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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  Poor mans - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By JeremyD - April 10 - 10:00 am

  This car is quite the little shocker. A thirty thousand dollar hatch that justifies the price with both performance and creature comforts.

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  best car ever! !! ! ! ! - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By johnny rocket jr. - April 10 - 10:00 am

  man im go estatic that we got this little german automobile its look like a pitbull

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  Change your timing belt early! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By SandeeB - April 10 - 10:00 am

  I loved driving my VW Passat. It looked great & was fun to drive; the only problem was with reliability. The final straw was when the timing belt broke at 84,000 miles and caused so much damage I had to get a new engine. VW schedules replacement of the timing belt at 105,000 miles. If you love your Passat, change the timing belt early and save yourself $5,000.

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  Poor reliablity - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Hazys - April 10 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Jetta used with 26000 miles on it in 2002. Within 6 weeks of owning, I had a repair bill of $600+ at the dealrship. Honestly this car has been a service nightmare, the most recent recall of the brake light switch required 3 trips within a 10 day period before it was operational. The first time it was taken in, I had to return it the next day as it lost all horsepower while driving. Needless to say, they told me they had no control over the part after it past testing. It has been the biggest headache of a car. steer clear unless you enjoy visiting the dealership on a monthly basis.

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  Frustrated with VW - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Joe23456 - April 10 - 10:00 am

  I have to be up front and admit that the Jetta Wagon is fun car to drive. Unfortunately we have been experiencing an excessive amount of mechanical problems. The car has been in and out of the shop for various repairs, which have been mostly covered under warranty. At 62,000 miles (well before the scheduled 80,000 mile service) the timing belt slipped which caused a bent valve and a $5500 repair bill. I would highly recommend that if you are considering a VW that you choose a different car company. If you decide to buy a VW trade it in before it comes out of warranty.

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  LOVE THIS LITTLE CAR - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By classyirish - April 9 - 7:13 pm

  I am a PROUD new owner of a used 2004 VW New Beetle convertable. I LOVE IT! So far so good. I have dressed her up with lashes and lipstick, she is fast, smooth, comfortable, roomy, and so very nice to look at. I have read the reviews about this cute car, and I see that a few have had issues, maybe the issues have been taken care of before I bought it, I did have to take her in as the check engine light was on, they fixed it, and she is running smooth. there also was a severed wire under the driver seat, fixed that and now the airbag light is off. I hope to keep her a good 10 to 15 years, and trade her up for another.

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  Bought it for Milage - Wow with extras - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DFH - April 9 - 3:10 am

  I researched my purchase for a long time. I wanted something that would not hold me hostage on gas price changes every other day. The TDI has been the answer. Its mileage has always been over 43 mpg (mostly city) and I can easily get over 600 miles on tank refills. The suprises for me were the comfort level (package 2), quiet ride, and fit quality ended up being much better than I expected. Throw in a quality dealer and this is one of the best vehicles in my 40 plus years of ownership.

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  Real let down!!! - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By badbug - April 8 - 1:00 pm

  When my wife told me she wanted a new beetle I was not to happy with that idea, but I said lets go take a look, 1st mistake. we go and find a really clean dark blue with auto, I was surprised on the room the little car had and the power the 2.0 kicked out. so we buy it 2nd mistake, the warranty still had about 1yr left not 1 problem until warranty runs out then all hell breaks loose 1st thing low fuel light comes on and stays on even with full tank $300, 3wks later air bag light pops on, ok I live with that for about 2 weeks until I have to get the battery replaced might as well fix all $485, 1wk water pump $600 now 5wks later EPC & check eng. light and running like crap afraid of this $$$$

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  First Time Volkswagen Owner - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Andy Jordan - April 8 - 11:20 am

  1st time owner of a VW product and I am satisfied so far. The first 2 noticeable advantages I have experienced have been the excellent handling on the road and the precise braking. The visibility from this car is great - I feel I am sitting in an SUV instead of a compact car.

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  Great Ride - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Kamehamehagirl - April 8 - 5:33 am

  I just recently bought this and traded my 1990 Firebird because of the gas prices. I have to say I am impressed with the get up and go it has, and smooth handling. The only complaint I can think of is the gas mileage is not as great as I thought it would be, and there is quite a bit of road noise. Overall nice ride and at a great price to.