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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  3300 mile Update - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By FCWarrior - August 23 - 2:50 pm

  I have the cloth standard seat which are very comfortable but several threads are ripping already after only 3300 miles. Incredible. Dont know how this compares to other vehicles but its a really bad start. I am only 190 lbs and am careful on how I get in and out since I saw this as a potential trouble spot early on. I have yet to take it to the Dealer for the 90 day checkup. If I go even very slowly over neighborhood speed bumps there is a loud metal-on-metal bang as the suspension tops out. The sunroof switch is very counter-intuitive with no obvious detent for closed. So far I get 55 mpg @ 45 mph 43 mpg @55 mph

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  Great car, fun, and stylish - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By AdamBlayton - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Bought it after comparing with Mini Cooper, Ford Focus SVT, and Toyota Matrix. Wife wanted 4 door stylish car, (if there is such a thing) I wanted 2 door toy that she would drive when I wasnt. Very impressed with interior design, VW is great with that. Leather is definately a requirement, cloth felt like sitting on wool, very harsh. Sunroof quiet all the time, and definately need 17" - everyone says they never have seen the brakes on a car before they saw my 17"s 1.8T engine is a big sluggish off start, should get better with more miles. 5sp is a blast to drive, turbo engine puts you back in seat at about 1800rpm when accelerating, gotta get used to that..

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  Mixed feelings - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By jknolls - August 23 - 3:16 am

  Ive had this car for about 18 months now. This car drives nice, gets a lot of looks, and gives great mileage. There are a lot of negatives also, for example. Auto trans is sluggish and has jerky shifts. There are rattles/squeaks everywhere all the time (unless Im driving on freshly made road). There are no auto headlights (or even auto-off lights) and fully powered drivers seat on this $24K car. Cup holders are a joke. Temperature control is completely manual (even a base accord will have a semi-automatic temp control and semi automatic defrost control). You cannot turn off daytime running lamps (why do cars have them in the first place?).

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  good fun - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Anne - August 20 - 4:10 am

  Great fun to drive and decent mileage. After driving a Mazda Rx-7 for 15 years, the backseat of the VW convertible looks roomy to me. Unfortunately getting in the back seat can be a problem. The handle to lift up, which causes the front seat to push forward allowing entry to the rear is designed so most people attempt to pull it out before lifting it up. The handle then breaks off. One of the handles had to be fixed before I took delivery of the car, and then has broken twice since then (even after total replacement), before I could warn people to "lift" the handle and not to pull it out. The "retro" look is great!

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  Great Ride, But Will Cost You In Repairs - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By reilly - August 17 - 12:43 pm

  I love driving this car, and I pay dearly for it. This car is in the shop every other month. The enginge consumes and leaks oil. My engine and emissions lights have been on for three years. Dont waste your money, the dealers charge to turn them off, and they will be back on in weeks. Dont replace your O2 sensors either. Thay are too expensive and the computer will default the sensor anyway. I have had wheel bearings, radiator, tie rods, cv joints, vacume lines, and the list goes on. Over $7500 in 6 years not including brakes timing belt and tune ups. VW you have lost my business. This car is a money pit.

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  3 years 35,000 mi - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jessica - August 15 - 11:26 am

  This is a very fun car to drive - we bought prior to birth of 1st child and expected to have it for 10 yrs. Now expecting 2nd child we realize two car seats will not fit the very shallow back seat. I have not experienced many of the mechanical/interior issues as other posters.

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  "Beauty is the beginning of terror!" - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Chuck - August 13 - 4:30 pm

  I bought the most beautiful 2005 New Beetle convertible ever built. Midnight blue with beige interior. And thats the best thing I can say about the car. Nearly four years and 30,000 miles later and I can only tell you to avoid this product at all costs. If you must, lease it. Engine compartment fire, windows on the passenger side disentgrating on thir own, water pump, brakes, front struts, burned out headlights, check engine lights come on whenever they please, poor gas mileage on 93, convertible roof is moody, plastic and rubber parts fall off in the night to be found on the floor in the morning, interior peels on hot days, locks wont work on cold days, new radio, I can go on,

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  Fun to drive German - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By psupdx - August 11 - 7:23 am

  Own this car for one month. It is truly fun to drive Passat compare to other imports. Love the look inside and out. It drives like 6 cylinder car, thanks to turbo. Consequently, it consumes gas like 6 cylinder. I average 22 to 23 mi/gallon on 60 freeway/40 local. My old 2000 Maxima was better than that! I had to check the car with a local dealership for rattling noise from driver side glove box and door panel. It was fixed once and came back. So its been at service twice for the same issue. Hope this problem wont come back.

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  New Beetle - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By rosey - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Lots of little things go wrong with it.....power windows, hub caps fall off, signals dont work, leak in cooling system. Poor warrenty.

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  Hondas&Toyotas = More Reliable/Less fun - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By questioning purchase - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Car has been in for repairs 6 times since I bought it new 5 mos ago. There is a disconcerting rubbing/grinding in the steering. All steering parts were replaced and Im battling VW with lemon law violations because the problem still is not fixed (after 4 attempts). The national lemon law representatives for VW overlooked the problem and didnt give me the time of day. Also, the door is rattling loudly despite replacing the window guide, door panel, broken clips, and two other adjustments...VERY frustrating! Disappointing gas mileage. Ive been getting 18-19 mpg city; mid 20s highway w/ 5spd manual 2.0L (A/C NOT in use), flat surface driving.