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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  Avoid it. - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By maxine8100 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I love the Jettas exterior design, but wish I had done my research before I bought one! Its nice outside, cramped inside. My friends have similar size cars and seem to have much more room. The worst problem is that my Wolfsburg is always in the shop. Every week it seems like something breaks, and I lose the use of my car for days and pay through the nose for repairs. This car is horribly built. Also, it is called a "turbo" but only has 150 hp. What is up with that, VW? Its cute but itll cost you. I wish I had never bought one

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  Dont Buy a VW JEtta - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Paulie PA - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this lemon for 16 months, and it has been repaired 8 times for non- routine items. Break booster, transmission control, transmission control, transmission control, window clips, air conditioning, air conditioning, and ignition coils. AND, it still bucks between gears (this is a TURBO). Dealership told me its fine; VW service rep told me its fine; people riding in my car say "Whats wrong with your car?" Ive heard from many people with similar Jetta horror stories. Go with the new Accords or Altimas, trust me! This car is a lemon & I am being forced to pursue legal remedies, which will cost me time, energy, and money.

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  loving it so far - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By JGinNC - May 2 - 10:00 am

  We have just passed 10,000 miles on our 2003 Passat and could not be happier with it. The interior is gorgeous and classy, the seats are very comfortable, and the Monsoon sound system is very clear. The exterior is quite handsome, and the car makes you feel like you are driving a luxury car in many ways. The car handles well and the V6 is strong and quiet. Our only issue has been 2 damaged tires, which seems odd for such a young car. Also, the service experience has been awful, puncuated by long waits for service, even oil changes. Overall though, we are very happy with our purchase.

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  3 weeks and two problems already - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By D_Money - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I’ve had my GLI for 3 weeks and it has 1221 miles on it. Here are my problems. First, there is a rattling noise in the car door whenever I have the music on. It is actually worse when I have it on low because I can hear it more. I took it in and they didn’t fix it the first time so now I’m taking it in again so they can fix it (hopefully). Second…my engine light has come on after 1200 miles. Coming from a Toyota RAV4 where I never had any problems, this is strange to me. It’s not the gas lid. When I take it in to get the sound system looked at, I will have them look at the engine light but why would a brand new car need service after 3 weeks?

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  I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jetta Lover!!!! - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I love everything about this car, great teen car!!!

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  Very practical for parents and children - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By Dads Taxi - May 2 - 1:36 am

  The GTI is amazing. gets better with age. Perfect for urban areas-- park it anywhere. Equally at home ripping down curvy country roads in the mountains or cruising on the highway. Equipped with winter wheels/tires/roof box it easily can take four skiing or riding. Cruising range over 400 miles-fill ups are infrequent. VW put the money where it counts in this new gti. The handling is crisp and predictable. Squirt through some traffic and take the exit a little faster or go for a Sunday drive and enjoy motoring with the windows down and sunroof open. Sound and options could be better. If you can only own one car this is it. buy it used and save some $. Fun and reliable. kids luv it.

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  Cannot stand this van - 2011 Volkswagen Routan
  By vanluvea - May 1 - 7:36 pm

  This is my first minivan and I bought it used to save some bucks. However, I completely regret my purchase. My main complaint on this thing is interior quality. It seems like everything is taped together. Both front seats creak, creaks in the pillars, rattle in the dash and right sliding door rattles. Not to mention the windows rattle when they are down. The suspension on this thing is definitely stiffer which is fine but when the interior is built so poorly it easily shows. The worst part is the Caravan seems better by a small margin. I am ditching this thing for an Odyssey and willing to lose some cash on my trade in. Thats just how much I hate it.

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  Great Car, but High Maintenance - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By mateosquared - May 1 - 6:23 am

  This is our fourth Volkswagen, and each seem to get better design and performance, but at the same time higher maintenance. The car runs great, and is really nice to look at. Volkswagen really has the basics down. We have the 2.0T with the Sports Package which reminds me of the sorority girls I dated in college. They were fun to look at and knew how to have a good conversation, but the maintenance was crazy. Two hours to put on make-up, lots of shopping and were always a little too picky about what they ate. The VW is the same way... there is always something flashing or beeping, and it requires synthetic oil and the premium gas. Not worth the trouble for all the extras. Get the base model.

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  Great Bang for your buck! - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Danny Watson - May 1 - 12:31 am

  The 2016 Jetta S model is my first new car purchase in a long time. But after owning this car for a week, and putting some miles on it, I wish Id purchased much sooner. I opted for a "base" model with a 5-speed stick. Thought I might miss out on some common features that most cars have these days... NOT SO!! The Jetta comes with an impressive list of standard features that make it feel like a more expensive car. Good sound system with plenty of power, power windows, cruise control, trip computer, Bluetooth link to my phone and voice command dialing. And the steering wheel controls put most functions at my fingertips. A very spacious trunk with spit fold down rear seats for even more cargo room. And the 1.4 liter turbo gas engine is a jewel of a powerplant. Smooth and quick revving make for a fun driving experience, and 40 mpg on the hwy is hard to beat these days in a non-hybrid vehicle. I took advantage of the VW lease program. Minimal down payment, and $99 a month for two years. But I gotta say.. Im enjoying this car so much that two years from now I will probably buy the car. Ive never been a "VW" guy, but this new 2016 Jetta S model is a lot of fun, efficient, car for the money.

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  More Reliable than my Bmw, Benz, Range Rover - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Cp - May 1 - 12:13 am

  The Beetle is so cheap to operate it makes it worth keeping. I was a car dealer that mostly bought high end European vehicles and they all had issues. Ding, and another message would appear with an expensive issue. After leaving the business, I rented a friends 2002 Beetle GL with 112,700 miles for $150 a month until I financed a Benz or Bimmer, that never happened. I bought it for $1,000, replaced the timing belt and waterpump. $10 gets 100+ miles, oil changes are $22, tires are $53, I now have 160,000 miles. Its so easy to clean, and the yellow paint is bright and holds up well. Interior plastics break, theres rattles, its slow, but who cares it gets me everywhere and barely costs me a dime. I baby it to death, wax it, only run chevron but no premium gas and I dont use synthetic but will now cause I want to just keep it going.