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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  200,000 mile Passat Wagon - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Scott - July 20 - 11:16 am

  Great car! Low cost of ownership, fast, handles well, good gas mileage. Very European firm ride however. I put 165,000 of the 200,000 miles on it. Runs like the day I bought it. I guess I got a good one!

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  Utilitarian with fun - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TDI fan - July 18 - 2:00 am

  I have driven a TDI for 4 years now and still enjoy driving it. I live in Colorado so snow tires are neccesary in the winter but she is still fun to drive 4 years later. It could use a few more horses but for 50mpg it is hard to beat. Make sure you get the additive for the winter because fuel line freeze up will happen with the diesel.

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  Wiat for the 5 cylinder Diesel - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ale - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Great car but the MPG are not good. Especially when europe has the choice of the R5TDI that gets double the MPG! Not all of us in the USA like to waste all the oil for the future generations.

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  Overall, great car! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By LVMYJTA - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Im sorry others have had so much frustration with their Jettas. I had a bunch of things go wrong in the first 6 months, but they were all fixed under warranty, so I dont really mind. Nothing has broken twice and nothing has broken out of warranty (36,000 miles in the first year). This dealer and service department are top-notch. I drive an hour for service -- even for oil changes! They are as cheap as Jiffy-lube, and they know its a VW, not a "Volvo" like JL tried to tell me.

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  ouch! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sorebutt - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I loved my new Jetta until I dove it for an hour. The seat is very uncomfortable! Am I the only one who finds this to be so? I sure hope it breaks in. Otherwise, I love the car.

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  Why are so many people complaining? - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By SkydiverMN - July 16 - 8:30 am

  I currently have 165k on my Jetta GLS 2.0L. Besides some recall issues (window motor module, and a catalytic converter) the cars been fine. Sure, there are wearable items that go, and I recently did a suspension replacement (tie rods, ball joints, lower control arms, struts, and rear shocks) that cost about $600 for parts. Otherwise, its a solid runner and is fun to drive. Would I but another? Sure. All cars eventually have most (if not all) of the issues that Ive run into.

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  2001 VW Jetta - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Amy - July 16 - 6:43 am

  I absolutely loved this vehicle when I first purchased it in October of 2006. Now all it does is have a problem after another! First the CD player broke, then the arm rest, then the trunk (which has completely stopped opening), and now the drivers side window doesnt work. Something inside the door has fallen. The window can go down but good luck getting it up. If you do then it starts slowly falling as the day goes by since the window is broken. Leather interior is peeling almost everywhere as well. I am really unsatisfied with the quality of the parts. It runs well but I can no longer get groceries in it or feel the wind. All of this happened before I hit 100,000 miles.

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  First Year with the Hybrid Jetta - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
  By geoff_ct - July 15 - 1:07 pm

  Ive driven my 2013 Hybrid Jetta for a full year now and while I like the car its worth sharing my experience. First, Ive had some quality issues that required pretty major dealer service. The AC did not work at all and required 3 days in the dealership to re-program. Next the climate sync and off did not work and required that the climate module be replaced. I had to return to the dealer to have the AC turned on again after the climate control module was replaced. Most recently a vacuum pump failed and the check hybrid and check engine lights went on. I was averaging 42.7 mpg but lately its down to 37.5. I think the change is due to my reduced efforts at driving economically.

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  The best and the worst - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Midlander - July 14 - 10:00 am

  Its the best vehicle I have ever owned if all works well, but 23 days of service in the first six months of ownership annihilates the pleasure. A seemingly endless series of quality problems is met with mediocre service and VWs inability to timely get replacement parts.

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  Rag Top Problems - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By frantommy - July 14 - 10:00 am

  My rag top has been broken twice in one year now the dealer tells me the company does not reconize this as a major problem for this reason it might take weeks to fix,(summer is here now). Has anyone had this problem? Seems that other beetle owners have had this problem at my dealership. Does anyone know what to do?? Is this a LEMON?