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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  Follow up review - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By fshifteh - July 10 - 4:53 am

  This is a follow up to my earlier post. I have had this car for 9 months now. There has been a few areas that I had issues. First all my brakes had to be replaced at 10k miles due to vibration in steering. The dealer did this under Warranty. Second, I has issues with putting the 2nd row seat back, as it was stuck and could not remove it or put it back, as a result the dealer replaced the seat frame free of charge. The 3rd issue was some creaking noise that would come from drivers door while driving on certain bump which was very irritating and after taking to 2 different dealerships, the second dealer lubricated the driver side door hinges and that took care of the issue.

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  Fun to drive - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Matt - July 8 - 3:26 am

  After two years of ownership, everything has been good. We were hesitant to purchase a VW due to past consumer issues. The zero down sign and drive is actually a pretty good deal. So we leased it and at this point I think we may buy it at the end of the lease. We were able to negotiate the price of the lease down, so make sure to explore that road. We have been very happy with it so far and would consider another one.

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  Your Fathers Passat - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By John Hetrick - July 7 - 2:07 am

  2003 Passat GLX is a fully loaded sedan- two 8 way power seats with memory, rain sensing wipers, folding mirrors, smooth V6 engine and drive train, and other features only available on high end vehicles. Most all the options still work. Only bothersome problem has been the alloy rims pit from the winter salt and develop slow leaks. Recently repaired rims since winter is over- should hold till next year. Paint and body has held up well for Ohio winter roads. This car still turns heads- people dont believe it is 13 years old.

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  Okay Car - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Chris - July 7 - 1:03 am

  I bought my car used and have had nothing but problems from the first month after buying it. Its a fun car, it is just so expensive to keep the car running properly.

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  A Fun Car to Drive, - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cs - July 7 - 12:30 am

  Bought my TDI Brand new had to wait almost 4 months to get it. I have a manual transmission and the only problem I have had with the car is the clutch went out at 13,000 miles. Of course this is a wear item that is only covered for 12,000 miles. After doing some research found out that I was not the only one having this issue. Had to argue with the dealership but finally got them to replace it under warranty. Otherwise great car lots of fun to drive. Great MPG (41/49). The only other complaint is the air conditioning could be better. Does not do well unless car is going over 30 mph. I do get a lot of compliments on the car, almost as many as when were on the harley.

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  lemon of the bunch - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By brp - July 6 - 6:50 pm

  I bought my gti because i thought it would be a great and reliable car but it turned out I was wrong on a few things.The problems started when i was going around a turn doing speed limit and it all of a sudden felt like i had a flat tire and started slowing down then was fine a few seconds later, this was taken to the dealer and they could not find a problem so i picked it up and this problems occurs on a daily basis but they say they cannot find anything, it sometimes will not let me press on brakes, maybe xds overreacting?it can be scary when brakes wont work and I have to downshift to slow down, it has been in twice for this along with once for a leaky sunroof and radio turns itself down

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  Some Minor Problems - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta Owner - July 6 - 2:00 am

  My experience with this car has been good except for a few minor problems. The glove box hinges have broken, the 6 CD disc changer broke, yellow gunk that oozes from door hinges, the light in the drivers side visor broke, and most recently we discovered that the back seat is way to small to accomodate a car seat for a baby. For it to fit, the front seat passengers have absolutely no room at all.

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  A kick to drive, but... - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By CAClaire - July 6 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car for fun, power & speed, & it delivers . However, there are drawbacks, some which arent a problem for me (small cupholders), & some that are, especially the lack of sun protection on the side windows. Sunbelt residents beware. A really big disappointment - I just got back from a long trip that revealed APPALLING road noise! Forget using your nifty monsoon sound system unless you crank it up full blast, forget using your cellphone, forget a conversation with your travelling companion at any level lower than shouting. Bad, bad, bad.

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  Value for the Money - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Abhijit - July 5 - 5:56 pm

  I have had it for couple of weeks and my experience so far is good. My Value Edition Passat has all of the options that I required and it drives well too. Setting the display options in the Value Edition is a nightmare though. Overall the car runs and handles well.

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  Stay Away!! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By mando - July 5 - 3:30 pm

  If you really like this car, then make sure you have a bumper-2-bumper warranty, otherwise you are on for a rather sour treat. The 2.0T engine is amazing, but the rest of the electronic components are so below standards ITS RIDICULOUS!. This car has so many electronic/software bugs, its crazy. Just go to the online communities and youll see for yourself. Common problems with this car (2006-up): Evap purge valve clogging, A/C Condenser failure, Steering wheel lock defective(very unsafe), gas cap defective, TPMS miss-reading, Radio unit errors, and the list goes on, and on.