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 Experience with my Eos! - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Jane - April 3 - 12:00 pm

  I was so disappointed to see how many people have had issues with their Eoss - my experience has been fantastic! I love my car so much! Ive had it for 2 years, 30,000 miles, and no repairs needed yet. Retractable roof still works like a dream, and still makes me smile every time I use it. Car is quite speedy, and zips when you need it. The engine is perhaps a bit louder now than it was when it was brand new, but thats to be expected. When the top is up, I feel like Im riding in a luxury sports car - you would never know it was a convertible. No leaking or noise issues here! I get compliments all the time, it was an excellent buy for me.

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  2001 Passat Still Drives Great. - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Hope Garrett - April 3 - 10:40 am

  Weve owned this car for more than six years now. It has been so reliable and very inexpensive to maintain. Its a great car and always fit everything I tried to cram into it. The only problem is that its hard to fit three booster seats in the back and impossible to fit three car seats.

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  The annoying stuff... - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Thomas - April 3 - 10:10 am

  The V6 is underpowered, but performs well for a vehicle this weight. Smooth ride and excellent handling. After 40k miles in one year, thankfully, no maintenance nightmares. Only annoying stuff that keeps you coming back to the dealership - tire pressure sensors always going out, allignment issues, and way too many recalls. Dealership (Boardwalk VW, Dallas) has an excellent service dept, highly recommended for those in DFW area. Not as well built as some suggest, a couple of creaks in dash. After reading other reviews, I would also be very upset about the reliability of this vehicle for the price paid, but overall a good experience here.

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  6 Months with 10 Jetta TDI - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tdidriver1 - April 3 - 7:15 am

  First, the good: the car is very fun to drive, the interior compares with much higher priced cars and the fuel economy is good. The, bad: two "campaigns" within 6 months, oil leak, sway bar (common problem Ive read) and lower control arm bushings (common problem Ive read) all replaced. Now, its leaking diesel after 18,500 miles and just about six months. There is a problem with some of the high pressure fuel pumps failing. Hopefully, this is not a precursor of the failure for me. I loved the car at first, but service at the dealers is poor and VW customer service is less than helpful. Be forewarned about the high pressure fuel pump failure and poor service from dealers

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  First 2,000 miles in my new 2012 Passat TDI SEL - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By jimmy2012tdi - April 3 - 12:33 am

  I just picked a new black/black 2012 Passat TDI SEL last week, and am extremely impressed with the vehicle. I traded in a BMW 550I (V8) that I had for 3 years and drove 75,000 miles (20 mpg). I am overly impressed with the VW, even moving down a notch from a $70K BMW. I have driven the TDI almost 2,000 miles in the first week and have an average of 42 mpg! 75% highway, 35% Chicago city traffic. At 65 on cruise the car averages about 50 mpg! Very comfortable seats, quite, great sound system, easy to use Navigation. This is by far the best car in its class and should be in very high demand. Car handles very well, still lets you feel the road with out being too soft. Perfect car...great job VW.

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  A blast to drive - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By Adric - April 2 - 10:00 am

  In looking for a fun car to drive around the city, I drove just about everything out there under $35,000. With the awesome low-end torque, this car is fun taking a corner at 40, not just drag racing or flying down the highway at 100.

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  R32 Rocks! - 2004 Volkswagen R32
  By h2o2h - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Smooth and fast German engineering. Sport exterior/interior and still looks elegant. Honda crusher : )

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  VW Forever - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By passatv6 - April 2 - 10:00 am

  I have had my VW since I bought it new in 99, I love it, never had any prolbems with it. I am an enthusiast and have taken exellect care, wash every weekend, was every 2 months, condition the leather once a month, and it looks like the day I bought it. Fuel economy is exellent and very fun to drive. I had the VW Sport suspension and 18" wheels, so it is a head turner.

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  An endless nightmare to own - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By calltenten - April 2 - 7:30 am

  The terrible 2000 Jetta 2.0 GLS that we bought in Aug. 1999. 1. Mar. 17, 2000. B-pillar trim cover fall off. 2. Oct. 18, 2000. Left rear exterior door handle broken of no reason. Retainer for handle had fallen inside door panel. - Even we seldom use the rear doors. 3. Feb. 12, 2001. Driver outside mirror defroster not function. 4. Mar 2, 2001. Drivers door lock ring broken. 5. Mar 7, 2001. When AC on, both right and left turn signals stay on and not blinking. Windshield wiper streak away when wipers on. 6. Sep. 5, 2002. Front lower valance fall off of no reason. 7. Sep. 15, 2003. Engine light starts on and off. Replace O2 sensor. One week later, engine light on again.

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  major disappointment - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By bengal - April 2 - 5:06 am

  I loved my Passat, but was concerned about reliability when the car was no longer under warranty. (I previously experienced major post warranty repair expense with a 2001 BMW 540) Last week the car died and wouldnt start at a stop light at a busy intersection. I had it towed to a repair shop. The next day the car started and ran fine, with codes showing no problem. The reason for the car not starting problem was unexplainable. Also last week the compressor on the HVAC system died, a $1000 repair. After reading reliability experience of other owners,I was so concerned about the potential for continued problems that I traded for a 2009 Altima and purchased a 100,000 mile extended warranty.