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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  Wolfsburg in Sheeps Clothing - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Crazy 4 VW - July 15 - 7:56 am

  The cleverly disguised Jetta is packing the coveted 2.0T engine & DSG tranny from the VW stable. This is probably the cheapest car from VW/Audi with this fun-to-drive engine and transmission combo. For a few hundred more than a SE, this is a no-brainer choice. The 200 hp is available around 1800 rpm, so you truly get use of the power without having to floor it. I have about 1500 miles to date and have my fingers crossed that there will be no issues down the road. But, the fit and finish of this car are remarkable. The panels are solid without that Japanese tin can sound or feel. The Jetta WE is definitely a viable contender in its class.

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  Lemon of the year reward - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disgrunted - July 15 - 7:53 am

  I loved this car - talk about an exciting ride! Hit the gas and it flies. However, in the 2 1/2 years that we owned it, it spent 58 days in the shop - that averages out to 1 day for every 500 miles, some stuff minor, others major. Two visits were 3 weeks long because they would fix one thing and another would go bad. 4 rearends, a catalitic converter, multiple relays - parking brake, heated seats, radio etc., We actually traded this off while it was in the shop for another long visit. 500 - 200 miles between visits. Oh and the brake calipers were bad, this happened on its last visit - not really impressed.

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  Cute car...Lots of problems! - 2000 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By anniv7 - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my cabbie for four years and it was great until the car hit 30,000 miles! The car began dying on me after sitting at traffic lights. When brought to the dealer they said there was nothing wrong with it. Right....until I got hit after the car died in the middle of an intersection! The check engine light constantly comes on and in the last 5 months I have spent close to $3,000 dollars fixing engine problems. The car has been babied since it was bought and theres no reason for all of these problems. Well except the car is a piece of JUNK!

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  I bought a stink bug - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By J. Lewis - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car with 22000 miles on it, it now has 52000. I have replaced both headlights twice, both power window switches, both power window motors, and both window regulators. The cooling fan has quit, two speakers dont work, the interior handles have peeled off, and if youre not a midget you will bump your head on the rattle infested roof.

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  Dont buy this car again - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By lily - July 15 - 2:00 am

  It was good to drive within the 2 year warranty. The trouble appeared immediately after the expiration of the warranty, firstly the engine check light without any warning, then is the secondary air pump started to make noise every time I start my cold. It became worse over the time. Recently the vaccum hose was broken and I have to tow the car to the dealership. Do not mention I have took vacation off. The trouble did not stop, now there is some more troubles related to annoying noise. Anyway, the car is in the garage every two months. The dealership are not very nice either.

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  very good car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mjginc - July 15 - 2:00 am

  single person, did not want to pay $10,000 for a 3 series BMW with the larger six. enjoyed the roll on power, especially in 3rd (pulls hard from 15mph to 100mph) vs. always having to keep the RPMs up in some Japanese models. drove several times NY to FL and loved the interior design, monsoon stereo and the brakes. zero mechanical problems. only complaints are that the traction control combined with front wheel drive take the fun out of spontaneous burn outs.

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  clueless transmission - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By reslender - July 15 - 2:00 am

  from a dead stop car is unsure of what gear to be in and you cannot get a smooth start. if letting off the throttle to make a turn or go over a speed bump, etc., it hesitates after you reapply pressure to the gas pedal, almost like its thinking. then it suddenly goes into gear and snaps your head back. excellent on the road, horrible around town and in stop and go traffic.

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  My New 2007 Rabbit - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Rabbit Girl - July 15 - 12:10 am

  Going from a 2003 Jetta 1.8T with 180 hp, my new Rabbit is a bit of a change. The peppiness isnt as much as my previous Turbo Jetta and the tires are not very smooth. Its ride is a bit noisy with the 5-cyl engine. Other then that, it isnt too bad for the price. It is better than a Japanese vehicle, despite what they always say about reliability. The Rabbit has it.

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  M.T. Driver - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By country drivr - July 14 - 8:00 pm

  This car is actually my mothers car n we drive n use it everyday. This car has been reliable to us for 4 years n still running strong.we love this car its fast n comfortable especially the W8 engine. I admit getting oil changes are alot but weve learned 2 do our own oil changes. Looked at other reviews n saw many complaints guess were lucky.

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  Regretful - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Pal - July 13 - 11:06 pm

  After extensive research, we opted with VW 2009 Routan SEL/w RSE because of the interior design, engine, reputation of German vehicles, offered discounts and largely for the 0% (zero percent) financing for 72 months. Although we like the Van, the Chrysler/Dodge engineering prevails over the VW quality and reliability. We owned the vehicle for a little over a month and we already have few problems. Within a week of purchase, the Van starts making a huge cloud of smoke and oily mixture comes out of the exhaust pipe whenever the engine is turned on. The dealer said that the PVC-valve has to be replaced in addition to few other things. Then when it rains, water gets into the headlight assem