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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  Once and Done - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By never again VW - October 20 - 7:16 am

  Of all the cars I have ever known this by far was absolutely the biggest nightmare. If I added all my repair receipts I could have bought this car twice. There has been nothing mechanical or otherwise about this car that has not been repaired or replaced. I have had this car in the shop at least six times this year. I wish there was something good to say about this car since I have wanted to own one all of my life, but I guess the good Lord was trying to tell me something. Now all I want to do is get rid of it as soon as possible. That wont happen though until I get it fixed.

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  This car is horrible!! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gilly18 - October 17 - 1:16 am

  Buyer beware! I leased a Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T, and had NOTHING but problems. I didnt even keep the car for the full three year lease because I had it in for repairs 25 times and I just couldnt take it anymore! If you buy this car youre asking for trouble.

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  Stay far away - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By georgeste - October 10 - 9:42 pm

  Love driving this car but... Im the second owner since 63000km 16 fuel injectors and 3 bad throttle bodies later I have decided that Im done with constant breakdowns. For sale 1 tiguan 123000km

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  I will NEVER buy another VW! - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By snowylmh - October 1 - 3:24 am

  Bought my car as a certified used in 2008. Of all the vehicles Ive ever owned... this one has left me stranded on the side of the road the most. It doesnt even matter if its not a major issue, it costs a TON to fix. It cost me $960 to put in a fuel pump! Six days after I gave birth to my son, it left us both stranded on the side of the road when leaving his dr appt due to the ignition coils... a recall that happened years before I bought it certified used-- but they didnt bother to replace it before selling it to me. I have spent far more than this vehicle is worth on the constant repairs. Cant wait to sell it! Never will buy another VW. Specialized everything... total hassle!

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  Buy Something Else - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Feedback - September 26 - 7:00 pm

  Unreliable, bad service, poor build quality, low resale value, gas hog and these are the best hings about the Touareg. I lease this SUV for my wife and for the first 40,000 miles we were mostly happy with the car but for the last 20,000 miles it has been a horror story. Everything from the sunroof and windows which seem to have mind of their own to the engine control unit have failed. There times when we were not even able to get the car off the dealers lot after service without another failure of a system or part. The VW Touareg and the VW services is sub par. Do not buy this car it will fail you at the worst possible time.

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  Warranty issues - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By chalkiez - September 16 - 11:10 pm

  I opine that Volkswagen of America (VoA) does not stand behind their warranty process. I brought my 2010 JettaWagen TDI to a VW dealer for sunroof problems, during the warranty period. It was serviced, but the problems with intermittent failure to open/close continued. Subsequently the sunroof failed, of course out of warranty now. It cost me almost $2,000 to repair. When I contacted VoA today, they denied my warranty claim. Buyer beware - if you have intermittent problems during the warranty process, you may be stuck paying for the repair later, even though you brought it to VoAs attention. This is not right. I gave VoA multiple chances to address this issue, but they have refused.

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  Lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By winter - September 12 - 12:43 am

  My Touareg has been in shop more than any other vehicle I have ever owned. Everything has gone wrong with it at some point or another, Engine-problems, missfirings, water leakage problems, and everything else that could go bad has. The biggest problem is continued water leak problems, despite multiple efforts to fix. What ever you don dont park it outside, unless you want a swamp inside. Dealers dont even know how to fix them in some cases. Dont ever own one out of warranty! Buyer beware.

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  Number One Nightmare - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By wilde13 - September 11 - 12:36 am

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. It is my second Passst. Drove a 99 for 160K miles. It has been one tragedy after another. It has been one major fubar after another. Between electrical component failures, to bad electronic ignitions and keys to having both the engine and transmission go out at 81,000 miles. Volkswagen of America had the audacity to offer me a $1000 rebate on a purchase of my next VW. I am so frustrated I dont know what to do. I have kept up on the service, why not since its been in the shop so often. You will not see me even coming close to a VW lot for the rest of my life.

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  Ripped Off - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Disappointed - September 8 - 5:03 am

  Bought new on 8/31/07, returned 9/1/07 for my AC and heating not working. So far, VW has had my car for 2 weeks and expects to have my car another 3 weeks due to "production problems" for the part that my Jetta requires (sensor/compressor). They say this problem just started occurring in the 2007 models and they arent equipped to handle the need for so many parts. Im now sporting a Mercury Sable that I pretend is my Jetta :( Extremely disappointed in VW, but the time I did have it I enjoyed it. Just afraid that I now have a lemon on my hands - what brand new car breaks after 1 day??? BUYERS BEWARE!!!

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  Just a Terrible Car - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Truman - September 3 - 5:40 am

  Dont be fooled by all the wonderful words out there on the world wide web about the VW TDI or the VW Jetta. I have had nothing but problems with my 2004 VW Jetta TDI Wagon. It has been in the shop at least 6 times for a multitude of problems ranging from a malfunctioning fuel pump/fuel gauge/instrument cluster to defective seats. It has multiple rattles and squeaks that the dealership cannot fix for some reason. Amazingly enough, it doesnt meet criteria for the lemon law, yet.