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:

• 

  Overall very good - but water leak. - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anonymous - December 13 - 3:11 pm

  Panoramic, Goal wheel upgrade, and Ipod hookup. dGoal wheels are great if clean your own car. Payed premium for diesel and fuel economy. Dont know if hype and economy is worth paying sticker. Had a massive water leak from sunroof drain hose that leaked into spare tire pan. A couple inches of water in the pan and your windows will never defog. Had to talk the dealer into a loaner for that issue. Pleather is underwhelming. Might be nice after sand volleyball league and mtn. biking next summer. Still miss the leather. Seats hurt your back and butt on long drives. Does not sound or smell like the old diesels. To find the diesel pump, look for the oil slick at the gas station.

• 

  New VW Household - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anonymous - December 13 - 12:01 pm

  My wife and I bought a 2009 Jetta SE last April and were very impressed. After much deliberation, I decided to give up my Infiniti M45 in exchange for a TDI Sportwagen. I find myself defending this move to my friends on a daily basis and truly believe it was a great move. Double the gas mileage, great stereo/navigation system with hard drive, and panoramic sunroof were the biggest selling features. The tax credit was a nice bonus too. It is not a hot rod, wont turn heads, and has some odd quirks, but is a really great car overall. I have averaged about 39 MPG over the first 2,000 miles. No problems to this point with either of our new VWs.

• 

  Least Reliable Car I ever owned - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mike M - December 13 - 10:56 am

  I bought this car used just over a year ago. Ive had almost 20K in repairs in that time. I found out afterwards that 2004 was the first year of the touareg and the V10. It is loaded with all sorts of problems. Mine has been in the shop 3 months of the first year. Do a web search before buying one. When it does work its the best car Ive owned, so if its a second car that you dont have to use daily then buy it. We need it for towing and its ruined quit a few weekends buy either stranding us somewhere or having to cancel because it was in the shop again.

• 

  TDI Sportwagen - sporty & great mileage - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anonymous - December 13 - 10:36 am

  Have had TDI wagon for a few weeks and absolutely love it. Amazing combination of horsepower/torque and gas mileage. Really fun to drive. Terrific stereo. I bought the sunroof option and it brings a lot of light in, especially into the back seat. Auto options are terrific: can have economy in standard Drive, switch to sporty in S, and downshift manually with Tiptronic.

• 

  TDI rules - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By turbobee - December 11 - 10:10 pm

  I love the performance of my Jetta GL TDI now that the MAF has been replaced. I zoom all over town and down the freeway.

• 

  Poor reliability - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By Spngbobfan - December 10 - 6:56 am

  Purchased car new at dealer outside my home state. I knew I wanted the GTI because I felt like it was a lot of car for the money with some great standard features. It was very hard to locate a VR6 at the time. Experience with the selling dealership was wonderful. However, future service issue experience with Maryland dealers was terrible. When the car runs well, it can be a lot of fun to drive. Problem areas include replacing 2 window regulators, replacing cat converter at 50K, rain sensors not working and poor quality door materials. As of now, Id never purchase another VW again

• 

  Love/ Hate Relationship - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Laura - December 9 - 2:56 am

  My Jetta and I have a love/hate relationship. It is super fast with great pick up and acceleration. I also have a BMW 330ci and the Jetta performs just as well. I have had a lot of transmission and electrical problems associated with my Jetta. There is always something that has to be fixed and at 50,000 miles the catalytic converter was replaced (it was under warrenty). It is not very reliable but has excellent handling. It does great in the rain and snow. I have to use premium gas which it eats up. Bad gas mileage for a small car.

• 

  52 MPG - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By macmandrew - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Driven over 130,000 miles, This has been a great car. Comfortable seats, Good heater, excellent A/C, 5 Speed Manual Trans (no problems). On the Dark Side: The interior trim is removing itself. Gas station attendant Conand off the fuel filler flap (cheap plastic?) Threw the 3 rear head rests in the trunk so I could see out the back window.

• 

  FUN TO DRIVE BUT? - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By LAY LOW BAT - December 9 - 2:00 am

  GREAT CAR KIND OF EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU ADD OPTIONS. WAS NOT AWARE ABOUT IGNITION COIL PROBLEM. AFTER 19 MONTHS 1 COIL WENT OUT THEN 3 MONTHS LATER 1 MORE WENT OUT. TWO LEFT TO REPLACE WONT REPLACE UNTIL IT GOES OUT. THEY WILL REPLACE IT. ANY VW OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEM?

• 

  good and bad - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By RMM - December 9 - 1:50 am

  I love the car but the check engine light has been on 4 times they had the car for 3 weeks on one of the trips back to the dealer and put over 1000 miles on test drives????? So far it has been ok we will see.