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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  Poor Quality - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By NO Touareg - February 12 - 2:00 am

  Purchased on a Sat. afternoon. Within the 20 mile home I already had problems. First the heated seats didnt work, the CD player broke, the head lights were not aligned correctly, the steering wheel was not top centered. The car had a bad shake at 70 MPH and pulled to the right. After I got home I noticed paint discoloration on the lift gate. I did more research online and found this to be a problematic vehicle. See club touareg.com. It is filled with horror stories of poor quality, numerous breakdowns, and little available parts to fix your vehicle. I brought it back to the dealer I bought mine from on Monday and got my money and trade-in back.

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  Great Car for the wet or snow - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By GreatB5 - February 2 - 4:03 pm

  My B5 2001 Passat now has 85,000 miles on it and still feels like new. We bought the car after finding the A4 to be too small and the A6 too big. This A4 based car is the perfect compromise. The interior is great looking and built to last. The leather has no creases or cracking, even after 85,000 miles of driving. There are no interior rattles at all. While the 4motion is fantastic for a wet and snowy climate, Id pass on it if I lived somewhere I didnt absolutely need it as the fuel mileage hit is pretty big.

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  Nice Riding car Bad parts and Bad company - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By Timothy Fay - January 28 - 1:01 pm

  The company swindled lots of people into buying these So called clean diesels, They were actually a minimum of 5x the legal limit on NOX emissions. The Maintenance costs on the VW is obsurd, and the car has had nothing but recalls, the entire time Ive owned the car. I Cant get any of my recalls fixed, because One recall is over a year old with no resolution, and 2 are several months old with no parts for the air bag or the defective connector seals, which could go on fire. VW does not care about your safety or your business. They will lie, cheat and steal to get your money in their pockets. I would not recommend a VW to anyone. Im still fighting to get my recalls completed. VWs air bag announcement stated I may not have an air bag for 3 years. Shows how much they care about making your car safe. They will not give you loaners or rental cars while recalls are being completed where cheaper manufacturers such as Honda does so voluntarily. Stay away. There are much better quality cars for much less money. Oil changes are a minimum of $90. They claim that because you dont have to change oil for 10k miles that it justifies the price. Take my advise. DO NOT BUY VW. They are a rip off, and you dont get what you pay for. The char is very basic for the money. No real tech features come standard.

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  passat - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By marlene2 - January 27 - 11:28 am

  the worst car nothing but trouble after 3 years

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  NO WAY - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By no way - January 26 - 6:23 pm

  Do not buy one of these cars. I have had 4 oil leaks fixed, all under warranty. 2 air sensors replaced - one under warranty the other on me ($400) and a air injection pump ($650). All of that between 37k and 61k. I wear a size 14 shoe and my foot rubs the brake pedal when it is on the accelerator. A very poorly made engine, I have heard the V6 is better. Also the transmission has slipped twice on me in the mountains. The value has fallen so fast that I am upside down in my loan 1.5 years into it. Cant imagine selling it so someone, so Im going to have to eat about 3k on a trade in.

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  Very Disappointed - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By xanthippe - January 22 - 3:39 am

  Bought this car new. Issues began appearing within 6 months (steering column replacement, oil disappearing with no leaks, peeling buttons, arm rests, emissions problems still, etc...). Have never experienced so many issues with a new $25,000 vehicle. Will never purchase a VW again. VW should be ashamed. Search the forums for issues on this car before you buy!!!

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  Bad Jetta - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mad - January 19 - 4:46 pm

  I bought my jetta turbo brand new! 2 years later the engine goes out! 2 years after that the transmission went out! talk about a lemon! A lot of other things went bad i just dont have enough space for details. It looked beautiful but the vw cars are nothing but trouble. I was so glad to get rid of it and now Im so happy with my Honda!

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  meh - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By cantcomplain - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I got this car for my 16th birthday. It was the car I always wanted...cute, fun...until you drive it. It had 30,000 on it when we bought it. Since then, weve replaced both window switches, both O2 sensors, radiator and engine mounts. The check engine light pops on periodically. We didnt recieve a maintenance record with the car. I dont think we would have bought the car if there was one. Its an electrical attrocity. If Ive learned one thing, its not to buy a prototype.

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  Yellow Lemon - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By wife of ciscokid - January 9 - 2:30 am

  THIS CAR IS A PIECE OF JUNK, built in Mexico not Germany My wifes car, but I paid for it and fixed it Expensive - Waited 4 months, and paid ABOVE MSRP Unreliable – Spent more time in service center than on the road. Electrical problems (windows, radio, seat) Overheating/cooling fan short Transmission problems AC problems (not fun in Texas summers) My favorite was broken drivers door handle If you buy a car for Looks not reliability then you deserve this car

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  I will NEVER buy another VW again !!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Blessedmann - January 6 - 2:00 am

  I had a 1984 Jetta that was great so I thought I would try it agian. BIG mistake. I spent more $ on repairs then the car was worth. When I was told that it needs a new trans I got rid of it.