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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  Artificially Sweet - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Artificially Sweet - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Do not buy this car unless you love going to the repair shop. My BUG was “Artificially Sweet”. With-in the last five months my old car has been in the shop three times for the same reason– will not start, always some starter problem. VW has decided to build the complete car in Mexico where QA is not the most important thing, but cost is. VW cars are a good example of poor QA. The car has been in the shop about 7 to 8 times for some “BUG” problem with-in the last two years. I just hate coming out of a restaurant, get into my new car and have the car not start. No more little kids seeing my car and playing the “punch game”.

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  Worst car ever! - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By tina - July 28 - 6:30 am

  This car has been nothing but a major headache. I bought it brand new and within 3 weeks the alternator died and had to be replaced. It was still under warranty so I didnt think much about it. The last 4 years I have spent more on repairs then the car is worth and now the catalytic converters are about to go. Last time I went to my mechanic everyone else waiting for their car owned a 2001 passat and we all shared our horror stories. Recently the drains for the sunroof leaked into the car flooding the electronic brain. Another $2,000 repair. I will never own another VW.

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  Worst car ever! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fratto1963 - July 24 - 8:03 am

  I owned this car for a total of 4 months with nothing but problems from day one! I had the super-duper bumper to bumper extended warranty that still didnt fix any of the problems that the dealership said it had. It spent more time in the dealership being repaired than it did in my driveway. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! Volkswagen really messed up with this car.

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  Fun to drive, but not a long term keeper - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bob Warren - July 22 - 3:50 pm

  The Reliability and Build Quality is terrible. Handles break, Window regulators break, hoses fail ahead of time, sensors give out ahead of time Not a reliable vehicle at all and expensive to fix and maintain. No more VW for me

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  Great Car while it is working... - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By iamddn - July 19 - 2:00 am

  I used to love my Passat. It is great fun to drive and roomy, while feeling extremely safe. Then, I recently started having electrical problems on my 5-month old car. I cannot get through to anyone at any local VW service shops. I repeatedly call but can never reach any person. As directed, I leave voice messages, and despite the receptionists promises to have someone return my call shortly, no response at all. Ever. Do you research and you will find that VWs owners repeatedly have the same two complaints: electrical problems and poor service. Both these problems have existed for years and do not seem to be changing. I wont buy another VW.

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  Mind of Its Own - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By chicadee1652 - July 18 - 5:46 am

  Heres what I went through in the ten months that I owned my bug before trading it in: 2 new alternators ($400 each), 4 new tires ($450 for all), getting stranded b/c the battery was dead all the time, new front brakes ($300), and then, the mother of all, in one weekend- oil change that led to $800 repair for hose that kept engine cool, $900 for new timing belt in the engine, and the guy also told me it would need a new front axle. I said forget it, so I traded it in the next day for a 2006 Hyundai sonata which drives like a Lexus!

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  Sooner its gone the better - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By vw_no_more - July 16 - 5:20 pm

  This vehicle while is fun to drive has spent more time with the mechanic than with us. 5 trips to fix the injectors, 4 trips the second time they went in only 140Km. I cant believe 2 sets of injectors in only 140Km. All 4 wheel bearings failed before 80Km, AC failed, trunk release failed, and on and on. The dealer would try something and when surprise it wasnt fixed told us to book another appointment, great except we live 5 hours from the nearest dealer, in one case it took 4 trips to fix one little problem. NO support from the VW dealer so we phoned VW Canada and all I got was "thats the way our warrenty works" I guess that means tough luck consumer. Stay away from this vehicle.

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  I hate my rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By NMW - July 16 - 10:13 am

  I have a 2008 rabbit and it only has 11000 miles, in one year i have taken my car to the dealer 5 times and each time for a different cause. This has been the most disappointing buying experience in my life, I have tried to lemon my car and the dealer has been very unhelpfull, I also had a factory person come to see my car and they just keep on making excuses.

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  Not an economy car - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By paul - July 15 - 1:53 am

  The Rabbit is fun to drive and inexpensive to purchase. Handling is very good. Acceleration from the 170 horse 5 cylinder is vastly better than the approx 120 horsepower and 4 cylinders of most cars at this price point. Interior space is good compared to the small exterior. From its price and size you might think it is an economy car but it is not. Gas mileage is poor (pathetic 22 MPH after 4 tanks). Dependability ratings are not nearly as good as an Asian car either. If you think of it as an inexpensive sports car you will be happy, if you think of it as something in the class of a bullet proof Honda or Toyota you may be disappointed. Overall I am neither very happy or unhappy with it.

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  Losing the love - 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By ray85158 - July 6 - 10:49 pm

  When I first got my Tiguan, I really loved it. However, that is beginning to wear off. My biggest concern on buying a VW is slowly coming true. Electrical gremlins. All of these are intermittent issues so this is going to be fun with the dealer. The back lighting on the right side of the gauge cluster is out sometimes. The radio/nav has now frozen up about 10 different times. The keyless system is flaky. About one out of 10 start ups it says the key is out of range. About 50% of the time I cannot open the rear hatch with the key in my pocket.