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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  nightmare - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tom - November 3 - 12:46 am

  I have had 6 sensors replaced at the same time, engine light came back on. Now the car went back to the shop and the mechanic said come get it I cant fix it. Now I have to let it warm up before it will go at all it will start and idle but stepping on the gas it dies. I shows differant codes at differant times. This car drives great I have owned it since new, but the things that go wrong no one can fix. What happened to "Its simple, but it gets you there" Everything on this car is complicated and the engineering is goofy (eg the rear seat cupholder)and everything is just differant so no one can work on it.

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  Fun little car with great mpg - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By mishka1012 - November 1 - 11:11 am

  Ive had this car for couple month now and I drive everywhere on it. Even though mine was rebuilt from the ground up after an accident not shown on carfax and it was rebuilt from junk and old parts and silicone glue it holding up marvelously. I mostly drive everything it got out of this little car and let me say its not just faster than most four cylinders on the road. It beats some v6s because its stik and it only got 100hp! But I still manage to get 45 mpg consistently, never got less but once got 55 mpg on biodiesel and light driving style (speed limit and slow acceleration tryoing to stay in 5th gear at all speeds (even 30 mph)+ rolling down the hill). the rest sucks alot.

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  Had to sell it - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Cody - October 22 - 2:23 pm

  I just sold my Jetta with only 80,000 miles on it. I had planned on keeping it for a lot longer. It just completly fell apart. It was a great car up until 80,000 miles, and then it just went downhill. Everything broke on this car, EVERYTHING. It just isnt reliable.

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  Disappointment Abounds - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Debbie - October 16 - 9:10 am

  Although the Touareg gets loads of attention - looks nice, feels nice - it seems to have a lot of "bugs" to work out. The car is highly computerized and sometimes needs to be rebooted (yes, just like your comptuer at home). This means actually turning off your car, then turning it back on. There have been MULTIPLE recalls on the Touareg and has spent a lot of time in the shop. This has the potential of being a great car if they could work out some of these annoying problems.

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  Impossible to fix - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Kenneth - October 15 - 8:20 am

  This was a good basic car. However, all of the items meant to make this a luxury car did not work (auto-wipers, auto-AC, etc). I could only get parts at the dealer and only the dealer could work on it. But, even the dealer couldnt fix any of the problems. I sold it with all of the problems that supposedly had been repaired. I did not have a trip to the repair shop cost less than $2,000. From new to sold (including repair costs) I lost approx $30,000 owning this vehicle.

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  Volkwagen Oil Consumption - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Butchieb - October 13 - 8:53 am

  Our 2006 Passat has been a nightmare. We have had the car in the shop 15-16 times for the replacement of peeling switches, recall fixes, but most important oil consumption problems. I noticed after the first oil change the car was using 1-1.5 quarts of oil every 5k. I was told normal by Volkswagen dealer. It has gotten worse and a 5k oil consumption test showed 3 quarts per 5k. Most recently they are performing a 1000k test but no acknowledgment of a problem. I am done with Volkswagens once I get rid of this one. Recommend Honda, Toyota or Nissan to prospective buyers.

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  Brillance falling short - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By DrinkingLemonade - October 12 - 1:06 am

  Im on my second Touareg as my first was unofficially declared a lemon and swapped with a better Touareg after 3,000 miles (albeit older production model) by VW corporate. Gorgeous vehicle, wonderfully sporty drive in V8 (avoid V6, not enough power) however plagued with problems. Have spent more time in loaner VW cars than I care for; first Treg had electrical issues that could never be solved, this one is back in the shop after 11,000 miles for over a week. Navigation system is weak and not worth the premium, transmission is jerky, battery drain issues create uncertain feelings towards day to day reliability. Once reliability concerns are addressed, this will be a fantastic vehicle.

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  Musta used Elmers glue. - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By MrMorton - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I think everyone must agree Murphy must be jailed for writing his laws. Warranty finished along with the bonding in the glues. Vinyl trim on either door has bubbled up and the knob on the parking brake popped off. Brake fixed but nothing can be done with the vinyl. This car is so far a good reliable drive. Wonderful in the snow and has yet to get stuck. In fact I had to drive other people to work. As for mileage. Well, dont believe their advertised 720mi per tank unless you have EXCELLENT diesel fuel near you. I regularly do 500-600mi per tank with additives. Or about 400 without additives. No experience with biodiesel fuels yet.

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  mistake - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By bitzcelt - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I was seduced by the the little red car when I first saw her on the lot. Yes, it is fast, yes, it is fun to drive, no I didnt like driving a rental Dodge Neon (provided by VW) while it was in the shop for a week. Multiple problems, ignition coil failed, both windows broke, monsoon stereo replace once (still sounds horrible), seat belt replaced, engine light on, interior trim falling apart, leaking around the bottom of the passenger door. She may be fast and nice to look at, but I have dumped her after a year. See ya VW

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  New Beetle Blues - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By KatyGrl1 - September 29 - 11:16 pm

  Never buy a first-year model. I made the mistake once and will not do it again. The VW Beetle was fun to drive but highly undependable. Little, silly things broke all of the time and all over the place. It guzzled oil as well. Dont be lured by the adorable body style and catchy ads.