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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  Worst Car I Have Ever Owned - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ron Franks - April 7 - 9:40 pm

  We bought this car for my wife and intitially we were thrilled - it was very cool and a lot fun to drive. After about two years and 20,000 miles the fun began - rear brakes, oxygen sensor faults, airbag switch faults, windows falling in the doors, cracked ignition coil harness (?), bad fuses, frozen doors in the winter, etc., etc., etc. I have owned many cars in my life and have never, ever experienced this sort of ongoing maintenance nightmare. I take care of my cars and never have a problem with investing $$$ to keep them running properly, but give me a break! Half of the things that went wrong with this car I had never heard of (and one of my other cars is a Saab)! Toyotas from now on!

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  Avoid VW 4cyl. Turbo Engine - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Michael - April 7 - 3:56 pm

  Engine poor. Once motor reached 100 miles, motor needed constant repair. Have spent over $3k on major engine repair. The wagon was intended for family with two children, but has proven to be very unreliable. Wife, toddler and infant have been towed several times from side of freeway. Mechanically, the engine is poor and unreliable, asked master mechanic "Would you drive this car?", he answered, "Me? No. The motor is no good, we see em all the time".

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  No more Volkswagen - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By sgtmak - April 4 - 7:30 am

  The car is fun but it came with a lot of problems. The air bag warning light just came on the second time sine we bought the car, and fortunately it was still under warranty until the end of this month (April, 05). In addition, the check engine light also came on times few times. We have to pay about $60 to the dealership for diagnostic every times those lights came on. I guess I know the reason why the service department at the local VW dealership opens until midnight.

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  Poor Reliability - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By misty - April 1 - 9:40 pm

  Have had nothing but problems with my 2002 Volkswagen Passat since it was bought new. The engine light comes on at least four times a winter with evap issues, I had to replace glove box door, the shifter, and a pump. My Saturn was more reliable than this. Too bad it is so fun to drive.

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  Diesels require expensive maintaince - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By tool cat - March 28 - 6:21 pm

  I found out after the purchase that this TDI engine requires special oil that must meet the VW spec #505.01 which is very hard to find. Also the lower engine plastic guard must be removed every time just to change the oil. The filter is easily accessible. This engine (PD/BEW) has had some trouble with the camshafts. Which is why the special oil. Also the cam belt must be changed according to the schedule or you risk the engine blowing up do to the belt braking. Most other vehicle now use a cam chain instead of the toothed belt. It has plenty of power with the turbo kicking in. Mileage has been 40 - 43.5 mpg

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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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  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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  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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  Great looks, expensive repairs - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jacko - March 16 - 11:20 pm

  I bought this car used with 80,000 miles on it. I felt in love with the design of the car (mine was black), tinted the windows. I got tons of compliments on my car. Drove it for about 6 months, and in anticipation of a long trip decided to check it at the mechanic. His verdict was this: it looks like new, but its falling apart. Belt, bushings, suspension, brakes etc. The list included about 15 different things. Total cost to repair all that: $2500. After owning the car for 6 months! Thats almost 1/2 the value of the car. Not to mention that oil change costs twice as much as on any normal car, runs on premium only and i had 10-12 mpg!

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  YUCK!!!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Xtremelydissapointed - March 15 - 10:00 am

  Driving it out of the dealership was a very happy day...until the car started giving problems at about 26K miles. How convenient, right after the warranty expired. What problems? Window regulators (same window, twice within 5 months of 1st repair), back brakes, bad fuel tank, engine light turning on and off...Need I say more? Now the happiest day of my life will be the day I get rid of that pretty tin garbage can.