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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  VW Passat TDi - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By sky - April 27 - 4:13 am

  My 1997 Volkswagen Passat TDI drives well, and gets great fuel economy (50 at high altitude, 45 @ sealevel). However, this is the worst car I have ever owned in terms of non-drivetrain repairs. the quality of construction and materials are very substandard. I have experienced repeated component failures, and have had to make repeated repairs for same item. Owners of newer ones (2004-2005) have reported identical and worse complaints. this car has very shoddy materials and worksmanship. My 83 Toyota (340k miles) is more reliable than the VW ever was.

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  Check first - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By C. - April 27 - 3:13 am

  The speakers in my Volkswagen Jetta rattle. Be sure to ask your service department to fix this problem prior to picking your car up. They install a kit to fix the problem. Also, this cars cold-rtart (all new Jettas) sounds like an 18-wheeler on first start. VW of North America stated this is normal, until they can identify a solution to fix it. It sounds like a box of rocks rattling for 10 - 15 seconds.

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  Cant Wait Until my Lease is up! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Katy - April 25 - 9:23 pm

  Ive had a lot of problems with my 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, including the fact that it burns 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles and the manufacturer says thats within specs. I had an issue where the cruise control was broken and the alarm would go off in the middle of the night. I would unlock the car so the alarm wouldnt go off again, but the car would lock itself and then proceed to alarm again. There was an instance where the passengers side door wouldnt open from the inside. The radio broke and had to be replaced and evidently it wasnt installed correctly to begin with. Shall I go on? I HATE this car! The only cool thing about it is the purple dashboard lights.

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  Mechanics nightmare - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By NoMoreVWs - April 24 - 2:03 pm

  Bought a Eurovan used with 60,000 miles. In great condition when purchased. Car computer died at 80k, the dealer told my wife the car had "a head ache" and it would cost $2500. I refused and insisted it must be under warranty and under my persistence was then covered by my warranty. Hmm. The car drive like a giant box. The interior is average, the seat are uncomfortable for long trips. The cup holders and plastic part break. A sliding window took 5 trips to the dealer, 18 hrs, and $600. The transmission is going out at 120k, and the brakes are expensive and require special tools. One door handle is broken, the window is stuck, the dealer says $500 to fix. AC died. Hard to find a mechanic

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  Not Happy - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By zorioq - April 22 - 5:03 pm

  The Pros: The car drives smooth and handles well. The blue & red interior lighting scheme makes you feel as if youre in a spaceship. The Cons: The interior moonroof liner broke the day after I got the car. The driver door window fell into the door. The whole window cranking mechanism had to be replaced. The plastic glove door & the center console broke off. The moonroof leaks. The a/c doesnt work at all. And there is a mysterious problem with the cat. converter & sensors. Replaced all and STILL getting the check eng. light. Diagnostics keep saying its a random code, no real problem. Right. TRY to pass inspection with the light on. Not in NY baby! Now I have frost on inside windshield.

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  Too many defects - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By mixuone - April 21 - 6:36 pm

  This is my second Beetle and probably my last VW ever. Dont get me wrong, if VW had acknowledged the defects early enough I would still consider another VW after this lease runs out next year. This Beetle had the sensor problem twice and I even filed a Lemon Law report with the state of Massachusetts. VW miraculously fixed the problem before the Lemon Law deadline even though the part was supposed to be on back order for two months. Now I have a leak and the whole floor is soaked. They tell me that water leaks are not covered even though the dealership acknowledged that there was no way for me to know if the sunroom drain tube was clogged. It is not anywhere in the manual.

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  Bad Auto Transmission - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Wayne - April 18 - 9:06 am

  Great Car on fuel mileage, however; about 1000 miles after warranty expired (60,000), transmission goes out. The dash rattles which gets annoying. The car handles good.

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  2012 VW CC - Disappointed - 2012 Volkswagen CC
  By g_rapp - April 16 - 5:17 pm

  Purchased my CC pre-owned certified with 22k miles from dealer. Brakes failed while driving (bad vacuum booster) after one month. Avoided accident and Corporate said they could not offer any compensation because i did not get into an accident. Three more warrantee-related issues in next four months. Now arguing with corp and dealer to sell back the car, and they insist on only offering trade in value so they can resell at a profit. Although it does not qualify for the lemon law, this car is a true lemon. I have driven most VW models as loaners while CC is in the shop, and one of those broke down while in my possession. So much for German Engineering. Back to Mazda i go.

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  Hope you can drive a stick - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JLo - April 16 - 12:53 pm

  For those who want an automatic transmission get ready for some fun. The memory transmission is so sensitive that it shifts differently according to what pair of shoes I have on. This can be VERY ANNOYING! I hope that this is not a big problem in the newer models. I had my transmission reset when I first got the car because the shifting was so weird. Its good on gas and I havent had any other problems. Oh yeah and it has minimal torque. This is a great car for a commuter, student, or as a second car.

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  Trade it in quickly - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Cathy - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Very cute car and fun to drive, but extremely unreliable. If you dont live close to a volkswagen dealership dont even think of buying one. Been on tow truck almost as much as driven in the 15 months we owned it. Constant problems starting. Shudders when it starts and was told by dearlership this was normal. When it shuddered for them, they could not figure out what was wrong and wanted to replace many parts to try to fix it. Car was bought for 19 year old daughter. She loved it when it ran, but it was dead more than running. Just replaced shifter linkage because linkage is made out of plastic parts.