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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  Needs Improvements - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By Choisan - August 31 - 2:00 am

  This car was my first brand new car. Here is my grand list of bad behavior by my little golf; rear break pads and rotors replaced at 20k, radio replaced due to sticky buttons, mid console replacement due to damage during radio installation, rear break pads replaced again after another 15k miles! At 40k miles, water pump and timing belt went! Covered under warranty, but they also had to replace oxygen sensor and mass air flow sensor. Bottom line, the car is neat, but reliability sucks, VW service dept. sucks, and customer care folks suck too. So, I hope that my experience will help deter future suckers from buying a German engineering nightmare.

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  Love my 2nd Passat - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By vigupta - August 31 - 2:00 am

  I love my 2000 Passat GLS. This one has the 5-speed stick, which makes the car much more fun to drive. My 1998 Passat (RIP--smashed up by a drunk driver) was the Tiptronic automatic. Much slower.

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  I Urge YOU to look elsewhere - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nate dawg - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Oh the problems and headaches this car has caused me. Poor cupholder design. Both front windows have fell down. (the dealer told me it was the heat in HOUSTON and this is the only city it happens in LOL)evertime I brought it in to get the oil changed, I have mentioned the windows and door panels rattling. He claims hes never heard of this car doing that. (I should have suspected something when everytime I go into the dealership they never have the same people working)Busted air coolant hose on the way back from AUSTIN. Dash lights going out at night. Dont think about putting in your own sound system. THE WORST...Its a gas guzzler.

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  Great, except for seat comfort! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By heathera - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Great car!

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  Stylish and Practical - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By 4petite - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Up to 1200 miles and having fun. Minor little transmission problem that fixed itself. This is my first German car so Im a little worried about reliability, but it sure is more fun than my Toyota. Great safety features for the price.

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  Fun to drive - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By RL331 - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Great car in general. Superior build quality and use of materials.

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  VW stands behind their work :) - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Chris - August 30 - 12:23 pm

  I bought an 04 2.0 litre convertable that was a piece of junk but VW stood behind their work and replaced it with an 05 turbo for a very very small contribution from myself and I could not be happier this car is awesome and so far has been trouble free :) for anyone buying one they are very low profile and I would suggest the 17 inch rims, they give you a bit more ground clearance, the 04 had 16s and drug her butt everywhere the 05 has 17s and never bottoms out. I would also recommend the turbo over the 2.0 litre it performs much beter and doest use any more gas than the slow 2.0 litre.

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  VW wolf 1999 - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dionj82 - August 29 - 8:10 pm

  This was a reliable and fun car. I never had any mechanical problems whatsoever. The only electrical issue i ran into was of course the window regulator and the instrument cluster. I loved the sound system and the body style most about the car. Sadly my wife was in a wreck which totaled my jetta, whats amazing is she had no injuries. The safety features were on point. Overall i would say say its a decent car to own!

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  Love it - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Greg - August 29 - 3:16 pm

  The only couple issues i have are the aux jack in the glove box and the space between the center console and stick shift seems to be to far away. Then again the console lid is adjustable. But ive had no problems and the car is perfect. This is my second jetta and Ill never own anything else!

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  Golf 2004 - 2005 Volkswagen Golf
  By le roi - August 29 - 1:03 am

  This is one of the most solid autos Ive had in a long time. It is much more solid and quiet than my old Honda Civic, although the Honda was a very good car. The VW seems better. I also tried out a Toyota. It was very noisy and tinny sounding inside.