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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  Fun - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jriley - September 1 - 10:00 am

  This is the most fun car I have ever owned. It handles like a sports car but with a smoother ride. The 5 speed manual transmition is fantastic. Exceleration and ease of shifting add to the overall thrill of this car.

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  Love it! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By stephsuej - August 31 - 11:56 am

  I bought this car used with 60,000 miles on it. I fell in love with it right away! It drives wonderfully, great sound system, and the previous owners added some upgrades. Unfortunately after putting about 500 miles on it the check engine light came on and it kept popping itself out of gear. I took it to the dealer and found I needed a new transmission. They were completely helpful. They towed the car, diagnosed it, and put in a new tranny all for free. I still love this car, its fun to drive and nice to look at.

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  Never Again - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By txjules77 - August 30 - 11:36 pm

  Im just waiting for my lease to end. This is my 2nd VW (I leased a Jetta previously, similar problems). I refuse to take it to the dealership for oil changes bc it would cost me $80+/oil change! This car has lived in the shop. Ive had constant electrical problems, including the traction light staying on (and waiting a full day for the new part to come in), the seatbelt light coming at random (they said they "couldnt duplicate the problem" so they couldnt fix it), back latch doesnt work. Im fed up with VW in general. And customer service sucks. With all the repairs, they dont offer a free rental car. The only way I got on with the last repair is the guy who drives you home was not in.

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  97 Jetta GLS - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tony k - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Have had the car for about 5 month now and I am pleased with it. I have put on it 8K miles and mechanical reliability has been good. The molding from one of the doors came off and the muffler seems to touch the underbody of the car whenever I hit deep wholes on the road, but other than that, I am very pleased with the car. Fuel economy has been good, avg. about 27 mpg.

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  amazing car - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By alex34 - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Wow this car is Amazing the ride is great and it is fast its faster then my old 97 mazda626 4 cylinder 5 speed and the fuek economy is amazing its better then on the honda hybrid and it wont need service until it gets to 200,000km

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  One of the few happy Jetta owners - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By MyJettaOK - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Considering trading for new GTI was going to look at those reviews and thought Id check the Jetta reviews first. Wow. Surprised by all the problems. Have the base GL with 5sp. Added alloys wheels and CD player. So far, knock on wood, no problems. Electrical, engine, windows, etc. all fine for last 2 yrs. Car has been just as reliable my last Acura. Been to the dealer only for 2 oil changes and to install CD player. Hope the GTI reviews are better or I may stick with what I have. Cool message board.

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  Excellent car! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By desertracer - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Had a 98 Golf GL and got the 2003 1.8T GLS with leather option on Sat. Its a nice car to drive. The manual transmission is reponsive. Gas milage is excellent. Features are great. Fresno Green exterior color is subtle.

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  Has it improved in build Quality??? - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By economan - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I just traded in my 1999 new Jetta TDI for a 2003 model. Generic faults with the earliar models. 1-Glove compartment hinges break. 2-Front and rear cup holders break prematurly. 3-Rear ashtray breaks easily. 4-Mass airflow sensor fails. 5-Black Cloth material losses its color, fades. 6- Interior material hard to clean. 7-Water pumps fail prematurly. 8-Diesel model intake plugs up with tar Due to EGR design. 9- Relay 109 fails every 20,000 miles on Diesel models. 10-Electric windows fall out of guides. 11-Floor mats do not stay in place.

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  I love my Fast, but drop me an inch - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Roger W. - August 29 - 9:56 pm

  This is my 4th VW and 2nd GTI and I have to say that the fit and finish are great, and the performance is what I expected. After driving a Saturn SL2 for 165,000 miles this cars steering is amazingly responsive, the 6-speed gearbox takes a little getting use to, and the brakes do stop you very quickly. Time to go run Redwood and have another Porsche for breakfast!

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  very poor insides - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By unsatisfiedcustomer - August 27 - 10:00 am

  you have 2 very poor dealersip repair shop in denver and do not keep there word.the one on colfax also does not tell the truth . does not carry about the customer. there is more!!!!!!!!!!!