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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  Fun, Fast, and Full of Smiles - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By BLiaw - February 3 - 12:23 am

  As a spare car in our garage, the GTI sees very little mileage (2,000 miles in our 8 months of ownership). Its build quality is exceptional for a vehicle of this price. There are standard features on this car which cost more on cars costing up to 2.5 times as much. It was against my better judgment to buy a 1st year model car, but problems have been minimal. Overall, this car has been a great buy for the money.

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  Stay Away from the New Beetle TDI - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Surface - February 2 - 4:00 am

  2003 5-Speed TDI. My expectations of VW quality have been all shut down. This is the worst new car purchased. 2 year old car that needs repairs all the time. Things that should work for years to come break, for example the gas cap release mechanism is a part of a large list of things. Gas milage of this vehicle is great, but what others do not tell you is that maintenance required for this car is horrible, Timing Belt Change every 40K miles required. Parts Sales person from VW told me that all the money you save on gas milage are spent on either repair or maintenance [TDIs mostly]. Have you checked VW reliability ratings? Search the web,you will be surprised that VW is in the Daewoo region!

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  Whats up with the Homelink? - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By 4mydawgs - February 2 - 2:00 am

  After waiting 4-1/2 months for the car it is now sitting in my garage, they couldnt get the combination of options/colors I wanted. Had to settle for less accessories as well as a different color interior and exterior than I had originally asked for. The car is very nice, powerful, but my previous car was a 2000 Beetle GLX and it is a little disorienting looking for the clock and the speedometer when switching vehicles.

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  2004 Touareg - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By GSF - February 2 - 2:00 am

  We have owned and enjoyed driving the Touareg for 6 months. No problems. Just had the 5000mile check-up/oil change. It took a little while to get used to the feel of driving, the brakes, and the controls. Its not a sports car....but a very well thought out and well built SUV.

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  Love it so far but well see - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By BREEZE - February 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine used after shopping around for what I want. After much research I got my car. It was fine for the first 3 months but now the engine light goes on and off alot and the Passenger Window motor went out at only 34K miles

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  Most Reliable I ever owned - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By autowolf - January 27 - 2:39 am

  I have owned the car for 3 years and to this day it has been in more close calls than any other car I have owned, but never let me down. I had to pull over on hwy I89 for over heating once, the problem was a leaking seal at 160k miles and it was an easy fix. Off the road one icy dirt road in the winter, thanks to the cars design I was safe in a ditch unfortunately, but safe from scratches on the paint and I was only shocked a little by the event, driver error and winter conditions. I have been kept safe on the winter roads thanks to this car and it has been the most fun car in its year and class that I have ever driven.

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  2000 New Beetle GLS - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ADubinLA - January 26 - 10:00 am

  Given all of the problems weve had, I still like my car. The New Beetle is great to have around town ... great styling, easy to maneuver in crowded parking lots, reasonable power. The key problems weve had, however, are with the electrical system. Weve had to replace a CD harness, ignition switch, side airbag harness, among other things. Id get another Beetle, but definitely would keep my fingers crossed about the build quality.

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  but it was so nice for the first 15k.... - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dan - January 24 - 7:46 pm

  Loved the car for the frist 15K then the problems started happening. struts, valve bodie, alignment (still not fixed and dealership wont do anything about it) wishield waher fluid tank leaking had to be replaced, horn malfunction, rear window came of of track. these are too many problems for someone who takes good care of their car. aslo it BURNS oil! after 5k of the recommended 10k oil change intervals im over 2qts low, VW says thats normal? I have just under 25k on the car and have decided to say goodbye. I could not have imagined this, the car was PERFECT for the first 15K... if buying used watch out for the alignment problem, very comom im told.

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  A Drivers Perspective - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By D. F. - January 23 - 10:00 am

  DRIVERS WANTED. Well they got one here and THIS IS MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT with my 2001.5 Passat. It has a more than occasional acceleration hesitation problem and may hesitate then lurch forward uncomfortably when moving from a stop or slow start. Especially noticeable when leaving intersections to merge in with traffic. Not sure if this is a design flaw in the transmission or what. VW Mechanics are clueless to the cause/fix. DRIVERS SHOULD HAVE THE ACCELERATION POWER AVAILABLE WHEN NEEDED vice BEING LEFT OUT THERE HANGING. I have also had problems with oil leaks on the cam seals approx. every 45000 miles, and electronic problems. Overall a solid car to own.

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  08 Rabbit Habit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By LuvVeeDub - January 20 - 10:40 pm

  had it only 2 weeks, but driving A LOT. my first experience in a rabbit made a terribly disconcerting metallic rubbing whine when i test drove one initially (with alloy wheels pkg.), but the one i bought had the steel wheels and no such noises. still have quite a bit of clutch pedal travel compared to my subaru outback and am still trying to get used to launching without excessive revving (maybe im just a retard) and while in 1st/2nd gears, torque dies around 3500 rpm. i expected more torque since due to 177 lb./ft. rating. shoulda bought the DSG auto trans in retrospect. wished leather seats were available. almost dislocated my left shoulder reaching back for the safety belt.