stuck in traffic moving at 3 mph. The automatic gear box in regular drive mode is quite dumb, its too eager to shift to 5 or 6 gear which is really annoying, so I have to put it into sport or use the tiptronic mode. The biggest problem is the squeaks and rattles, but to fix that all you have to do is turn up the radio. I Rather regret buying this car mostly because the new golf came to market the next month and I would rather have that.

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  TDI Wagon Still Strong - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By ScottM - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I wrote my last review of my wagon almost 2 years ago. My car now has 55K miles and is better than ever. Since the stock suspension is very wallowy I replaced the shocks & springs @ 50K with H&R springs and Bilstein shocks from the Tire Rack. Wow, feels like driving a brand new A6. A worn CV boot was found and replaced during suspension work. Thats it, no other problems. This car had the Upsolute ECU reflash done to it over two years ago and not a single problem. It adds an extra 30HP and 50ft-lbs torque. This thing pulls like a freight train and gets 38 MPG on long trips. Replaced stock stereo which stinks with a $250 (installed!) Sony from Best Buy. Way better even w/ stock speakers.

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  Sounds Good on Paper - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By j.v. king - May 3 - 8:23 pm

  The Volkswagen Passat is really fun to drive, however VW makes sure that to keep any of their cars on the road you have to spend a ton of money. In the last two years Ive had four oxygen sensors replaced and had to pay for three of them. VW insists that this is not abnormal and would not pay for the expense (~$450 each time). Ive found that VWs are either really good or really bad from car to car, good luck with this one...I miss my 89 Jetta.

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  To Keep or Not to Keep! - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By Sean - May 2 - 9:53 pm

  I love this car! Something I havent said much over the 20 years since I first got my license. I have had 60 plus vehicles in that 20 years and this one stands next to my Stage 3 Roush Mustang and 69 Camaro (My first Car) in the all time, this cars a keeper ranking. The R32 does everything you ask of it and so much more. It has an interior that rivals cars costing $100,000 plus, the steering wheel seems to have been taken directly from an OMP or Sparco catalog and the exhaust note is usually reserved for Ferrari 360s and the like! Having said all that, the only thing this car lacks is a proper AWD system. The Haldex just doesnt cut it. Its not bad but true quatro would have been better!

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  Love It - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By md_medic - May 1 - 2:25 am

  I have wanted an MKIV since they came out. I bought a 2000 in 2012 and was in a total collision 3 weeks later. The other girl went to the hospital I walked away without a scratch. As a former mechanic and mobile electronic technician I can tell you the build quality on this car is amazing. It is extremely safe. The only drawback to the car can be the cost of parts. This is one place where is does not pay to cut corners. There are a huge number of aftermarket companies out there that make replacement parts but when they charge $35 for a part that VW charges $350 there is a reason. With this car you basically get an AUDI in a VW wrapper. Most of the parts are interchangeable.

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  2005 Beetle - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jackson - April 29 - 9:46 pm

  I was very excited to buy my 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. Its cool looking and fun to drive, but belive every bit of bad press that you read because the build quality is awful. I own a 1971 VW that is actually more reliable than this thing. Save your money and sanity and buy something else.

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  Great car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By realmathilda - April 29 - 7:07 pm

  I have a 2001 Passat with over 211,000 miles on it and I will keep it for another 211,000. This is a great car, no problems German engineering is terrific. I take care of my cars. I have read some of the other reviews on this site and all I can say is this. When people write in all caps with exclamation points they are usually crazy drama queens and flying off the handle is common place for them. They are led around like puppies by their emotions or they are young kids that dont understand many things about life but believe they know it all. They havent come to the age of understanding what real problems are and everything is a major inconvenience because they lack the patience to endure.

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  Problems - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By Patty - April 29 - 10:00 am

  I really like the TDI golf, but I have had many problems with the car. It is the first car that I ever purchased new. All 4 tires went bad at 12,000. The brakes went bad at 25000. A window fell down in the door and the door has never been able to open correctly. The engine light is on now, dealer says it needs a new relay ($250). I wonder whats next!

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  Good bang for the buck... - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Chris Vader - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Im really very impressed with the quality and amenities on this car. We bought the basic "GL" model, and are very satisfied with it; the only feature I miss is the electric windows. The handling is pretty nimble for a wagon of its size. As for the engine and tranny, were still in the break-in period, so weve avoided flogging it too much. The car also swallows a huge amount of stuff with the rear seats folded, in part due to the high roofline. Were all smiles.