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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  Handle with care - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bart - December 20 - 12:33 am

  Solid feel, great seats, excellent dashboard lights, likes to run like a horse. Has an impressive look. The V6 is a better engine than the Turbo and gets the same gas mileage. Fun to drive. Unfortunately the car must be meticulously looked after. Control arms damage easily, electrical nuisances, check engine light goes on if gas cap is not tight, rotors are prone to warping. Poor cup holders, premium gas. Only 45000 miles.

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  2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6M - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hercnav - December 19 - 10:07 pm

  We love the driving experience the TDI provides. Bolder front and rear appearance…lines taken from Audi line…nice! Performance is outstanding for the mileage and power. Seats are good with comfortable sitting position. I’m one of those people whose right leg tends to rest near the center console, but it’s a broad area of contact and not just an edge so it’s comfortable. Nice clean interior design, good visibility. Solid body feel, doors, suspension. The dash design with the chrome accents provides a nice overall look. Rear twisted bean suspension is fine; smooth controlled ride and quiet interior. Some less refined materials and build quality in interior, but not a show stopper.

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  Engine Problem - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By murphya - December 18 - 2:00 am

  After 67,000 miles, the entire engine block cracked after hitting a pothole or small object in the road. VW would not admit any liability, my collision paid for it. The car runs very low to the ground. It seems like such a major repair for a minor collision. Cost $6700 to repair.

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  Very pleased [so far] - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By OBTV - December 17 - 11:40 pm

  This exceptional styled sedan meets most acceptance points of any auto out there today, as a previous owner of a DTS [FULLY LOADED] cadillac I miss the softer ride only, however the CC has all if not more extras than the Caddy. Thats the good news folks...the not-so-good points are a User Manual that is NOT so "user friendly" (many smaller titled booklets in one binder) that you are constantly fumbling from one to another to find the info needed, & most [if not all] the driving control feature set-ups have to be programmed...a real nightmare! I use a computer every day and can only imagine someone that dont have some computer skills saddly will end up not using many features available.

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  Nice car but poor service - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By firstvw - December 17 - 10:00 am

  Car is beautiful both inside and out and I have not had any mechanical problems although I only have 8k miles. Although I really love the car I will not buy a VW again due to the poor service department which seems to permeate all VW dealerships. I cant even get through to get an oil change and then when I do it takes almost two weeks and they are not open on Saturdays which means you will have to take a day off to get your oil change. You have got to be kidding!! My suggestion is to all those Honda owners who are thinking about switching to VW think long and hard about how you feel about customer service. I wish I did!!

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  Making Friends with your Fast - 2008 Volkswagen GTI
  By tryan - December 15 - 3:00 am

  After much research and test driving, I traded in my 04 Passat GLX 5-Speed for a 08 GTI 4-Door. I needed something more practical, but also wanted to upgrade slightly in performance. However, I also wanted to stay below (well below) $30k while doing it. With the current crop of hot hatches proliferating like bunnies (no pun intended), the GTI seemed to have the best mix of everything, features, performance, space and a well-executed interior. The Mazda3 was the only real competitor that gave the GTI a run for its money - especially in the value aspect. However, in the end, the GTI was more unique and hit a lot more design details that I appreciate (illuminated vanity mirrors for one).

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  Great car, but NOT reliable - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Red dot - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I love driving and looking at my Passat. However, I encountered many quality problems. Within one year, I made about 5 trips to dealership to fix engine coils (x2), headlamps (x2), brakes. Oh, and the recall trip. The door trimming is falling off now, because of the glue they used (another trip coming up). Im going back to Japanese car very soon even though I really like Passat.

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  fun car - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By meg moscati - December 12 - 6:46 am

  Even though the fuel economy stinks, this is an awesome car to drive. Very comfortable inside and handles well. The exterior colors and design make it a really handsome car as well.

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  Fun Car, Good Price, Some Flaws - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By William - December 8 - 1:03 pm

  The Jetta GLI is a very attractive car with a number of very unique features unavailable to most cars in the same price range - the recaro seats, sound system, 6-speed transmission and interior detailing are all a cut above what you would expect, but do tack on a couple thousand to a comparable GLSs purchase price. The car drives very well, has a very responsive transmission, tight and well balanced brakes and a very typically German feel in tight high-speed turning maneuvers. That said, our car required three trips to the dealership for loud, high-pitched squealing in the rear brakes and the front ground effects are extremely fragile. A thread tear in the recaro seating had to be fixed too.

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  Passat Sedan - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By PassatOwnerDavid - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive. But not reliable. Very difficult to deal with dealer. Customer service are not too helpful. Repair can be very frustrating.