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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  Used to love it - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Angry@VW - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought my passat a year and a half ago and since have had to buy three sets of tires, a new airconditioner, a new power mirror motor, the computer says there is an emmision problem when none exists(making it impossible to pass the car in inspection), and now at only 70000 miles the head has cracked forcing oil into the radiator(without overheating). This doesnt seem normal on a car that has been regularly maintained and garage kept. A friend of mine has a 98 passat and has had over $6500 in repairs in the last year. I would expect much more from a car so close to the Audi A4. Dont buy a Passat unless you want to drive a rental every couple months.

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  dontgetajetta - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By twu - August 6 - 10:00 am

  The car was great the first 2 years, but once the warranty ended so did the customer service. The past 4 months Ive had the air flow sensor, battery, oil pan, and catalytic converter replaced. Still waiting for the cat. after 1.5 months. The driver side window has fallen into the door.

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  Dont buy one - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Kat_13th - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have had my car for 2 years and had nothing but problems. Within the first 4 months, the secondary air pump in the car went (but when I took it to another VW dealership they didnt know what I was talking about). Brakes went at 22,000 mi. Now the car is due back soon and they said that there is $1000 dollars worth of work that needs to be done because my car wont start. They said the air pump is done again and the relays are out and the battery is dead. I replaced the battery 2 weeks ago and it is dead again. Never again! Everyone I know that had one between 2000 to 2002 has had nothing but problems.

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  get one - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jojoi - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I love the car! runs fast and easy to drive-takes the mountains well. I am now looking into the deisel wagon so I can have more space for luggage.

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  I love this car! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By tristras - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought it last fall after months looking for a gently-used 2001.5 or 2002, but couldnt find a V6 anywhere. Traffic around DC can be frustrating, but I stopped complaining about my commute after buying it. And if I ever think I spent too much, all I have to do is drive something else to realize that every last penny was worth it. This car looks great and is a blast to drive! It handles wonderfully (I cried for my old Saab every day that I drove the very vanilla Dodge that replaced it, until I bought the Passat), is great on short AND long drives (nearly 24,000 trouble-free miles), and handles anything from sand to snow with aplomb.

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  I love My Car - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By TheGodfather - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have owned three VW jetta and a Chevy Blazer and I can say the amount of times I took all three VW to the shop was less than the number of times I took the Chevy to the shop. Thank goodness I am driving one of the best cars of our time. I dont care what anybody says. I love my new passat and my wife is going to get rid of her mitsubishi and get one too!!!. It just puts a smile on my face anytime i sit behind the wheel. I recommend anyone who wants to purchase a sedan for $21000 plus to consider a passat!!!

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  questionable reliability - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jafrizz - August 6 - 10:00 am

  This car is sporty, looks pretty, nice pick up but has not been the most reliable, I would not reccomend this vehicle to others right now, it has broken down and left me stranded, broke down and left me stranded for a second time alone - it has recall after recall and I pay alot to lease it and cannot wait to give it back - I cannot reley on the vehicle, I wish I can give it back now but VW will not let me - I worry when I get in it everyday!

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  DO NOT BUY THIS PILE OF METAL JUNK!!! - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By rachydcohen - August 5 - 11:42 pm

  I bought my 2014 Jetta SE in April 2014, its was first brought in to the service dept. only a couple months old for the Airbag light. It took the dealership two weeks to figure out the problem. Im still concerned that if the car is in an accident that the airbag system will work. The next time I brought it in, was last week. I had been complaining that every so often the ABS, Traction Control and Check Engine light keep coming on. The idiots in the service dept told me to turn the car off and restart it. The second time this happened I called yelling and screaming and they finally told me to bring it in.

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  Why did we wait so long? - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By wayne - August 5 - 11:06 pm

  Visited the dealer in fall of 08 to experience the new Jetta Sportwagen to replace our valued 2000 Jetta TDI and almost tripped over my tongue salivating over this unbadged model. We just could not decide because they each offered specific lifestyle features we valued. Finally chose the VR6-4Motion and have not regretted it one bit. The handling is fantastic! Design is ahead of the crowd. In 7K miles the low is 24mpg and the high is 31. Extremely comfortable for long business trips. Have owned a lot of vehicles over 1.6M miles of driving and still have the 911 and H1 Hummer but this is the one that always gets driven.

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  Jetta Sportwagon TDI - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By tom az - August 5 - 5:20 pm

  This is a great, practical car for the money. For a fuel sipping economy car it has great acceleration from 0-50 then looses its oomph. Takes on the AZ mountains with no problems. Mileage averages have been City 32-35mpg, Hwy 40-48, overall after 5000 miles 35mpg. Cargo area has plenty of room especially with the rear seat cushions folded forward. Only complaints are some minor creature comfort issues, lack of storage and excessive road noise. Also, the ipod interface is useless, it takes forever to scroll through the ipod menu as if the stereo needs more memory.