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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  Great Car - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By Heat - April 29 - 3:56 pm

  I owned a 2007 Mazda 3 Grand Touring prior to the Golf. I was test driving the new Mazda 2010 5 Door hatch, and I almost bought one until I test drove the golf. Well the Golf beats the Mazda 3 hands down. The build quality of the Golf is absolutely better. The interior nothing but pure quality and design. The 170hp 5 cylinder is very powerful, more powerful than the new Mazda 3s 2.5. If your considering a Mazda3, test drive a Golf. You will be quite surprised.

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  Great car for the money - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sam Houston - April 29 - 11:26 am

  Amazing what you get for the money paid. The car is fun to drive and interior is solidly built. Exterior is a little bit unimpressive, but with some aftermarket parts and accessories, it wil look fantastic.

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  Whats so hard about building a good car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Never Again - April 29 - 9:33 am

  Too many plastic parts that break well before their time - the toggle-switch for the outside remote mirrors, four window regulators (2 on one window, and the 5th is currently broken) so the window falls into the door, timing-belt at less than 50K miles because the hydraulic tensioner failed (and the repairs were rejected by the class-action suit!), a rear seatbelt jammed, and the two front turn-light assemblies fell off the car (at different times) because theyre not mounted with screws - theyre held-in by spring clips. I bought the car for my wife for safety, but Id be afraid the airbags wouldnt work when you need them most!

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  Diesel - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By tom - April 29 - 9:13 am

  Only problem I have had is replacing the timing belt twice @ 40K & 67K. VW is not responding quickly on this one. They were proactive in the brake light recall, & that was fixed (it worked fine on mine) w/ no problem.

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  fuel pump failure - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Steelyeyed - April 29 - 12:43 am

  While still under warranty, the HPFP failed and the whole fuel system has to be replaced as a result. AND VW will not pay for repairs which are $10k. VW developed a HPFP which is susceptible to lack of lubrication using the ULSF which is required by law, and it comes apart after 25k miles. VW blames it on bad fuel, but what reasonable person buys a car that one has to test the fuel on fill up? The Siemens pump is especially vulnerable and you should insist on the Bosch fuel pump.

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  Good car, but it will cost you in the long run... - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By flint879 - April 28 - 1:22 pm

  This car was great when my wife and I first bought it. Great gas mileage, very reliable when travelling long distances and it wasnt bad to drive. I wouldnt recommend owning this car though. The gas mileage is great, but its a Volkswagen, parts for this car are not easy to find and when you find them, they are hella expensive. Since Ive owned this car (4 years), Ive had to replace the transmission, 3 starters, exhaust system, fuel pump, and other such things. It doesnt do well in terms of going up hills because the engine is so small it can barely make it up most hills. Other than the gas mileage, I dont care much for this car.

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  Dont Buy This Car - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By dontbuythiscar - April 27 - 9:46 pm

  My 2000 Volkswagen Golf has had too many problems to list. Its factory recalls include: a bad welding on upper front control arm, dealership will replace if needed; no labeling of child safety seat teathers; hazard / turn signal relay gone bad, had mine replaced; fuel line relay, crack in seal could cause leak that could start fire, mine needed replacing. This is what I have also had to replace due to problems: turbo boost controller/blow off valve, transmission, clutch, head & tail lightbulb, front undercariage cover, front brakes, passenger seat, battery, interior seals, cruise control module, and rear cup holders. I paid $1,500 for a carmax warranty, and it was worth every penny. Their 250 point inspection is worthless. My cars a lemon that I cant get rid of.

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  Good If You Dont Like Driving Much - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By R.D. - April 26 - 6:37 pm

  First of all, Sport has nothing to do with it. "Sport" is an overstatement. If you performance and an engaging car to drive, get a GTI or GLI. I bought my 2016 Jetta Sport last January to replace my 2000 Audi A6 2.7t and boy do I regret it. The "Sport" model includes the same suspension setup featured in the GLI, fog lights, a lip spoiler and sport seats with more bolstering than your standard Jetta. All good things, but unfortunately the rest of the car doesnt match the persona that Volkswagen tried to get with the "Sport" trim. If you want to merge onto a highway with a speed limit of 70, good luck doing that safely. If you want to pass somebody on a highway at about 70, you arent going nowhere. The 1.8t is an absolute dog of an engine. No torque, no pickup and absolutely atrocious gearing. If you care, even in the slightest about performance the Jetta Sport is not the car for you. The five speed gearbox features nice, smooth, short throws. But thats about all its got going for it. The clutch has an excessively long travel, the engagement is horrible and its feather light and feels like its pushing away from you. Its also worth nothing that the reverse gear of this car does not have a syncro. What this means is that it sometimes wont engage into reverse properly and will grind occasionally when being put in reverse. This also means that the car cant be put into reverse while moving at all. Something that most cars nowadays have. Throttle application is uneven and not smooth and the turbo lag is annoying. The interior build quality is pretty horrible, expect plenty of squeaks, rattles and badly pieced together trim. Everything is hard, hollow plastic and everything from the speakers to the headliner will rattle at some point. One of the few redeeming features this car has is that you can get up to 45 miles per gallon highway. Thats pretty damn good.

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  Good If You Dont Like Driving Much - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By R.D. - April 26 - 6:37 pm

  First of all, Sport has nothing to do with it. "Sport" is an overstatement. If you performance and an engaging car to drive, get a GTI or GLI. I bought my 2016 Jetta Sport last January to replace my 2000 Audi A6 2.7t and boy do I regret it. The "Sport" model includes the same suspension setup featured in the GLI, fog lights, a lip spoiler and sport seats with more bolstering than your standard Jetta. All good things, but unfortunately the rest of the car doesnt match the persona that Volkswagen tried to get with the "Sport" trim. If you want to merge onto a highway with a speed limit of 70, good luck doing that safely. If you want to pass somebody on a highway at about 70, you arent going nowhere. The 1.8t is an absolute dog of an engine. No torque, no pickup and absolutely atrocious gearing. If you care, even in the slightest about performance the Jetta Sport is not the car for you. The five speed gearbox features nice, smooth, short throws. But thats about all its got going for it. The clutch has an excessively long travel, the engagement is horrible and its feather light and feels like its pushing away from you. Its also worth nothing that the reverse gear of this car does not have a syncro. What this means is that it sometimes wont engage into reverse properly and will grind occasionally when being put in reverse. This also means that the car cant be put into reverse while moving at all. Something that most cars nowadays have. Throttle application is uneven and not smooth and the turbo lag is annoying. The interior build quality is pretty horrible, expect plenty of squeaks, rattles and badly pieced together trim. Everything is hard, hollow plastic and everything from the speakers to the headliner will rattle at some point. One of the few redeeming features this car has is that you can get up to 45 miles per gallon highway. Thats pretty damn good.

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  What I love, what I hate - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kogan - April 26 - 3:36 am

  Jetta fulfills promise of feeling the road w/ tight cornering & great acceleration. During 1st 900 mi.had to replace spark plugs. Too much red in dash at night make finding things hard. AC may not do the job in summer heat. Heat on floor takes too long during cold weather. Black cloth interior show EVERY speck of lint. Sun visors too short. Cruise control sputters when resuming speed. Cant figure it out. Rear visibility could be better. Keyless entry fob needs to be more intuitive.