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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  Love it and hate it... - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Thomas - March 27 - 6:40 am

  I love the looks, power, and comfort of my lil Turbo. I like to drive it and get a lot of compliments on the extras I have added. The problem is that it is a money pit. Things like fuel sending kits ($400) and mass air flow sensors (warranty) keep going wrong with it. It has about 70k on it and the tranny doesnt engage for about 2 seconds after putting it into gear. The back seat is so small (30 in. rear leg room) that a properly installed baby seat willnot fit unless you are under 5 feet tall and drive with your knees in the dash. I am selling it due to the no room factor and unreliability. Not to mention that the VW dealership has damaged it on 2 separate occasions. Beware the money pit.

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  Just a cute car, not worth it! - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By shannon - March 27 - 1:33 am

  For once in my life I wanted a cute car. I got it. Used 2005 GLS lt Blue with a gray top. Yes, I got thumbs up and smiles from perfect strangers. It fit my personality to a T. I made it through the 1st yr, then the back side window broke. right after the warranty ran out! $600 to repair! The other window broke late 2008. Ive just dealt with it. The top has now messed up and as I was was hand washing it I saw the top material has pulled away from the back window, water leaking in! Grant it I have 94,000 miles on it. They just dont make them like they used to. I decided its time for a GOOD car and bought a 2010 Kia Forte Coupe. Yep still FUN, but worth it!

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  This Car is Great - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By amber Starner - March 26 - 11:10 pm

  I have had this car for three months and I am so impressed with what it can do. I could not be more pleased with it.

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  GTi is great but.. - 2005 Volkswagen GTI
  By GRweigh - March 26 - 8:16 pm

  I love my GTi its a great car, but I dont like how it only about gives 27 mpg. You would think that a small hatch back would way less then 3000 pounds and save pretty good gas. I understand that is turbo and its cool. I think they should at least have tried to make it a 30 mpg. I havent so far experienced any problems other technical problems with the car but I think It is a pain to have to fill up the gas with premium. Especially the price on gas right now.

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  Excellent vehicle in all respects - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cjk - March 26 - 8:40 am

  This vehicle is the perfect combination of fun & frugal. The build quality exceeds expectations for a vehicle of this price. The turbo diesel has adequate acceleration but not exciting. Still very fun to drive (I have the manual trans) and the turbo will punch you into the seat at around 2K RPM. The impressive mileage (35-40 in mixed driving) is just considering that its actually a sporty, good-looking, fun to drive vehicle. Seats are very comfortable. Noticeably more firm. Go with the 17" wheels for a better driving experience. Great storage in the rear. More than many small-ish SUVs.

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  Lemon lemon lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Fed up with VW - March 26 - 7:50 am

  I have had this car for less than a year, 2 weeks after purchase had to replace (2) O2 sensors, 1 MAF, and car ran good for about 1 month, check engine light AGAIN and EPC light cont. to go on and off, car lags and almost stalls, engine revs up and down. back in shop, 1700 dollars for a TPS sensor, and throttle adaptation,Thermastat sensor. 2 days later, car overheated, back into VW, this time the water pump went bad, another 300 dollars. not to mention 4 recalls fixed. 4 weeks later engine light on again, car stalls, wont hold idle, transmission shifts rough and jerks. machine pulled bad Valve on engine, did i mention my jetta only has 62,000 miles! 3 weeks in the shop, still no fix.

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  Would not recommend this vehicle - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By deck3 - March 26 - 2:41 am

  My 2003 Passat had 91,000 miles when the engine sludged; a known problem with this engine. This car has been more stress than the $14,000 purchase price. The original sludged engine had to be replaced with a new engine ($3,695), installed and the engine reset ($977 + $252), as well as the cost of a replacement car ($900). Stress and towing not included. VWs CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT regarding the Sludging of its Passat vehicles has been anything but easy. VW had multiple hoops to jump through. The Oil Sludge Settlement Administrator group had told me on more than one occasion that I would be "reimbursed 100% of the above expenses", but I just received a reimbursement check barely large enough to cover the cost of the engine ($3991.98). What a shame. This engine had problems, VW was aware of these problems, and VW was taken to court and made to reimburse those who purchased these problems. This company, Volkswagen, is not a reputable company to deal with based on my dealings with them. Both their product and business handlings have been of poor caliber. I would not recommend doing business with Volkswagen.

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  Huge Bang for your Buck - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brian - March 26 - 2:20 am

  The standard features on the new Jetta seem endless. I was on a budget, so I bought the base model, and I am still discovering new features. Volkswagen designs their cars specifically for the driver. Volkswagen is to the automobile industry what Apple is to the computer industry. Its not a machine to get from one point to another, it is an experience to make the journey as exciting as the destination.

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  Fun - Until It Breaks - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By garrythegarlic - March 25 - 9:30 pm

  There are no two ways about it, the Volkswagen Jetta is a fun car to drive. I love its performance and the style. However, it has had a ton of maintenance issues over the 80,000 miles Ive owned it. All the issues it had while still inside the 50,000 mile warrantee period should have been a warning to me, but since they didnt mean out of pocket cost to me I never let it bother me. Now that the warranty is up, I seriously regret not trading in this car early, even considering the high cost of early termination of a lease.

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  Waste of Time and Money - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Groot - March 25 - 9:46 am

  I bought one of these for my wife a year ago and we are getting rid of it with under 17,000 miles on it. We are still upside down in the vehicle, and it is spending more time at the dealership than at our house. And for some reason the dealership is putting around 200 miles on it while trying to fix a problem with the idling. The vehicle has been a problem since the month after we got it and our dealership seems to be making little if no effort to fix the problem.