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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  Be wary - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By erhowe - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my old Accord for a used Jetta, as I was swayed by the VW hype. Have doubted this decision ever since. Within the first 11 months, check engine light came on 8 different times--signaling many major engine problems. My "new" car was in the shop over a week each of these times. Some of the problems I was told were undiagnosable--until the warrenty ran out, conveniently. A co-worker had the same car, only a 98, and he had the exact same problems with his. Make sure exhaust system is in top- shape, as I found that this is very expensive to fix.

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  Lemon - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By JOE - October 26 - 12:20 pm

  Where to begin? The EPM warning light in my 2002 Volkswagen Beetle is on 50% of the time. The check engine light on more than off. The car runs when it is turned off. It runs at 40% power when EPM light is on. VW of America slow to respond. Owning this car has been an awful experience.

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  unreliable dream car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dan - October 22 - 3:40 am

  I bought my TDI used with 20,000 miles on it. It now has 120,000 miles. The car is fun to drive and gets great gas mileage but thats all I can say good about it. I have had trouble with A/C 3 times, pwr windows, hardware falling off, engine immobilizer, light bulbs, radio reception, and ... The worst part is the quality of service. I have tried 3 different dealers. Ive had 8 VWs over the years but this is the last one!!

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  Extremely Unreliable - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By punky - October 15 - 2:56 pm

  This is, by far, the most unreliable car I have ever owned. I feel compelled to warn people about buying this car. Heres just a small list of the litany of things that went wrong with the car: both electric windows fell off their tracks (expen$ive to fix), the rear windows tube for wiper fluid broke and leaked all over the interior of the car, the catalytic converter malfunctioned (emissions and performance were screwed up), the hatch lock would not lock, the glove box broke--twice, the handles for the seats constantly fell off, the wiring was constantly malfunctioning, the taillights burned out every 3 months on average, brakes torn up, etc. And Im leaving a lot off this list.

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  Made in Mexico CRAP! Do not buy!! - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jreed10 - October 15 - 1:55 am

  I purchased my Jetta TDI nearly 4 months ago (Jan. 21), and loved it at first, but it has rapidly begun to fall apart already. The navigation system is an utterly useless waste of money, the "premium" Fender sound system develops so many vibrations that one cannot even enjoy listening to music, and the door panels started rattling while driving, after less than 2 months of ownership, so I cant even enjoy driving the car anymore. Its a shame, because the fuel economy and powertrain are both fantastic, but overall, I would not recommend this car to my worst enemy. I have grown to hate it that much. VW wont even stand behind their product and make it right. Dont waste your money.

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  Dont Waste Your Money - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWMoneyPit - October 12 - 8:10 pm

  I had a 70 Bug in school that needed infrequent attention and which I remember fondly. Those memories led me to purchase the Jetta thinking that the quality of the Jetta would be all that I remembered Volkswagen being; i.e., a maufacturer of quality automobiles. That is not the case. My Jetta has had numerous, costly electrical, engine wiring and emission problems (two catylytic converters in ten years), two broken glove boxes (how long have they been making cars?) and atrocious customer service. All of that ensures that I will never buy a VW again. My four purchases before the Jetta were Toyotas and Hondas - not as much fun to drive but trouble-free and much, much kinder on my pocketbook.

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  2004 Volkswagen Touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By j brown - October 10 - 4:30 am

  My Touareg has been in the shop for a total of 25 days, with a ho hum repair attitude. I replaced the tires at 18,000 miles, because of bad alligment from the factory. The dealer charged me for the allignment, and they re-allined the truck another 3 times. It has been a disaster. I will never own another, European car, and tell all who ask how I like it that its a disaster, and not to buy one. The VW people could care less. My next purchase will be from Japan. I owned two Mercedes-Benz before this, and it was the same.

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  Unreliable yet built like a tank - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By weatherman07 - October 8 - 10:26 pm

  This is my second Passat wagon - Im trying to sell it. I have no idea why I decided to subject myself to another used VW after my experience with the first one. Dont get me wrong - new/nearly new (3-4 years old) VWs are great cars; theyre reliable, luxurious..etc. But after they hit the 5 year mark, they go to hell. I heard a saying once that a check engine light is a beacon to let you know youre driving a VW, and that certainly rings true. Its always on and always very expensive to fix. The car does feel very solid and is good in the snow. The engine is slow to accelerate and gets mediocre gas mileage.

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  Volkslemon - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jin Ho An - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Im totally disappointed with my Jetta. The engines great, Ill give them that, but I had to bring it in to the shop four times over a mere 10 month period, the window motor is busted again, and I have to bring it in once more in a couple of days. The overall performance may be commendable, but the little problems and the unprofessional attitude/skills of customer service is more than enough to give you a headache.

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  Squeaking nightmare - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By AlexH - October 4 - 10:00 am

  We upgraded to this one-year-old Golf from VW Polo. There is not as much legroom as you expect from a bigger car – a bit more for your head, compared to the Polo. Driver and passenger sitting positions are far too high – you feel like falling out of the car every corner (the new Golf V is better). We have the TDI Match edition in UK it has Alloys, CD, radio, Central locking, Electric windows, Air Con, Alarm and Immobiliser which is almost full Christmas wish list fulfilled. Driving this car is a nightmare especially in summer the car (where the interior panels warm up in sunshine and expand) we had to go to the dealer to fix this...