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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  VW Routan 09 Pulls to the right - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By DP - December 28 - 11:53 pm

  I purchase VW Routan this year and immediately noticed during the first week that the van pulls to the right. Took it to the dealer and they tried few things but no luck. They balanced tires, installed new ones and still the issue still present. I have contact VW customer service and reported to them of the problem. There is also a passenger side sliding door problem. The door will not stay latched open at incline. Overall, not happy with the van. I owned odyssey before and this van doesnt really compare well to Honda for the drive.

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  Best Car Ive ever owned - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vgpr - December 28 - 4:05 pm

  Been a JDM enthusiast all my life Been in the Automotive repair business 20 years. Then VW won me over I bought this car used with 78k miles on it. Today it has 200k. Its been a commuter vehicle for over 6 years the wtr pmp/belt done at 100k was replaced. Their weakness. The gear was plastic. Replaced with metal one. Besides that its been normal maintenance. Best front wheel drive in the snow up in the Cascades. Best A/C down in Tx where it is now. Grips the road better than my Benz C230 at a quarter of the Price and is the quietest car Ive owned even today its quieter than my other newer cars. I just gave the car to my Sis and its still going strong. If find clean then get it...

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  Been a great car for us - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By VW Fan - December 28 - 7:13 am

  The car has the amenities of a luxury car, handles like a sports car, has the power of a muscle car, all with great off road capabilities. 100K+ miles and has never left us stranded. The body style doesnt show its age and still turns heads on the road. We live in the country and it has survived the gravel roads as an everyday driver for my wife. Its great for travel (other than the mileage) and gives a sense of safety and security no matter the driving conditions.

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  Brand new...... - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By weaselinsuit - December 28 - 5:46 am

  Just purchased so no idea yet as to mileage or reliability so rated them a 5. But it certainly is fun to drive; handles well, peppy, comfortable ergonomics. Got it with the panoramic sunroof which is a nice feature, heres hoping it doesnt leak over time. Overall, appears to be a well built, functional, fun vehicle.

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  The Curious Case Of Diminishing Milage - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By claudestouareg - December 27 - 7:11 pm

  Our bran new 2013 Lux TDI gave us astonishing 33 mpg trips on secondary highways at around 60mph. Now with 7,000 miles on the odo we cant get even 28mpg under the same conditions. When we started noticing the loss of mpg we started taking extra precautions not to waste diesel but to no avail. This car is getting at least 10% less mileage at 7,000 miles than it did bran new. Anybody else experience this??

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  Gotta be something betta - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nghappycabin - December 23 - 2:00 pm

  When its in operating condition, the ride is awesome and fun. Comfortable, stylish & unique features on the interior. I like the way it drives and the comfort, but theres been just too many problems with it to recommend it to others. Window fell into the door, oil plan needed replaced, some computer sensor for $180, serpentine belt and Ive had to replace the same headlight bulb twice w/in last 30K miles. Interior parts look nice but they break easily and are expensive to replace. Trunk latch snapped in cold weather, console latch busted & cup holder broke ($160 for a new cup holder, for example). Just found out the cooling fan is broken ($500). Everything is expensive to fix.

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  Should be recalled - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By W8in for it to Godot - December 21 - 10:10 am

  Apparently, almost every W8 suffers from a cam adjuster problem that costs approx $10K, and takes a month, to fix. The part has a design flaw, which VW of America has fixed, but they will not offer any warranty help, or support their dealers, who often cant fix these cars.Between the cost of the parts and the constant problems, a W8 cost more than a Porsche to run. Not a car for real world applications.

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  Fun, but not worth it - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By James - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, but cheaply made. Interior isnt thought out well, and is almost funny in its badness. Interior peels off, switches and knobs break very easy, and forget about getting a drink and planning to fit it in the cupholder.

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  Problems with 2006 Jetta - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By MikeL - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car brand new from the dealership and had no problems until the warranty period was expiring. Had several major parts replaced under warranty. Main seal leak in engine. Main wiring harness in drivers door caused major electrical problems. Headliner is falling down and interior buttons on radio are peeling.

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  Love the car but lots of issues - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Greg - December 20 - 9:00 am

  I bought my 2008 Eos and it has really been an enjoyable car to drive, when it is not at the dealership. So far I have taken it in at least 4 times, 3 of which for the same issues. Small leakage in the drivers window during a heavy rain, auto roll up windows do not always go back up, and breaks squeal despite the dealership telling me they are fine, it is just the way VW made them. The other issue I had recently was the battery needing to be replaced at about 30K miles (this was causing the trunk latch in the car to not pop the trunk completely open).