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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  Take a LONG Test Drive - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By UnHappy - September 23 - 3:43 am

  Looks can be deceiving! This car has a very uncomfortable ride. The seats are back killers. Whenever I drive the car for more than 30 - 40 minutes the middle of my back tightens up. Ive never had back problems, but now whenever I drive the Jetta for more then 30 minutes, my back tightens up. Adjusting the seat hasnt helped. In 35 years of driving dozens of vehicles, this is the worst ride I have ever experienced. I wish I could sell it without losing my butt. VWs response was there isnt a design flaw. Ill never buy a VW again!

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  Flawed Design - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By blankfiend - September 19 - 4:01 am

  Id like to meet the genius who designed this beast. I was just informed by my dealer that to change the liquid cooled alternator would involve 14 hours of labor to pull the engine and cost $2118.00!!

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  CUSTOMERS BEWARE!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lava - September 18 - 2:00 am

  I did all my homework before I bought this car and also read message boards to make sure I did not miss anything, well I did. Everyone who has great reviews has relatively few miles on their car (<10,000). Ive had nothing but ignition coil problems with this vehicle. It seems that all 1.8T engines in VW and Audi have this problem and nothing has been done to fix it. They just repair it which typically takes 2-3 weeks and tell you that "theres a 90% chance the others will go." On top of that the computer board malfunctions and causes check engine light to come on. DONT let the exterior and interior attractive design fool you.

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  JETTA Headache!! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Vanessa Montero - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I spent good $ on a "quality car" to come to find out that my windows will be falling within the 2nd year. I feel that this car is not worth its value. I constantly have to go to the dealer to fix one thing or the other. This is a very delicate car and cannot be driven. First, my armrest started peeling within the 6th month. Once my car hit 20,000 it got stuck and I had to get it towed b/c the brake light had blown. Rencently, both passenger windows have fallen. My fender is getting bent

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  Fun to Drive, When not in the Shop! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jon-Paul Herron - September 7 - 8:50 pm

  If it werent for the ridiculous and consistent reliability problems, I would be a VW owner for life. Ive had this car since it was brand new, and beginning within 6 months of buying the car, Ive had to have the car in for work at least once every 2 months. O2 sensors have been replaced 4 times. The Mass Airflow meter has been replaced twice. The middle seatbelt has gotten stuck twice. The floor mat clips broke 3 times. The electrical system has had numerous problems: the turn signal relay has broken, the radio mutes and has to be power cycled, the lights behind the AC controls have broken twice. I would love to love the VW, but the $2k+ per year to fix is unacceptable!

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  05 jetta in the desert - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By joshkellerpa - September 7 - 5:24 pm

  I own an 05 VW jetta GL and a 05 vw bug. I dont know about later years or earlyer. But on my 05 jetta the crank pully has snaped off on its own. We have had to replace the water pump EVERY SUMMER.(hot weather area). I have gotten it replaced at a VW dealership for the majority. Now why did they never recomend to get the metal impeler? Why hasnt this model of water pump been recalled? We have gotten our engine rebuilt 2 times for a grand total of $10,000+. 1 of these engines was rebuilt at a VW dealershit. THEY LEFT SOME KIND OF AIR PUMP ON MY ENGINE. told me to bad thats were it goes. the second time by beatle barn las vegas and they gave me my car back in worse condition then b4 it blew.

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  Engine tried to fall out. - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By vwdumpsterfire - September 3 - 1:57 am

  I love the gas mileage my Passat gets, in fact I have averaged 48.2 MPG over 71,000 miles. Everything I have ever gained in gas savings has been completely erased by repair bills. The engine mount bolts fell out and the engine fell forward into the radiator hoses. Apparently the nuts and bolts for the DPF and EGR filter were missing as well, lucky me! I contacted VW and asked them how long they expected their engines to remain in the vehicle along with other miscellaneous nuts and bolts. In short the answer was, "just long enough to get you through the warranty!" In short I was told that none of this could possibly be VWs fault (since I was out of warranty) and good luck!

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  Love it/Hate it - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jilly - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I love the look and ride of my 2000 Getta GLS, but unfortunately, I never have a chance to drive my car because its continuously in the shop. For the 2 1/2 years Ive had it, the O2 sensor, catalytic converter, elec fans, thermostat, many many fuses, etc, etc, etc. have all been replaced. I will NEVER buy another because of all the problems I am having (its in the shop right now).

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  Do not buy - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sjay - August 20 - 2:10 pm

  I used to drive a 1997 VW Jetta that I never had a single problem with besides the usual belts and things. Then I got my 04 Jetta, was so excited. THIS CAR IS HORRIBLE. When it works, it was a dream. Quick, good on gas mileage and great looking. Four dealerships and nobody could figure out what was wrong with my car. A new fuse block, crank something, or fuel pump, and I traded this beast and bought a Mazda. The worst thing is the lily trained service techs and VWs utter disregard for customer satisfaction.

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  fun but there is a price to pay - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By johnblaze03 - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I was so excited when I picked up my black 98 Beetle from the dealership. However, this feeling quickly turned to frustration after multiple problems with this "car"... 1) car would not start--later determined the engine fan was running almost 24 hours a day, thus killing the battery. 2) "check engine" light came on, nothing determined to be wrong with the car at that time. Very frustrating problem that causes many headaches. 3) drivers side window would not come up, part took over 3 weeks to get in. 4) when I shifted to 4th gear, and odd clicking noise would come from the engine