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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  You Wil love It - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By outdoors_394 - July 27 - 2:00 am

  We love Our 02 Passatt. It is comfortable on long trips, good accelaration, love the Monsoon sound system. Have received lots of compliments on the looks. Black on black. A few small problems occurred but were taken care of by VWs warrenty.

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  The VW Experience Part 2 - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ADROSS - July 27 - 2:00 am

  I have always loved Volkswagen since my high school days of driving my VW beetle that was two years older than me. After graduating college and working in the real world, I finally got out of debt from my previous clunker car (of the Ford variety) and was able to save enough money to purchase my OWN NEW CAR! I knew it had to be a VW and it had to be fast for the big city of Houston (as I have to merge with freeway and highway traffic as effectively as possible). The VR6 Jetta GLX has been the answer to my driving prayers.

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  A piece of @#@$ - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jmj - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Two broken glove boxes, 1 oxygen sensor rear brakes worn really fast. numerous fault code problems in and out of shop 8 times needs a muffler.you smell the washer fluid in the car when sprayed.I traded a 1998 honda accord for this car what a mistake this car does not even hold value to a honda.

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  I love driving this car - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By almica - July 27 - 2:00 am

  I have purchased my Passat a month ago, and I just cannot stop admiring all of its wonderful features. I got leather package, Monsoon surround sound system, EPS extras and, of course, manual transmission. The handling of the car is breath taking. I would definitely recommend this car to anyone who truly enjoys and appreciates driving a high quality vehicle.

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  Reliability - Long Term in Question. - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Chicago M - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Two topis of concern are the paint finish and the transmission. To start off,the paint has oxidized in some places and scratches too easily. The other more troubling area is the transmission which has just been replaced by VW. The question I have is this car a lemon or what else is going to go wrong. This car is too new for this kind of trouble to happen.

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  Such A Shame... - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By bobignacio - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Ride, comfort and interior is exceptional. Over the past year, however, weve had it in the shop several times...engine coils. An engine coil seems to go bad and the "Emissions" light will go on. We also had to have the drivers side seat belt replaced (it wouldnt release after button pressed). Now, there is a burnt rubber smell coming from under the hood and it is very noticeable when the heater is on...it is going back to the shop. We love this car soo much, however, the constant problems have persuaded us to replace it...Such a shame. Oh yeah...the Emissions light came on again today (1/28/03).

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  A car with character - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By emseearr - July 26 - 2:46 pm

  Very briefly, Ive owned this car for two weeks and I am very happy with it so far. This is my second car, a big step up from my first, a 2003 Hyundai Elantra sedan. Overall, I feel this is a very well-designed and well-engineered car with some quirks, endearing and otherwise. I think its style, performance and overall charming character more than make up for its few, unfortunate, shortcomings.

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  Give it a try, you might be surprised - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jim - July 26 - 10:17 am

  This Jetta puts a smile on my face every time I get into it, simple as that. Its a very well balanced car. I have only two complaints about it: (1) somewhat lacking steering feedback - not a huge deal once I got used to it but I prefer the steering feel of Ford Focus; and (2) headlights not turning off with ignition - this one is annoying enough to force me to search for an aftermarket solution. Other than that the car is excellent and great value for money now that tumbleweeds are rolling through VW showrooms and dealers are knocking 15-20% off MSRP. Responsive engine, good torque in a wide RPM range (even better with aftermarket tuning if thats your thing), smooth manual transmission, solid handling and braking (aside from the steering that might take some time to get used to), very nice touchscreen with Android Auto support, comfortable seating position, lots of space in in the back and in the trunk, Im sure Im forgetting something but the main thing I use a car for is to drive it and the Jetta does that better than any car I tried in this price range.

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  Jetta is Great! 70K miles and counting! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Frank - July 26 - 4:10 am

  The Jetta seems to be a love/hate car. It looks to me like a lot of people that had the 1.8T models had serious issues. Couldnt be happier with the 2.0 L GLS model. Only complaint is the water pump issue that VW has yet to recall. Common issue: the water pump fins melt off and cause head gasket failure. If you look around, this happens to everyone. Other than that, very few issues in 5 years. Great car for the money and fun to drive!

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  Great car for the price! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Andrea - July 26 - 12:00 am

  Great car, very reliable. Great on gas, and affordable. I only wish it drove better in the snow. Definitely need to upgrade to snow tires on this one.