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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  3rd TDI, first awful TDI - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By heidimac - November 7 - 4:22 pm

  I traded a 2003 TDI sedan for this sedan ~ what a mistake! 1. just refused to turn over randomly. dealer response ~ too bad. 2. steering wheel deteriorated, peeling and gummy. dealer response ~ buy a cover.... too expensive to replace and may repeat problem. 3. Buttons peeled. First the buttons "paint" bubbled then began falling off. Theyre half white now; even on ones i have never used. dealer response ~ We have fixed that problem 4. Headliner began separating at all the rear impact bag locations, now it dangles from the roof. dealer response ~ We have fixed that problem. 5. MPG worse than my 03 or my sons 04 wagon.

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  Stay away from this dump - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Kimball - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Bought car because of it standard features -The following has been done to the car in 40000 miles of driving--1. brakes replaced at 22000 miles 2. seats broke 3. epc light replaced 4. tires replaced twice 5. oil usage 1 quart every month 6. Brakes locked up. 7. Will not release from Park 8. Emission contol light triggers every month. 9. Stay away from this car.

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  Ignition Start Wont start - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Watushi Nakamura - October 26 - 1:06 am

  The ignition start, sometimes wont start or sometimes u have to apply gas pedal to help the engine to start. not like honda & toyota easy to start. too bad for a brand new jetta Be careful when buying this car u need to try to start the engine otherwise u wont notice the problem. too noisy engine even though its brand new

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  Going, Going, Gone!!!!!!!!!!!! TDI - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jrainey - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Titles explain everything in some cases. I have had nothing but problems with this car from day one. I purchased it with great intentions of saving on yearly fuel costs. The money I saved in fuel I have certainly made up replacing window regulators, o2 sensors, wiring harn, ect. Not to mention the number of hours trying to find someone to fix it. Five dealers in UT, none that can fit you into their busy schedual. That must say something about haw many are being serviced.

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  GLX Wagen - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tubs - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Since bought as demo with 4k, front roters have been replaced, cupholder non-functional, power roof adjusted, then would not close completely, and the transmission is absolutely horrible, in that it upshifts too quickly when starting from a stop, then downshifts abruptly just to keep up a moderate acceleration. During this, the RPM jumps back and forth from 1500 to over 3k. Dealer has told me twice that the tranny is normal, but in over 500,000 miles and a lot of vehicles, I have never driven such a strange transmission. Next is to the VW rep, I guess, or lemon suit.

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  Not suitable for short passengers - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By candle27 - October 5 - 5:00 pm

  I am 53 and too short to reach the headrest even in its lowest position. According to the Users Manual and a phone call to VW Americas head office, a cushion must never be placed on the passenger seat as this interferes with the airbag systems proper functioning. This only becomes clear after the car has been purchased one has read the manual.Therefore I am at risk in case of an accident and VW says that neither they nor I can do anything about it.

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  Keys - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jill Klassy - September 29 - 9:48 pm

  Just bought my first VW Jetta. Overall I like the car. Of course my daughter lost one keyfob at school almost immediately. Extremely frustrating that VW dealers charge $250 for another key including programming. Thats completely insane and no other locksmith or reliable service is able to provide at a lower cost. VW SHAME ON YOU!!!! This alone makes me not want to be loyal to VW and not feel good about talking about VW. I will not buy VW again.

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  never again will I buy a VW - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By michele in MA - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Jetta in Apr 02,by May I was in for service,the passenger door was rattling.In June my wiper blade had to be adjusted,it was hitting the side of the car.In July my ignition coil failed.In Dec. the ignition coil failed again.In Aug 2003,my passenger side window fell into the door.When the window was repaired they also fixed the engine coil again, since VW put out a campaign to install the new engine coils.Sorry VW you didnt fix the issue with the engine coils!By Sept the engine coil failed again.You definitely dont get what you paid for with this vehicle.My advice is buy a Honda they are better built.

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  Never Again - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fescoabar76@aol.com - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Worst Car I ever Had. I wish I would of rather purchased another Toyota or a new Honda.

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  jetta - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hofs94 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  The car is the biggest piece of junk. The car has had many problems. The dealership and maker are not very accodomating in dealing with problems.