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:

• 

  VW BUG CONVERTIBLE - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By pjones - June 7 - 10:00 am

  The only disign problem I have with the convertible is the windows catch on the roof when the doors are opened.

• 

  Fun But Too Many Electrical Issues - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By CHOP - June 7 - 4:06 am

  My first VW. Purchased a 2006 Certified Passat Lux edition. Fun fast performing car. Mechanically sound, modern styling and dealer service was great, but in just under 2 years, Ive had it in the shop about 12 times to fix electrical annoyances. Ive owned BMW and Mercedes; for some reason, Germans cant get the electrical right. Also, alot of squeaks in cold weather. Gas mileage is great, but spent too much time at the dealership.

• 

  Great engine - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By greg2877 - June 6 - 8:56 pm

  I gave this little car 4 stars for the engine only. It is very sound and will last forever, if you keep up with the regular oil changes. I bough the car 2 years ago, and had to do zero repairs for the engine. The inside is a different story. The only thing solid for the car is the engine and the steering wheel. A lot of the inside is made of plastic and actually, under the hood, a little tongue comes out to open the hood, and that broke off, so now I have to magician my way to open it. Its tricky but can be done. The inside is breaking. The sunroof,door handles, locks, and glovebox. I would say, the inside would cost me around $1000 to get fixed. If I do the work myself.

• 

  The Coil Pack Story - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By popecomazombie - June 3 - 2:00 am

  If youre looking to buy a Gti, or any VW or Audi with the 1.8t or VR6 motor, then read on. Perhaps by now youve heard about VWs little problem with their ignition coilpacks. Long story short, they used a third party manufacturer and got burned. Inferior parts, a HOWLING VW customer base, and not enough of them to fix the cars that are already out there. Beware, 9k on mine, in the shop 3x now, once for brake recall, once for alarm going off mysteriously at 3:00 am, and now once for 1 of 4 coilpacks. I wonder when the three other little ticking time bombs are going to go off ? For more info, go to the forums at www.vwvortex.com

• 

  Fun car/Poor Qualty - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Treva Hagstrom - June 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a fun car but has been towed in several times. Several Headlights 5-8 Many window regulars 5 Electronic key entry About $350. This car has had 3 Batteries. This can only be installed by the dealer.They have to reset the computer. This cost about $135. Several other people have had the same Problem. We are not happy with the qualty.

• 

  2001 Golf GLS - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Kostas - June 2 - 12:26 pm

  3 times the engine stopped running while driving. Engine losses power. Compression problem repaired at 10,000 miles. Hatch hits the pumper paint is gone on point of contact. Drivers seat makes funny noises, from inside when your lay on the headrest.

• 

  Love it!!! - 2000 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By lilauggie4 - June 2 - 7:04 am

  I dont understand why people are writing such terrible reviews, you clearly didnt get the car checked before buying it. My 2000 Cabrio is a beautiful car. It runs well, looks nice, I havent had any problems yet. And ive had it for 5 months. It has a little over 109k miles. You guys just need to take better care of your car!! (Its not a manual though, im confused why I cant choose automatic.)

• 

  Love My Passat - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By pinechip - May 29 - 10:00 am

  I love my Passat. It has great handling, and is fun to drive. It gives you the feel of a sporty car with the utility of a 4-door sedan.

• 

  Fun in the sun - 2000 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Term - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Great little car, toss in a K&N air filter to give it back some of its missing power. Car handles like a dream. Im happy to own the GLS model instead of the lesser GL. The GL looks cheap IMO. Must be the rims. Power top on the GLS is nice also.

• 

  TDI Diesel Beetle After Seven Years - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By diesel - May 23 - 3:06 pm

  After seven years of daily use, I am still very happy with my Beetle. Other New Beetles have had reliability problems, but I have had no problems with the engine or transmission. I have had minor problems with the window switches breaking, but the replacements seem to have held up. This is a much better engine than the 2.0L gas, and it gives far better economy. The downside is whenever we go somewhere I always have to drive!