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:

• 

  BEWARE BAD BRAKE DESIGN & PERFORMANCE - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By pjce - February 1 - 2:00 am

  The 02 Passats have a significant brake problem. My car is 2 years old this month with 22,000 miles and I have been informed that I need new rear brakes! Because of the design, BOTH PADS AND ROTORS MUST BE REPLACED! The rotors cannot be "machined" so they must be replaced when the pads wear, AT A COST OF $700! I have been told by the dealer and VW customer service that this is considered NORMAL WEAR. I have owned many other makes and models of cars and have never had to replace brakes at 22k miles. Worst of all, this will be a recurrent problem every 2 or so years.

• 

  I would never buy another VW - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By TJS - January 31 - 1:50 pm

  We purchased our Passat wagon in May of 02 and when we hit about 50,000 miles we had nothing but trouble. The ABS module went ($1050 part) the oil pump went due to sludge from the turbo engine which also caused other problems...another huge expense. Neither the dealer nor VW of America would assist us in resolving the issues with this vehicle. They have the worst consumer service I have encountered. Since getting these repairs I have learned that these vehicles have many more problems and that there have been numerous complaints made and VW still will not put a recall out for these makes and correct the major electrical flaw. I will never purchase a VW again!

• 

  obvious VW cheaped out on lots of things - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By indy photog - January 31 - 1:46 pm

  When it works, its great. Problem is, there are always small things going wrong. Car is well cared for with regular Mx as per the service manual. Electrical issues have been the worst...no history of flood damage or anything similar. Have been through three brake lights and two crunched driver side windows (all pre recall of course, good luck getting $ back from VW). Wheel bearing replaced, airbag light permanently on, trunk latch issues, and now...the car wont reverse. All sorts of other little annoying things too numerous to mention.

• 

  Never buy a Jetta! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Unnimpressed! - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I boutgh this car a little over a year ago and so far, not only have the glove box, cup holders and electrical problems arose, I have also replaced the transmission twice in the last 20,000 miles! Also, the fuel line, and the negative battery cables! The car is horrible! Since Ive gotten it with only 50,000 miles on it, it has done nothing but drain my wallet! I also had to replace the cv axcel twice, and rust me, Im not rough on my vehicles! I only drive it on the highway for th most part, just to and from work. It is poorly engineered, and has nothing but one problem after the next! Its cute, and gets 37mpg highway and about 32- 34mpg in town, but other than looks and gas, I HATE IT!

• 

  VW does not care - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kingfisher440 - January 27 - 8:49 pm

  disintegrating dual mass flywheel: they wouldnt even buy me a gift certificate to McDonalds and now the dealer cannot guarantee to me that the replacement dual mass flywheel is any better than the one that just failed at 82,000 miles! So, do I have another $ 2100 repair in my future when this fly wheel fails also??? Nobody seems to know. If it werent for the good fuel efficiency, I would not own this car!

• 

  NEVER BUY A VW! - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By MMV - January 25 - 2:00 am

  Ive had such a bad experience with VW. I went to all the VWs in my area and cant believe the poor service that I have been getting. I LOVE my car, however it is not worth the price of dealing with their service department (s). Even after speaking to the manager I havent been helped. If you would like more detail, just email me.

• 

  First and last Passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By benleon - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I like my Passat, but I doubt Ill buy another one. The six cylinder has nice pickup around town, and is fun to drive, but it dies on the highway, especially if you are carrying people. Also, the gas mileage is ridiculous - I get 13 to 14 mpg around town. Little things - like not being able to read the dashboard meters - make me question the engineering. Also, this car - even with front wheel drive - is terrible in snow. And the Passat is expensive for what you get .. my next car is probably the Infiniti G35. I regret buying the Passat instead of the G35 ... both in the same price range.

• 

  VERY BAD EXPERIENCE - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By MA_Driver - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I raved about my Volkwagen Jetta TDI for the first 50,000 miles, but have been very disappointed since then. The list of repairs is numbing: glow plug relay, glow plug, air flow sensor, passenger window motor, and dash lights. All of these problems have cropped up in the last 20,000 miles. Ready to push it off a cliff.

• 

  Unreliable and Expensive - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jimbo - January 21 - 5:13 am

  I like the design and handling of this car however there have been several major issues. My car has had a series of electrical issues and you need to be a contortionist to get to the fuse box. Ive had the air conditioner fail. the fan switch short out and MELT, the coil cracked (a common issue) and this is in addition to the exhaust rattling (another common problem). You expect to have to do replacement of wearable mechanicals however this is an expensive car to repair. Even basic replacement items such as struts are far more expensive than any car Ive ever had. You have to go to the dealer to replace/ top off trans fluid in automatics. Idiotic.

• 

  Regret Decision - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By migzc - January 15 - 5:39 pm

  This is the first car I ever purchased new and I really regret my decision to go with Volkswagen. The car is very noisy, has creaks and rattles in the front and back. I have taken it to the dealership approx 10 times and they still cant make it right! There is a very distinctive rattle in the front driver side when going over bumps and they replaced the strut, brakes and several other things and no luck. Now they say it is normal!! Also, the plastic trim behind the rear window cracked for no reason, they dont know how that happened but said they will replace it. The part has been on order for a month!! There is also a major delay from punching the gas to actually accelerating!