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:

• 

  Awesome car - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By josh deeds - January 12 - 3:00 pm

  I love my jetta. I just bought a new Saturn VUE and love to continue to drive my Jetta. I have put over 120,000 miles on it. Ive taken it cross country 5 times round trip from San Diego to West Virginia and it keeps on going without any problems. As long as you change the oil and get a tune up regularly I believe it will last well into the 200,000 mark. I would recommend it to anyone who wants an economical and fun car with a lot of pick up and go.

• 

  TDI Plus and Minus - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Terry Thompson - January 11 - 11:20 pm

  The TDI Beetle is a great idea, I bought it because I assumed it would get good mileage and last a long time. Yes and no. It generally gets good gas mileage but there is a problem. Our diesel fuel isnt all that good and the engine has a tendency to combine some of the bad components with carbon particles which, over time, ends up clogging the intake manifold. There has been a solution (a rather expensive one) but VW no longer supports it. You can get to about 30,000 - 40,000 miles before something has to be done. Know this going in, if VW figures out a solution to this problem, the car is a great buy, if they dont stay away.

• 

  Lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ismael guzman - January 11 - 8:56 pm

  This truck has had frequent, repetitive breakdowns associated with the powertrain. The interior trim, though attractive is too fragile. The service is very poor and you should be prepared to wait many weeks for parts. I sure miss my Acura MDX.

• 

  99 passat dont buy a used one!!! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By nay92 - January 11 - 8:55 pm

  soooo i purchased this car with a little over 160,000 on it from ..this is the worst car by far to buy. only way i would ever buy this car again is it its complelty NEW..matienance on this car is soooooo high its crazy. i bought it for $3,250 and put more money into this car then what i bought it for...replaced both catalytic convertors ..o2 sensors.. coil packs...motor mounts..new tires...etc..it was misfiring its just ridiouls when they say everything thing that looks good isnt they are not lying!! just dont buy a used one dont even waste your money...the man that worked on my car said dont ever buy a foreign car over 100,000 miles because you will have to get everything replaced !!

• 

  It is my Sunshine!! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Clara Worley - January 11 - 2:00 am

  My yellow TDI is like a pet! It is fun to drive and VERY economical. No troubles just fun to drive. Took it on our 25 anniversary trip to Niagra falls and turned a lot of heads with our Beach Boys CD (in our changer). I wlll be buying 2003 convertible TDI (if possible). Have owned VW diesels since 1980. Took Amtrak 500 miles to Atlanta to buy this one (in an ice storm).

• 

  Nine Great Years - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Happy Driver - January 11 - 12:46 am

  I bought this car new in 1999, coming up on 9th anniversary. It has been the best car Ive ever owned by far. Aside from routine maintenance, Ive replaced the water pump and the timing belt. Thats it. Gets 26 mpg city, 36+ mpg highway, with standard transmission and regular gas (although VW recommends premium). It is now well north of 150K miles and still runs beautifully. No rust. No complaints. And lots of zip too! Has a few features (like the sunroof) that now cost a lot more.

• 

  Great Car! - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By jhon2k1 - January 10 - 1:06 pm

  I have a 08 Passat and I love the DSG technology. It is a very fast car, excellent in the highway

• 

  Good Car several problems - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Sean Hunt - January 10 - 4:40 am

  Like most VWs the handling and feel is great. It is a heavy car with a large 5cyl engine. It is a loud engine and the Transmission is not properly tuned for the engine. We had the premium sound system that had the base flare problem...i found a service bulletin on the internet and contacted the dealership and they fixed it under the warranty. The transmission does not downshift until it is almost at a stop. So when the car is going 30mph its still in 5th or 6th gear. And it starts sputtering a bit. Also the tiptronic manual shift has a loss of RPM for a moment in second gear after the shift. And we are noticing a slip and clunk shifting move. I think VW will find a problem soon.

• 

  Do Not Buy It! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By DO NOT BUY IT! ! ! ! - January 10 - 4:16 am

  My Touareg has been the worst vehicle that Ive had ever. It has been a constant visitor to the service department for recalls, campaigns, alignments, all sorts of warning lights coming on, over 45 days in service - engine has been removed twice to replace parts gone bad. I am going for the Lemon Law - BAD BAD BAD - especially for the price! this truck has received many terrible reviews throughout the web. It gets terrible gas mileage. I cant imagine how much this truck would cost someone who owned it after the warranty had expired. I have heard that Volkswagen is buying back a lot of Touaregs.

• 

  AAAHHH!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mad Jetta Owner - January 9 - 1:10 pm

  I bought my 2000 Jetta from a dealership in April. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I have had nothing but problems and Ive only had the car for 4 months! A week after I bought it, the headlights and dash board lights went out. Then about 2 weeks later my brakes starting making a horrible grinding noise. I brought it back into the dealership and they said there was nothing they could do about it because brakes were not covered under my 30 day warranty! About a month ago my brakes went out. I replaced them but my car still made the grinding noise. I brought my car back in and they told me my ABS modual went out. I plan to get rid of it as soon as I can. What a horribly built car!