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 Reliability - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By mwestbrook - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Since my last review...the ignition coil has gone bad (while I was driving it)...and Today, after driving to a couple of places (running errands) my terrific and reliable (sarcasm) GTI decides it doesnt want to start...my car is stranded, blocking traffic! I have VW roadside assistance come out...they give me a jump and also state that the battery is just fine...turn off the car and guess what? It doesnt want to start again!!!! The clock defaults back to 1200/the trip mileage counter sets back to zero...I am guessing its an electrical problem...have to wait until Monday...because VW service and customer service are closed on Weekends!

• 

  Not So Much - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ben McDaniel - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Well, I love how this car drives, feels and performs... that is when it is not at the dealership. This car has been at the shop (Gene Messer VW) at least 15 times since it was purchased a little over two years ago. One time they had the car for six weeks because of the check engine light. For some reason, it always seems like there are several things wrong. Yikes, it is by far the worst car I have ever owned. Some problems include: Check engine light, airbag light, turbo, paint, rattles and other things.... Also, the service department has the worst setup I have ever seen. I really do think that these people have no idea how to work on their cars

• 

  NICE EFFORT / POOR RESULT - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Geo - November 7 - 11:40 pm

  The vehicle has been in the shop at least 14 times in 3 years. I have replaced the tires 3 times and the vehicle seems to have gremlins that make the car hesitate and/or surge forward with great anticipation. Whats worse than the SUVs performance is the lack of quality service you get from the service departments at any of the VW dealerships. VW has done an awful job of trying to capture the market willing to pay 40K+.

• 

  pure waste of money - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By monkey mike - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Worst excuse for a car I have ever seen. Interior is cheap and everything breaks (glovebox latch, power window buttons, etc) plus the seats fade really quickly. On the mechanical side, this car is a nightmare. Power window on drivers side went out, and the window actually shattered inside the door panel. Took a month to get a new regulator in. Engine makes popping noises that the dealer cant figure out how to remedy. Check engine light keeps coming on. Trunk button on inside of car does not actually release the trunk latch. I guess that will fully break pretty soon. Also, the interior of the car is full of rattles and squeaks.

• 

  Love / Hate My Bug - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lovehatemybug - November 5 - 4:26 am

  Ive babied Volkswagen Beetle. I have no kids and have had no accidents and yet I am so disappointed with the lousy platic lack of craftsmanship in the interior. The window switches needed to be replaced, I needed new clips for the moonroof contols, and there is peeling rubber on the door handles. UGH!

• 

  Avoid at all costs - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DK - November 2 - 7:46 pm

  I was so excited to buy this car. However, Ive been nothing but dissapointed with it. First and foremost, the cost is much higher than what one would pay for other cars of this caliber. I thought that the additonal price would be justified by the ride. However, this car has been nothing but trouble.

• 

  Too many Issues, LEMON warning - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By drew_106 - November 1 - 8:03 pm

  Where to start? The first few weeks into the lease were great. Then the car started having a number of engine problems. The engine started hiccuping in the Spring of 2009. A week later the car was in the shop and the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replace at about 12,000 miles. More recently this past summer at 18,000 miles some connectors in the fuse box shorted out. This took 2 days in the shop for them to figure this out. Now Im having different warning lights come on and off. The fuel cap warning light was of, then off. Today the tire pressure light is on, though the tires all look to be inflated properly. What next?!?

• 

  Nothing but problems - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By hobbs_09 - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Had nothing but problems with this car. At 3,000 miles, ignition coil went. 10,000 miles later, it went again. Had to replace some kind of sensor. Three recalls. This year with 42,000 miles on the car, A/C broke, some thing to do with a valve, $900. Then recently, driver front window just fell into door. Couldnt put it up. Gas mileage very poor for a small car. Dont be fooled by the good looks. At least the radio/CD sounds good.

• 

  Buyer beware - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jamie - October 30 - 12:20 am

  I bought my second Passat on 2013 - a TDI Diesel for the mileage since I have a long work commute. The cost of my checkup last year by the dealer was ~$600 since they are the only ones that can add the blue liquid stuff. I just had to take it in 12 months post the expensive checkup because the blue tank heater stopped working and this cost ~$1400. Outrageous. And everyone I talk to that owns or has owned a TDI had to replace the same part. Defective part coupled with bad engineering. I will not be buying another VW product.

• 

  Good so far - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Newbie - October 29 - 4:40 am

  Just got my 2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T two days ago. I will update my review when Ive had it longer. I got a 2.0T with Package 2 for $500 UNDER DEALER INVOICE (just under $26,000). I paid $1,000 down for all fees, title, taxes, tags, including cap cost reduction of about $250 yielding monthly of about $365 for 36 month lease and 12,000 miles per year including 10% DC tax. I was going to get package 3 but there werent any around here that didnt also have navigation; tested navigation didnt seem worth it. I put 5 for reliability and build coz I dont have a basis to judge yet.