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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  Great Car - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By happyjetta - October 13 - 11:30 am

  Minor mechanical breakdowns but they were completely covered under the warranty. Warranty even supplied a rental car when it was being fixed.

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  passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By ConnieW - October 13 - 10:00 am

  its a great car, reliable, fun to drive

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  Everyone loves my car - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By always a VW fan - October 13 - 10:00 am

  I was the first person in the city to purchase this car. I had been waiting for several years for it to come out. I love everything about this car. People are always shouting out thier windows at me about how much they love it too! My daughter and her friends love to ride it in. My daughter thinks shes getting it in 3 years - yeah right!

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  Great Car for a Teen - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JettaGirl - October 12 - 8:23 pm

  Im 17 years old and my dad bought me a 2005 Jetta in January. It is so great for me, it has great gas mileage and I can count on it since it is brand new right off the lot. The styling is really trendy and hip ecpecially in the galatic blue (like mine). The new redesigned Jettas are really luxurious inside, but the exterior styling is not that great.

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  Safe and Secure - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Kate in Ky - October 12 - 3:56 am

  My Passat was purchased used with 60,000 miles, in beautiful condition both body and running quality. After dropping my youngest at school, I was rear ended, but to my disbelief and that of the attending police, my Passat had only the slightest dent. The car that ran into me was totaled, the front end smashed, air bags off, and window broken. I feel totally safe in the Passat, and feel secure knowing that my children are riding in a quality built wagon.

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  Definite buy again - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By ssrx8 - October 12 - 1:00 am

  There is a solidity to this car that Japanese cars dont have. So far after 1.5 years no reliability problems. The 2.0T is efficient but allows for easy passing. We get 32 mpg on rural roads, though premium grade reqd. Another minor niggle is that 2.0T sounds "gravelly" compared to a most V-6,I-6 or even a smooth I-4, though it feels very smooth and unstressed for the most part. The suspension is ideal - not floaty but still supple. Road trips are very comfortable. Road noise is low to moderate. The seats are comfortable and leatherette (vinyl) is a good alternative if you dont want leather. Touches throughout that demonstrate very thorough engineering for everyday livability.

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  Excessively Burning Oil - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Andrew - October 11 - 1:26 pm

  I purchased a used VW Passat with 19k miles. At one point, I checked the oil dip stick and discovered the engine consummed 2 quarts of full synthetic oil in approximately 4900 miles. I approached the dealer and I was told this is normal for this engine. In fact, the service person stated, I should consider myself lucky, others are burning more! With no help from the dealer, I called the 800 VW number (March of 2010). As a solution,VW staff stated I could go to the dealer, have them change the oil, and return within the 6k oil change interval and at that time,(and at my cost) the dealer would weigh the oil and determine if I was within VWs standard.

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  Great Vehicle, would buy again! - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By My New Passat Wagon - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Actually purchased this car via internet-telephone...the dealer was low pressure. The salesman was well versed in the cars features and professional. Would definitely buy another VW, this is my third and while the first one had its quirks the last two have been a dream.

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  Marvelous to drive, miserable to own. - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dennis - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I love driving this car: it is so refined -- beautiful interior, wonderful road manners, responsive performance. Headlights stink, otherwise its a joy to drive. But... I hate owning this car: despite putting extremely low mileage on the car and performing all scheduled maintenance on the dot, Ive had and endless parade of extremely expensive problems. Engine leaking oil in FOUR places (three of them directly onto the catalytic converter, for maximum fire hazard), clogged heater core (no heat), transmission leak & slippage, all three ignition coils failed, brake booster failed. Build quality is vault-like, but component engineering is criminally poor.

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  Life Long Vdub owner - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Blake W. - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Ok read up... This is the only review you need to read on this car. If you can live with a few little glitches and dont need your car fixed every time there is a slight shimmy, shake, creek, etc. (other wise you will pay a lot to keep this car running as if brand new like you would for ANY OTHER car), then this is the best car for the money... period. This car is a tank, I beat it hard every day and have put 110k on in just over 3 years. Ive put a few thousand into repairs but who cares. Its fun to drive, I will get it to about 210k and get a new passat. Ive changed oil every 10k (synthetic only) 91 oct MIN! Great in the snow, rain, in 100 degrees or 30 below. Dont be silly with fixes