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:

• 

  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!

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Fun to drive, Poor Quality - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sath - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Its a fun car to drive, I have had it for almost an year but in the past month Ive had the radio replaced, the front passenger power window quit working, the reverse light relay was shot, the glove coprtment light stays on and the ignition coil broke. There was a recall on the ignition coil.

• 

  Nice Looks, but Do Your Homework! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By IL-VW - April 23 - 1:36 pm

  VWs exterior and interior material are much better than those that are used in most import and domestic autos, but mechanically I think they need to improve. We are currently having issues with oil consumption of 1 quart of 5W-40 synthetic oil ($5-6) every 1,300 miles and a soft brake pedal on cold starts. VW claims that 1 quart per 1,000 miles is normal. I do not agree with this, I think they got this spec. from the VW Bug. The dealer and VW Corp. will not fix these problems. Please, do your homework before you buy any VW. Try http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ for consumer complaints before you buy.

• 

  Cheaply made - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By unhappy smith - April 21 - 10:26 pm

  A joy to scoot about in and to park. It has had one thing after another break off in the car. It seems that they did not have the correct recipe for plastic. To replace costs $40.00 for each broken item. The trunk brake light has been replaced twice at $129.00 and this one has cracked apart. I am the only one driving the car. The cloth front seats are grossly stained, the explanation being that they got wet once.

• 

  A problem SUV - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By hawk94 - April 21 - 2:00 am

  Second day, green liquid was dripping down from the engine compartment. Was told its not safe to drive so its towed to fixing the leaking, a borken O- ring. Also found bump paintscratched, passagerside seat broken, roof rack base broken, it vibrates ~70mph & pulls to right. Initial quality is so poor, althoug its a brand new vehical (only 350 miles)! Whatelse is next? I wish I bought a Lexus or BMW. VW service quality was poor too. Dont buy it now until VW fixes the quality issue if you really like its offroad capability.

• 

  Mixed feelings about Jetta - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By junkscreen - April 19 - 10:00 am

  My Jetta, bought in 01/2000, now has 35,000 miles and Ive had SO many problems with it: window falling into door, yellow goo leaking from doors, knocking (esp. in cold weather), shifter jams in 1st and reverse, CD player malfunctions, turn signals dont work in cold weather, windshield sprung a huge crack while I was sitting at a stoplight. This car is the most fun and well designed vehicle Ive ever driven, but the logical part of my brain would *not* let me make this mistake again.

• 

  Love my car-HATE my car - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Coronado - April 16 - 10:00 am

  My car has been in he shop on average every four months in two years of ownership; engine coils twice, my drivers side window fell inside the door, the oxygen sensor was faulty, the plastic engine guard cracked and was dragging. The car drives beautifully although it is a bit hesitant out of the gate. It has nice features for the price but the unreliability has just slowly but surely killed my love of the car. DONT buy VW, they make beautiful cars but they just dont care about quality control! Everything is made of plastic!

• 

  Never ever again will I buy a VW (any) - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By davemoon22 - April 13 - 5:05 pm

  1st Beelte had a bunch of issues (a/c, batteries would never last over a few months, oil leaking - had to do a major repair, then sold it). Second, a 2001 with 70k, has had more issues than I can possibly recall. I must have spent over 7k withing a 9 month period. Ridiculous. The major problem I have is with the dealerships. Theyll diagnose something is wrong, you get that done, the car still has the same issue and then they will tell you "Oh, well, then, it must be something else" Replace drivers seatbelt buckle, both windows regulators, cam shaft adjuster, turn signal relay, inner tie rods, valve cover gasket, pcv hose, door latch and list goes on: all major $$$ repairs.