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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  review - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Bpugac2925 - May 10 - 10:00 am

  VW should close its faxtory in Mexico. Too many problems with VW Golf GLS 2.0 Ring job (At 18000 miles to reduce oil cosumtion), passenger power window (twice), headlight, poor gas mileage (should do 33-35 on highway), Great expectations,poor reality.

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  Initial Build Quality Issues - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Matthew Crawford - May 4 - 5:21 pm

  I bought a 2018 Tiguan SEL Premium Plus. I was very excited about the styling and the quality of the drive. The model that was delivered to me in the color combinations I wanted (Silk blue with stone interior) had several issues immediately. The rearview mirror, for example, wasnt attached correctly. The lane-keeping aids only rarely showed green, rather than orange/yellow. Most irritating was a clicking sound that came from the B pillar(?) next to the driver window. The While the dealer was able to fix the rear-view mirror (after waiting a week for the appropriate adhesive) and then another week when they decided to replace the windshield entirely, the other issues were never addressed. In fact, they had an Engineer from VW personally go through the car. The lead mechanic wasnt able to get the rear hatch to open with the foot swipe gesture reliably. Even though they said the car was solid and checked out, a quick trip around the block demonstrated that the clicking/torquing noise from the B-pillar was still there.

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  Dont Even Think About It! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Ace - May 3 - 8:06 am

  Lets start with the blinds spots: there are plenty - front and rear. Also, there is no light for the back seat, no leg room for my passengers there either, and I am only 510". The mirror adjustment is chintzy. Why doesnt the top stow away? Latching the roof is hard to do but thats okay because so is the trunk. The air conditioning is not very strong and the louvres are a joke. The car is fun at 30 miles per hour, but if you go faster the road noise (wind) will challege the sound system. Gas mileage? Try 18 mpg, can you believe it? The transmission is nice and loose ( I mean slipping). I guess this is why the finance man said that nobody keeps them after their two-year lease is up! Who could blame them? How about power seats?

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  Rattle, Rattle, Rattle - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Michael Berry - April 30 - 8:40 pm

  I bought an 07 Rabbit in Oct. 06. The car was great for the first 500 miles, after that a rattle started coming from the vents. I took it to the dealer and they said that the rattle was normal, they would glue the vents, but never fixed the problem. My model had the sunroof, the area with the controls would rattle. I took it to the dealer again and they never fixed it. The seat belts would rattle. The rear seat, drivers left was built in the factory with a latch that was to big. It would make a popping sound that drove me nuts. I took it to the dealer and they had my car for three days before telling me that they couldnt fix it. After about 2,000 miles, the fan blower would make random grinding noise. The moonroof would rattle and it makes a weird noise inside the car at 25-35 mph.

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  Dont let this happen to you!!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kellikate - April 30 - 10:00 am

  My jetta has always had problems. The front bumper fell off frequently. Stan Olsen wanted to charge me over $900 to fix it each time. It was very hard to find someone to work on a Volkswagen. Also, my transmission went out at 60,000. When I called Volkswagen, they were not at all concerned about the quality of their car. I would not recommend this car to anyone.

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  Useful space but very poor AC - 2003 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By phil - April 14 - 12:40 pm

  Very spacious inside with a nice feel to it and useful extras such as step lights for safety. However the whole vehicle is sadly spoilt by the awful AC which is totally unable to deal with the climate in the Middle East. Have 2 of these vehicles and we cant use them for 3 months of the year as its so uncomfortable in the heat. I dont know why VW sell it in hot climates when the AC cannot cope - didnt they uprate it for this market?

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  DISAPPOINTED IN VW - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By # 1 Queen - April 14 - 2:26 am

  Where to begin... tail lights flicker on/off and then go completely out on numerous occasion. Plastic fins in water pump rot away, causing car to overheat while driving. Clicking noise coming from dash by hazard lights button. Extremely stiff suspension. Door ajar light on/doors trunk closed, interior light switch doesnt work properly. Trunk/gas release fell into door, sunroof switch doesnt work correctly. Piece of junk- had a 94 Golf and 98 Passat, loved them- hate this!

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  Cant Wait to Get Rid of It - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Erik - April 3 - 7:33 pm

  I bought this car and was happy with it until I started driving it further than a few blocks and winter came. It has no comfortable seating position. Also, the defroster does not heat the bottom part of front window, which leads to snow and ice buildup under the wipers. The transmission whine makes it sound like police are always present, when its not grinding its gears. I used to have a V6 and the average gas mileage on that was nearly 20% better than I get on this car (though EPA ratings show it the other way around).

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  What a Nightmare - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By A nightmare - April 1 - 6:06 am

  everything that has happened to all the reviews posted here has happened to ours. the engine finally gave out leaving my daughter stranded with two kids while the son is in Iraq. this has been the worst car i have ever bought in 30 years. The Worst!!!! they really need to do a recall on the whole car. thanks for nothing VW

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  Why I regret buying the 2005 Volkswagon New Beetle - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By javidiaz - March 30 - 9:21 am

  I made the huge mistake of purchasing a 2005 Volkswagon New Beetle last year. This was a used car meant to be a small retirement gift to myself, and a year later, after 4 visits to the mechanic, $2500.00 dollars in repairs and a looming transmission problem, I am now faced with having to trade this blue nightmare in for a more reliable car. Any smile I had on my face was wiped off by the pure unreliable nature of this vehicle and what this year of driving what I consider the worst vehicle ever made has been to me. I have owned Ford, Dodge, Honda, and never experienced a poorly engineered vehicle until I drove the 2005 VW New Beetle. Heed my review and stay away from these cars.