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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  Stay away from 2002 Jetta - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Eric - January 4 - 5:26 am

  VW Jetta is not worth a dime. Problems since day 1. Water pump froze up causing timing belt to jump an d ruin engine. 1 Year later water pump froze up again. Constant electrical glitches and other mysterious items. Local VW dealer wont even look at if for less than $120. I would highly recommend staying away from these vehicles. They look nice; however, the quality is garbage.

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  Never Buy a VW again - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By crewdawg63 - January 2 - 2:16 pm

  Bought this 5 years ago hoping to get 30 mpg for a long commute to a new job. Had a 1986 Jetta once upon a time that was GREAT, so figured I’d get another one – BIG mistake. Good: Heated seats are warm and cozy in the New England wintertime while waiting for the heater to warm up. It’s small and fits in tiny parking garages well. The 2 rear seat reading lights are awesome for the kiddos – they control their own light and it does not create a distracting glare for me. Lots of airbags. Good city car – don’t care if someone scratches nor dings it anymore. It’s paid for. BAD: Build quality is horrible. Replaced 3 water pumps in the past 3 years-they seem to last just beyond the 12 month warranty, of course. Driving back from a long road trip up the east coast, all 4 brake rotors warped and I just got thru having all 4 brakes replaced (ouch!). The car wash ripped the radio antennae off the top. Dealer wants $1000 to remove/replace the headliner in order to fix. The heater on the driver’s side blows air on my shins, so my toes continue to stay frozen no matter how hot the rest of the inside is. The exhaust just cracked behind the manifold, another $700 bill which had to be fixed in order to pass inspection. Now the automatic transmission and clutch is starting to act up, shifting hard and not dropping in to gear without banging on the shift lever. The auto door locks sometimes don’t lock or unlock the back doors. The key fob doesn’t lock/unlock unless I’m within 3 ft of the car, even after repeated battery replacements. Rust is starting to show on the body, despite my attention to keeping the car clean. I’m going to give this car to my 16 year old son as his project car. If he can keep it running, he has wheels. No matter how I drive and keep the car tuned up, the best I can get out of it is 25 mpg. I’m going to go buy Toyota or Dodge truck. Might as well have a quality built hauler that people will get out of the way of – I’m tired of people pulling out in front of me when they see this POS coming.

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  Calling Dr.Porsche - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BuySwedish - December 31 - 2:00 am

  You can spend millions if not billions on quirky,Mtv like commercials, but you cant build a quality car?I have to say it is by far the worse car I have ever owned.This is coming from a guy who has owned three Saab 900s.Why is this? Well,Everything falls apart,everything from the side mirrors to the shift knob, to the gas door, to the window switches, to the melted fuses to the terrible radio(hasnt worked in a year)

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  goodby vw - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ttgd - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BEETLE. THE OXYGEN SENSORS, REAR BRAKES, WIPERS, DOOR LOCKS,BATTERY, ALL WERE A PROBLEM BEFORE THEIR TIME. THE DEALER HAS BEEN GREAT AND HELPED RESOLVE PROBLEMS, BUT FOR A NEWER CAR THEIR ARE WAY TO MANY PROBLEMS. I WILL BUY AN INFINTI NEXT, SOON....

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  Buyer Beware! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW Sucks - December 29 - 9:30 am

  My VW 2006 Passat just turned 77,000 miles and I brought the vehicle into the dealership becase of a "Check Engine" light and was told that the camshaft needed to be replaced. Upon asking why the camshaft went bad so early in the cars life, the dealer stated that this is due to infrequent oil changes or the wrong oil being used. I showed proof of eleven oil changes (only requires 7) using the recommended Europeon Synthetic blend, but VW would not assist in payment of the repairs. $3,000 repair - thanks VW. DO NOT BUY VWs!!!

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  Dont Buy this car - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By David - December 28 - 6:43 am

  lets start here, from 2010 to 2011 VW wanted a new market, they wanted to appeal to a lower price market, so they made the interior cheap, I have had an ongoing issue with the interior lights just turning on and wont go off. Once they do finally go off I can push anywhere on the headliner to turn them on, to rectify it I had to pull the upper console away from the headliner. I have put no less than 20 headlamps in the car over the duration owning it. Repair costs are extensive, Check engine light on $1500 fix for exhaust part, 2 weeks later check engine light back on $1000 intake valve, AC hasnt worked in 3 years, recharged every summer, mechanic says it needs a new compressor $500. Timing belt replacement, $1500 because VW uses a nylon impellor for the water pump for OE so while the engine is torn down you need to replace the water pump. Recall for emissions VW dragged their feet for both the fix and the buyback so owners would add more mileage and then volkswagen hits them with mileage penalties. Wife got stranded in West Virginia 600 miles away because a sensor went in the motor causing the turbo to shut down, $300 and 4 hours stuck in West Virginia while it was repaired. This car has been one nightmare after another. Stay away from volkswagen!

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  Dont let this happen to you. - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JNB - December 24 - 10:00 am

  To get straight to the point the Jetta Wolfsburg is a car to be avoided. I have had it since new and most of the time it exhibits a mind of its own. I wait until there is nothing in sight before pulling out because I never know if Im going to get the peppy little car or the die as you accelerate car. The ASR control feels like its going to rip the drivetrain apart when it engages on damp pavement. But VW says to speak to the dealer, the dealer says it fine. If its doing what it should be then VW needs to go back to the drawing board. What do you get when you cross a wonderful interior with bargain bin mechanicals? The VW Jetta Wolfsburg.

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  Vats da big Idea? German Engineering? - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Theresar - December 20 - 8:00 am

  The Jetta has A/C vents located to blow in every direction but the direction you need them to blow. Its directional lights stay on when you shut the vehicle off, if you dont realize this it will run your battery down. My cars alarm system flew the coop after four months. The A/C is barely A/C, dont buy this car if you live in a hot area, my daughters Saturn ION cools 10x better. Its seat covers ball up like a cheap sweater in a dryer. This cars overall shape makes it difficult to back up as visibility even for a tall person is limited

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  Despised VW Passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By despisedvw - December 20 - 6:16 am

  My car a VW Passat, its the worst experience Ive ever made. Had 36K miles when I brought it after 42k the oil was mixing with G12 fluid causing it to over heat. Fix thanx to warranty $4000. Every year Im replacing CV Joints. any little thing to fix or change cost an arm and a leg...............I hate hate VW

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  My Horror Story - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By azuki - December 19 - 7:34 am

  This was my first car at the age of 18. When I got my Beetle, it had about 72,000 miles on it, and not even 4 months after receiving it, the problems began. Immediately, my transmission died completely. My warranty company gave me a $4,000 check and voided my warranty after seeing the $12,000 repair bill. Then, the battery died. Twice. As did the alternator and air conditioning. My rear window also got stuck and that would have cost me 4 hours of labor fees just to get to the broken bits. Its not like I drove it a lot - over a course of 3 years I didnt even drive 10,000 miles. For the love of god, stay away from this car. It is one problem after another, literally every 3-5 months.