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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  vw passat wagon - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By pug1 - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Great combo of a family car and sedan.

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  Fun and Classy - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By phxtalisman - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Love the 1.8 turbo motor tied to the 5 speed Tiptronic transmission. My Jetta is a fully loaded GLS with the sport and leather packages. Gas mileage was disappointing at first (20mpg), but now averages about 24-25 mpg since the car now has 12K miles on it.

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  Good basic car but - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sam - March 18 - 3:43 pm

  Love the sound system Monsoon. Good ride and mileage. Paint job is suspect. I have many chips on front of car and have never experienced this with any cars dating back many years. Especially concerning since previous cars were subjected to gravel roads and this has never been on gravel or dirt roads. Transmission problems necessitated valve replacement which was covered under warranty.

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  10 year review - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By Plova - March 18 - 12:33 pm

  I have had this car for 10.5 years since new and still enjoy driving it. Just coming up to 70K so low mileage. I do almost all the work on my car so the maintenance is not bad. Repairs that have been needed to date are: coolant temp. sensor $30.00, MAF sensor ($190) and now just need to replace the O2 sensor ($76.00). New front end bushings need so installed new front control arms and tie rod assembly with alignment ($1,000). Replaced original brakes at 32k(front) and 34K (rear) and now have about 10K left on 2nd set so have drilled Zimmermann brakes and EBC pads to go on. Tune up easy to do. Most important service is to change transmission fluid per service manual

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  Purchase with EXTREME caution - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By shannostein - March 18 - 7:37 am

  I bought my 2002 GTI back in 2006 with 39k miles on it. I decided, despite the car having a MIL light on (check engine light) that it would be worth the purchase because of its factory warranty.. This car has been an absolute nightmare starting within the first 2 weeks of ownership. List of things I have replaced over the years: MAF sensor, clutch (at 40k), 3 (YES THREE) throttle bodies of the course of 6 years, Coolant temp. sensor, hazard switch, ignition switch, two sets of coil packs, large engine cooling fan, upper and lower control arm bushings, struts are bad (at 130k miles..) the list goes on!! Know what youre getting into with this model year! I still have this car though.

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  Great airbag protection. - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jenn - March 16 - 6:14 am

  Great airbag protection. Especially curtain side airbags. Saved me a trip to ER. Exceleration is not very clean if you need to increase speed quickly. It kinda of takes a second or two to for it to really find its gear and take off quickly. All in all I liked 2014 Jetta 1.8 se .. sad it now is on its way to salvage yard. DuE to total loss in auto accident

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  Mr. Reliable - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gumbo2 - March 14 - 9:37 pm

  Im going on 316K miles with this car and averaged over 53 mpg on my last tank of fuel. Yes, there are flaws in the interior design (cup holders in particular) and yes, its difficult to perform maintenance on it sometimes but how can you find fault with a car that is so reliable? Oil changes every 10K, timing belt every 80K and everything else like brakes, tires, filters, etc., are done simply as reqd. Ive had the clutch, water pump and other components each replaced once but this engine is a beast. Maintenance is certainly more expensive when required but fortunately, I have a local (non-dealer) repair shop that specializes on German cars and that helps keep the bill down.

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  Great Fun Car - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fredflintstone - March 14 - 10:00 am

  This one is a lease we will buy when over. This has been a great car with only one exception. The break light switch goes bad very quickly and the dealership did want to cover the 3rd one. One quick call to VW customer service and they made the dealer cover the switch. This car handles great and has tons of features that you would have to spend thousands more to get on a BMW, etc.

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  Completely Unreliable/Expensive Repairs - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By SW - March 12 - 8:50 am

  The Passat looks great, rides great, and is extremely comfortable - WHEN ITS NOT AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED! I have owned a passat for 6 months now, and I know the Service Manager at the local Volkswagen Dealership by name. In the past six months, my 2 year old car has had three separate repairs, all of which were under waranty, but would have been very costly otherwise. Now Im told I have to have my CV Axles replaced due to "normal wear and tear" (meaning not covered under the warranty). Total cost? OVER $1,500!! Once again, this car is two years old - which means that every two years Ill have to pay $1,500 for CV Axles, $75 each for headlights, plus all of the other repairs!

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  Why does it use oil? - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Carl Stackhouse - March 10 - 3:10 am

  Overall the car is great, but uses approx. 1 quart every 2,000 miles. Should this happen? If someone out there is having the same problem, please let me know. Im getting nowhere with the dealership. If it wasnt for this problem, I love the car.