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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  All great, except, reliability is terible - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Karl - June 2 - 2:30 am

  I have own the car from new 2006, still owning today in 2016. Reason? I need the space of a station wagon and the driving pleasure of a sedan. Today you cannot find something like this in the artificially driving feel of SUVs world. Maintanance was about $1,500 per year for the first 3-4 years. Then it jumped to $2,500 for years 4 to 7. Then get ready. Are you ready? Ok. Here it is: over $5,000 for years 8 and 9. This year the 10th one, it is July and I have spent already $2,400. I have to mention that I like the car a lot, I have a company and I can deduct a part of maintenance/repairs costs. All service I did at authorized vw dealer, kept all invoices, records. So now I am wondering why some cars are reliable and others not? At the end it is a matter of respect for the customer who paid a lot of money to buy a brand new car. Sorry, but in the future, I will go with lexus, infinity, acura or even honda. To change the car every 4-6 years is too costly. Keeping a car 10-12 years is realiable. Think about the waste we are doing on this planet with all kind of goods we are buying because is fancy. People should be happy with little. Keeping the car 10-12 years will not save the world but it will send a strong message to who needs to listen. Wishing all love and happiness to everyone.

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  nice car but probably not again - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bnienhau - June 1 - 11:10 pm

  I bought the new 2005 Jetta with the 2006 body style. I bought it new with about 32000 miles and within about 20000 miles I had to to take in for a tranny problem. good thing it was under warranty. I havent had any more problems except for the interior. Raido is peeling and the handles black paint is peeling. The cosmetic issues inside are garbage but all in all a good car if that is not a conern. I have 2 years left on my loan so I hope it lasts cince it now has 100000 miles on it. Will the car last. Any suggestions on making it last are welcome.

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  Phaeton - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Barbie from WI - May 31 - 5:46 pm

  This is the best handling car weve ever owned. Since our son is 64" the legroom is outstanding. this cars comfort and ride are far beyond our expectations. I cannot say enough about the options that are available on this model. I have not found any car that has close to the number of options that are available on the Phaeton. Sorry to say that the vehicle will no longer be available in the states, maybe if they would have sold it under the Phaeton name rather than Volkswagen. People just dont realize its the same car as the the Audi - ONLY BETTER!

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  Maintenance repair shop queen - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Keith - May 31 - 11:51 am

  The car achieves outstanding mileage with the TDI engine with outstanding low end torque. However it is a maintenance nightmare. The Satellite radio failed at 18 months along with the aux port. The TDI engine intercooler had a design fault resulting in bent valve and engine freeze up. Volkswagen replaced the engine under warranty. All four struts, shocks and wheel bearings have failed in the last 24 months. Car is religiously washed and waxed. The paint failed at 70 months on all four wheel wells and the rocker panels with large chunks of paint blistering and peeling off. Volkswagen has only agreed to pay 20% of the repair cost. I buy the best tires rated for ride and noise. Despite that the car rides rough and there is so much wind and road noise that I wear ear plugs during my commute and I will not drive it on long drives.

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  2000 Beetle - Cute, but never again! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By PDW - May 31 - 6:50 am

  We bought the car brand new and had problems with the air bag lights right away. We have had the car into the dealer numerous times for the air bag light indicator. The check engine light comes on frequently and many sensors have been replaced. I would not buy another VW. (We learned how to replace headlamp bulb ourselves - its very expensive to have it done at the mechanic shop.)The car has a reputation with many mechanics!!

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  OK, but disappointed - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disappointed - May 31 - 3:13 am

  I do mostly city driving in my 2001 Volkswagen Passat New GLS 1.8T. There is a lack of power while in 1st gear. Getting into 2nd gear still has a lot of resistence. In the 29,000 miles that I have had this car, the tires went bald, the driver door latch stopped working and I had to hold the door closed while I drove it to the dealer, the drivers head light died, there have been rattles, the ride quality diminished (takes bumps harshly), the auto up driver window hasnt worked once since day one, and it is true what they say about VW service...short and rude. I pity those who have bought the $70,000 Phaeton and have to put up with VWs dealer attitudes. Ill go back to Lexus soon.

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  Nicely engineered/poorly built - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Rob - May 30 - 7:33 pm

  Ive had the car around 9 months. Its a great road trip car - with the TDI, Ive gotten nearly 700 miles on a tank of fuel. It corners nicely and mileage has been over 40 mpg on every tank. Gets over 50 on highway. Pleased this car even starts up in below zero weather this past winter. The DSG transmission is very nice - the diesel/trans combo is the best part of this car. Trip computer is nice, too. But the stereo stinks for $25k car, little/no sound from front speakers. Also not a fan of the "leatherette" seating surfaces - drivers seat already showing wear at 9,000 miles (and Im only 150 lbs.) Overall, my 01 wolfsburg was more fun, but equally unreliable. Why do I keep buying VWs?

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  Poor fuel milage - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bobbie Holland - May 30 - 7:23 pm

  We purchased our VW and are very disappointed in the gas milage. The sales sticker on the vehicle stated that it would get 47 mpg highway and 41 city. We only get 34 mpg highway. We have had it to checked three times and they cant seem to find the problem. It seems there are other people that have similiar problems with this make of VW.

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  King of the road - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By waveskipper - May 30 - 1:46 pm

  Ride on clouds when you select the hydraulic suspension in "comfort" - Ride like a TT when in "sport". Amazing, "as you like it" ride for a car of this size and weight. Moves like an arrow, I love the quietness and the stereo. Luxurious but with taste. It makes you feel great to be in it. They thought of everything... Drivers slow down and dont pass you on the freeway so that they can look at the car.

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  I Courted a GTI, but Married a Rabbit - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Leo Gioia - May 30 - 7:56 am

  I had never been satisfied with the drivability of our 2005 Passat wagon. It had the 1.9T engine. Lets just say I was disappointed by extra engine load and the often unresponsive delivery of power. I had test driven the GTI and loved it but bought the wagon because I needed the four doors and it was on sale! After owning the wagon for less than a year. I was back in the dealership courting a four door GTI. The Rabbit caught my eye and it was love at first sight. I was compelled to take a test drive. Well I was so pleasantly surprised at how nimble and smooth the Rabbit drove that I dropped the GTI and traded the wagon in for a Rabbit. I am very happy, driving is fun every day. I have no regrets.