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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  Not Worth It - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By justajettaowner - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Jetta b/c it looked good, and it offered many amenities for the price. Thats all the VW has to offer. Reliability is absolutely awful. Bad window regulators, bad oxygen sensors, bad battery, front bumper always scrapping, coolant pipe leaks, bad oil consumption, etc. etc. I bought this car for what it offered considering the low price...and after only 2 yrs,Ive already put thousands of dollars into repairs, non of which were driver related...all due to faulty, poor parts.

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  I Expected More - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By RT - August 16 - 11:10 am

  I moved from an Acura 3.0 CL to a 2002 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T and at first thought they were pretty comparable. That lasted less than a year. There have been numerous problems. The coils as everyone knows, headlights, trunk release, and most importantly the oil pump. There is a major flaw in this engine in that the turbo works way too hard to power this vehicle. That coupled with a very small oil pan causes the oil to super heat. I am on my third oil pump in 45,000 miles. At this point I would not consider another VW. Luckily, my lease runs out in two months.

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  should have bougth the infiniti - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By morbius - August 14 - 10:00 am

  My wife really wanted this car, a luxury sports sedan. For the first 20K miles, all was well. Then it was old all of a sudden. The warranty ends @ 24K so bizzarre repairs I have never seen happen at these mileages are our responsibility. I note the other reviewers either love or hate these cars. I second what sounds like a weird theory - ours was built in October, and I think that may explain it. Another important note - the nice curvy sheet metal on these cars is paper thin, and it dents incredibly easily. A slow moving shopping cart can cause 2k worth of damage!

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  MONEY PIT - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brandon - August 13 - 2:20 am

  I loved this car in the beginning. I thought it was really cute and loved the turbo engine and other features like the heated seats. After the first year of ownership EVERYTHING started breaking. Ive spent thousands on repairs. The last two years alone Ive spent over $4000 dollars. Even the inside is falling apart. Many of the interior features are made of plastic and easily break. This car is in the shop every other month. Also as a sidenote the backseat is almost too small for passengers who arent children. Very crowded.

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  Warning!!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Upset2 - August 5 - 2:00 am

  If you purchase a 1.8 beware you are looking at a hefty timimg belt replacement that even if it fails VW will not back you and you will pay 5K for repairs!! Ask the sales person before you buy!

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  Bittersweet - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mommas Car - August 4 - 2:00 pm

  I have yet to own my Touareg for a full year. I brought it from a VW dealership thinking that it would be as close to as buying it new and I have had to replace all four tires. The front brakes were replaced once and just this passed week I had to have ALL brakes and rotors replace! To fill up my tank its about $90 +/-. My husband drives a GMC Yukon with 4-doors and it cost about the same for his gas! Love my VWs but I think after this its time to move on!

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  Eos Experience to Date - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By spaceinvader - August 4 - 10:03 am

  The 2.0L turbo engine is powerful, but thirsty on fuel. The sports suspension is great on smooth roads, but the car "rattles" and the chassis flexes on other roads that are not flat.. I had a dead battery after two weeks, and the dealer could find no reason as to what caused it. The climate control system failed after three weeks. There was a one week delay in waiting for parts. This car has lots of internal condensation, i.e. window dripping with water. I found the spare wheel well full of water, due to faulty welded joint in the body panels behind the left hand side rear light cluster. My Eos has been off of the road for eight days while the dealer finds / fixes the water problem. VW customer service not interested in my problems.

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  Dont buy this car - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Dont buy this car - July 28 - 12:56 am

  I will never buy a VW again, after my troubles with this car. It seems like every oil change finds at least $200 of additional repairs that are needed. Two cv boots went bad early on. Problems with heated seats, side mirrors, stereo knob, ashtray near back floor, brakes, rotors, temperature sender, etc, etc, etc. I had always owned Hondas and wanted a change. I am tired of the expenses associated with owning a Passat and will be trading in for a Honda soon. I had Hondas that needed less repairs during 10 years of ownership than this car needed in the first 3 years of ownership!! Crazy - considering this car is supposed to last forever and be so great. I dont believe it any more!!

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  06 Passat 2.0T Sedan - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By DAE - July 26 - 6:23 pm

  We thought this was a great car at first. It is a little weak off the line but it has a nice smooth ride. Then, the car locked my wife out on several occasions and spent two days in the shop while they tried to repair it. The dealer ffinally installed a new door lock assembly. Next, it developed a stutter when shifting from first to second. Before it went in for that, the summer heat hit. The gas milage dropped by 10% over five days when running the a/c. I asked them to check that too. Two days prior to the car going into the shop for these items, the A/C quit altogether - just as the temperatures hit over 90. That was twenty-two days ago and we still dont have the car back. Six more days and it qualifies as a lemon in PA.

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  Never go without a warranty - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gunz20 - July 22 - 10:30 am

  Our first import car. TDI is great for fuel economy. Problems; we hit 20000 miles & had to replace the fuel filter. Could have been bad diesel fuel, but paid because its suggested to be replaced every 20000 miles. Vehicle now has 64000, no problems since. Trunk lid latch doesnt work in cold weather. Got it replaced under warranty, now it doesnt work again and no warranty to help. Most recent, driver side door electrical harness went out, leaving me with no controls, no way lock car or open up the fuel tank door. VW wants $500 to repair. Dealer said passenger door is going out, another $500. Also, we have replaced several, blown exterior light bulbs, some multiple times.