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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  VW should give cars away for free and charge for repair. - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By starzyd - January 6 - 6:52 am

  The 09 TDI Jetta was the worst car Ive ever owned. At 67,000 miles it fell into the exhaust manifold warranty and VW put an entire new system in my car at a value of $8,000. At 78,000 miles the ABS system went out, AC stopped working, Exhaust system failed again, and transmission was slipping. It needed $8,000 in repairs to keep running and was only worth that much for a trade in. I prayed for months that someone hit me so I could dump this car as the trade in value was only $500 bucks with all it needed. Im severely disappointed in VW. This car cost $23k to purchase and within 4 and 5 years it needed $17,000 in repairs to maintain it barely running. Stay away from this vehicle!

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  VW LEMONED ALL 3 I BOUGHT!!! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWSilverBullet - January 3 - 2:00 am

  The car was a nice idea but VW did not work out the bugs & know it. I had 3 1.8t Jettas--each one was a replacement provided for me. My probs consisted of the car dying w/hard braking, the battery being dead for no reason at random times, carbon build up in the engine, cracked turbo coils, ignition coil problems, etc. The dealer treated me as though I had NO idea what I was talking about & I didnt know how a car should run. Being a mechanical engineer and my senior project was to DESIGN & BUILD a car I felt I knew enough. 87 trips to the dealership over 1.3 years they bought the 3rd car back. STAY AWAY.

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  By far the worst car Ive ever owned!!! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jcp5 - December 29 - 9:40 pm

  Both Front Windows have broken, the mass airflow sensor went on me, the sunroof broke, the dash lights flicker, and the car burns oil...if you like paying mechanics then buy this car!

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  I just lost $8000...... - 2007 Volkswagen Touareg
  By T - December 12 - 8:42 am

  Dont get me wrong, I love this car. It drives great and is beautiful. But due to having a family of 5, two young hockey players, I had to get something bigger. Heres where I start to hate this car. I purchased it used just a year and a half ago for $21,000. I checked kbb and nada at the time and that was the value. I now owe the bank $18000. And the car is worth $10,000.....oh my lands! Never in my life have I been upside down in a loan. The car is in excellent condition and has half the miles its supposed to, so how the heck did this happen?!!! I will never buy another vw for this reason.

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  VW - look what you made me go through - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By E - December 11 - 10:06 pm

  Bought this one brand new, first week the wiper blade motor failed on a rainy night on fwy 101. 13 warranties were done on first two years of ownership. For the past 4 years, I had 20 visits to the dealership including oil change, recall, warranties so I am always there every 3 months. I had an oil change done on the 50k mileage and took it back to the dealer when i found oil leaks. They changed the drain plug but after 2 days I need to bring it back to the dealer for more oil leak. Brought it in the morning, then they cant find the source of the oil leak I was told to leave it overnight. Spent so much money for regular maintenance all done through dealers. So unfair, VW. Youre so unfair.

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  My nightmare with the touareg - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By stephanie mahairas - December 10 - 4:23 pm

  My touareg had constant problems. Volkswagon of America did nothing to help us with this brand new automobile. We were stranded for weeks without our new vehicle. We requested a new one but that was in vain since VW of America never returned one of our calls. We thought we would love this car but had nothing but problems. Loud internally and externally!! The 18,000 rental was an easier ride.

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  Unfortunate Experience - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Former Passat Lover - November 18 - 11:00 am

  Everyone told me that I should expect at least 150,000 out of this car. Well, it just died at just over 100,000 miles. Perhaps that is not just a bad story, except that I had to get the engine rebuilt at 75,000 miles, the oil pan replaced at 50,000 miles (the dealer gave me a hard time about the warranty too!), and just about everything else replaced along the way. Since owning the car, I have spent probably about half of the purchase price just trying to keep it in working order (and I am a responsible driver who takes it in for all the checkups). Drivers beware.

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  if only i had known..... - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jocko - November 15 - 8:43 pm

  i bought the car with 7k miles...it now has a shade over 15k build quality is very poor...glove box door hinge came loose without any trauma..power window switch broke and cruise control went out. lower engine cover panel came loose after 6 months of driving, just replaced a faulty brake light switch now the solenoid that controls the gas cap door needs replacing....this car is truly a piece of crap....

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  Think before you buy this car - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By thinkagain - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I have owned 01 Beetle GLS Turbo for the past three years, and found it unreliable car. Not to mention there have been numerous recalls which my local dealer can not fix properly, there have been many breakdowns such as 1. driver-side door hinge cracked within 2yr, 2. headlamp lightbulbs out 3. a portion of dashboard lights out 4. can not roll down passenger-side window due to major defect in window kit 5. rear breakpads wornout before 15K (I am not an aggresive driver). I strongly advise potential buyers to think before buying this car. Remember beauty is only skin-deep (some may disagree this is a beautiful car) !!

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  Dont buy a 99 Beetle - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By kymm costa - November 2 - 10:00 am

  Stay away from the 1999 Beetle. In a span of 4 months this 3 year old car has been in the shop 9 times. The dealer told me that I am "not an exception to the rule" when it comes to this year and model. The following are the problems consistant with other model problems: window mechanisms, front seat handles, break light switch to get out of park, engine light over- sensitivity, trunk not sealing appropriately, radio/cassette replacement. I have also had issues with door handles (actually getting out of the car)and door lock mechanisms. Additionally I have had to replace the entire engine. I do not recommend this car at all. Although fun to drive, not worth the headache.