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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  only three complaints! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By TiffieTu - November 28 - 10:00 am

  This is my second new beetle in as many years. The first a 2000 GLX, I kept a year before VW of Amer. replaced it with a 2001 GLX, gratus. Car kept loosing power after coming to a stop and attempting to accelerate again. They spent a year trying to correct without success. New 2001 does the same thing and now they "own-up-to" its "Turbo-Lag which all Turbos have and They cant do anything about it."

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  Love My Jetta - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Sherry - November 28 - 6:33 am

  I Love my Jetta. I bought the TDI Automatic. It is very sporty and peppy. I got almost all of the options you can get on it and love everyone of them. If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing. In the first 5,000 miles I have had some problems. I am somewhat disappointed in the quality of the materials used in the vehicle.

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  Beware of Defective Water pumps - 2012 Volkswagen EOS
  By susanb122 - November 27 - 10:42 pm

  I bought a 2012 EOS in April of 2011. As of this writing 12/24/11, I only have 3,100 miles on the car and it has had 3 water pumps put in. Fortunately, the car has not broken down yet, but the water pumps build up pressure after the cars warm up and a screeching noise can be heard from under the hood. My first was found by accident. With only 400 miles on the car, I had gotten out to run back into the house to retireve something and I heard the noise. I brought it back to the dealer and was told VW had a batch of defective water pumps and they would put another one in, which they did. Stand outside your EOS and listen for the noise! My car is being replaced.

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  Passat W8 Wagon - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By flyt34planes - November 27 - 11:23 am

  Overall our W8 is awesome. It rides and handles as if it is on rails. The scary part is that the faster you go, the car doesnt get louder. Our family feels very safe and secure in the W8. It is still under warranty - nothing major yet has gone wrong, but a few annoying little things. The worst "feature" is that the hatch requires a separate action to open, even if all of the doors are unlocked.

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  This car saved my life - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By skappler1 - November 26 - 4:51 pm

  I loved my Volkswagen Jetta, bought a new 2012 SE with Convenience and Sunroof. It was a dark, rainy, and foggy night and i was traveling at around 40mph when i failed to see a stop sign and went right through an intersection. My Jetta was hit on the left side causing both driver and passenger side airbags to deploy. The vehicle then struck a tree and spun around once again before coming to a halt in someones front lawn. The car had immediatley shut itself off, activated the hazards and unlocked all the doors. My friend and i both walked away from the incident. The police all had agreed that had i not been in a car as safe as the Jetta, my friend and i could have both been easily killed

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  Style Over Substance - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By AK Jetta - November 26 - 12:36 pm

  We really liked the style and the roomy interior and trunk. However, we had several problems including: driver window failure; body trim falling off; radio controls quit working; turn signal lever stopped working; throttle body had to be replaced and other mechanical issues. This all happened at various stages of our eight year ownership. The first few years went smoothly and the car now has 92,000 miles. I probably would not buy another Jetta, but this one made it through three cross-country trips, including one to Alaska.

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  My First Car - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ashh - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I got this as my first car in 2007. It was a 5 speed stick shift with about 185,000 miles on it. I loved it from the start. Radio sounded awesome, seats were comfortable, plus it was super fun to zip around in. Almost 35 miles to the gallon. Almost 4 years later and less than 800 dollars into it, it had 216,000 miles on it and still kicking! Slight exhaust leak, and new struts needed, but only major problem was a leak in the radiator. The only reason I gave it up was to trade in for an SUV for the twins coming soon. Overall, absolutely loved this car!

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  keys - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By captainandrea - November 26 - 10:00 am

  Just inherited an 07 Passat which is a lovely car but dont know if I would have chosen to purchase it. The first ordeal was the keys had been lost and the car had been garaged for 2 years. It took 3 trips (of 120 miles round trip) to visit the nearest dealership to get "keys". First I ordered a little black plastic thingy that had to be programmed to the vin# ($67) to open the car - no keys found inside. Then I had to order the outer remote key ($130) THEN I HAD TO TOW THE CAR to the dealership to have it programmed all together!!!!!! The entire ordeal took one week and cost me more than $500!!! SO DONT EVER, EVER LOSE YOUR "KEY"!!!

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  Fun & practical ! - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Martin - November 26 - 10:00 am

  Ive always been a big fan of VW. The Jetta TDI is great to drive, sporty, yet allows to pack loads of stuff for the family. Thought the fuel economy of the TDI would be a bit better - youll have to do very conservative driving to do the 1200 km per tank they advertise! Biggest dissapointment: Comfort. I havent been able to find a comfortable position for long driving, and my son is only 59" and he has no head clearance at the back. I think the seats in the Golf are much better. Overall, it is a great car (cant beat the VW handling...) for sporty driving. I just wished theyd come up with better seat configuration.

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  Breakable - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By SS - November 26 - 7:10 am

  I have had my 1999 Volkswagen Beetle for six years and I have had to replace a little bit of everything. Everything that can go wrong with a car has. It is fun to drive a Bug, but it has so many blind spots.