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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  Fun to drive when not in the shop - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sean - February 22 - 1:16 pm

  I purchased my Jetta with 5 miles and all options. After 5 years, it has about 30K miles (I dont drive much) and is often in the shop. If the engine light isnt on then its a recall. Its had electrical issues (interior dash lights no longer works), rear pillar rattling, suspension problems and the list goes on. Once off warranty, the repairs are very costly! Im not sure how some can rate this car with a 9 or 10 reliability. Perhaps I got the lemon. Its a fun car to drive but definitely my last VW.

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  The bug didnt bug me - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bugboy - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Fun Car to drive 2.0 gas version feels sluggish ,however its styling won me over great looking car ,we plan to get ba convertable soon

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  Poor Clutch Engineering - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By srwaal - February 20 - 10:00 am

  If you had asked me last week, I would have said the Beetle is a great car. But Fri, my 2000 1.8t GLX with 26K miles broke down - burned clutch. Clutch should last (with normal driving) until 50K. I did research today and found that the 1.8t clutch is expected to only last 20K-30K. That is POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. I can not afford to replace the clutch for $1600 (quote given) every 2 years. VWOA was no help. Ive had clutches last more than 80K in past (Ford).

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  Jetta VR6= (Road+Car+Driver)^(Connected) - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hola_dan - February 18 - 11:50 pm

  I have always wanted a VR6 and boy, I am so happy that I finally got one last year. I bought a used GLX 5-speed manual with all the options and only 26,000 miles. I have since improved the car by conditioning the leather and waxing it a couple of times - thats how much I like this car. It has many features you would not expect on a compact car - rear sunshade, automatic windshield wipers, excellent interior illumination (even with ambient LED lighting), fog lamps, REAL wood trim, excellent leather. However, the best thing of this car is the way you connect to it when you drive it. Around town it is amazingly fun to drive, and at high speeds, it is dead stable. Great European car!

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  Beware of Passats - not reliable - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By mh - February 18 - 11:20 pm

  When I first got my car, I loved it. It is a C6 4Motion. It is tons of fun to drive. However, within a year, the shop tried to fix the gas gauge pump three times. This issue was finally resolved; however, now have fluid level evaporation for the oil, power stearing and coolant. There are no lights that indicate that the levels are below the minimum level. If i lose all my coolant, I am in trouble. My car is only 4 years old with 36,000 miles. It shouldnt have these problems. In addition there is a noise under the car they cant resolve. Now my window has it a mind of its own. Never buy VW. Go with something more reliable like a Honda.

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  Never running out of driving fun - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mike - February 18 - 4:50 am

  used to trade cars every 1-2 yrs, BMW, Acura, Mini, Honda, MB, but still keeping this car more than 3 yrs. Feeling of very secure driving and confidence. No mechanical trouble so far-very lucky. Nothing fancy or outstanding in the parking lot but never out of style. Liked its different driving settings and plying it all the time. Still very satisfied up to 95% of my expectation.

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  1.5+ year ownership. Would buy it again. - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By balkor2 - February 17 - 7:32 pm

  I purchased my Jetta TDi early January 2010 and at the time of writing this it is latter September 2011. Since purchasing the vehicle I have been using Fuelly.com to track my expenses and fuel usage from mile 1. Mixed city driving and average around 38 miles to gallon so I fuel up around once a month. Highway to DC 50+ mpg back roads to Ocean City loaded down with luggage and people 39 mpg. ISSUES: iPod cable (on third one and will replace this one on warranty). Bluetooth issue at purchase. Could not pair phone with it. Warranty replace. RCD10 media button came off on my finger more than likely do to interior temp was over 120 degrees F. Transmission did not engage once on a steep hill

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  So far, so good. - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By s4guy2000 - February 16 - 10:09 pm

  I just acquired a 2012 Jetta TDI Premium. We have a 2013 Jetta Sportwagen with all of the options and have put about 9000 trouble free miles on it, so I bought the 2012 sedan as a certified used VW. It has around 50k miles on it and I drive 74 miles round trip everyday. So far the car has been really nice, the tires are terrible and I will be changing these out in a month or two, but I am still getting around 53.8 mpg when I just kind of cruise. I averaged 44.8 mpg on the first tank with faster driving. I like the DSG it feels a little clunky if you are used to traditional manuals, especially when it downshifts when you are slowing down, but it is pretty smooth while upshifting.

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  2006 WV Passat VE - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By laqbn - February 15 - 10:33 am

  Great car! Fells like a quality Euorpean sedan. One test drive and you will realize how much better this VW is compared to the Camry/Accord Japaneese cars. Not to mention the 2.0T/Tiptronic powertrain that absolutely knocks you back in your seat.

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  Be forewarned - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Former owner - February 13 - 6:40 pm

  If you are reading this you are probably thinking about purchasing a used Passat. If you do, chances are good you will regret it. I owned one for 4 years and never got any satisfaction, and got a lot of mediocre to poor service from VW. My Passat had brake issues. First replaced at 10k (all), then 17k (rear) 25k (rear) 29k (front) and when I ditched it at 33k, the rear needed replacing again, VW said was normal. I had a hesitation problem which I pointed out to them from 7000 miles, and every other time that I brought it in, they could never replicate the problem, but it was dangerous- not normal turbo lag. Lots of other issues and little satisfaction. Look up engine sludge issues on internet.