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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  I So Much Prefer My Husbands 2002 Buick LeSabre - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By KP - December 21 - 7:21 pm

  I own a 2006 VW Jetta TDI and my husband owns a 2002 Buick LeSabre. My vehicle has less than 140,000 miles whereas his has 165,000 miles. Other than front wheel bearings, he has had no major repair issues. Before my VW reached 100,000 miles, I needed to replace the engine turbo and have my manual transmission (not the clutch but the synchro "gearing") rebuilt. I now have learned that the vehicle has an engine "belt," not "chain," which needs to be changed every 80,000 to 100,000 miles at a mere cost of $1,700 (inclusive of water pump which, because of its location creating labor costs, has been recommended to be replaced now as well)! The black sprayed knobs on the radio had peeled off within two years after purchase, and the dealership says that they cannot be repaired short of buying a new radio. There are many "blind spots" when driving the VW chilling dependence upon rear and side mirrors when changing lanes. The Buick has great visibility. Those who say German engineering is superior to American ought take heed that, in my opinion, such generalization is false. Next time I buy General Motors!

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  VW is better than this. - 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By JPotter - December 12 - 9:45 pm

  VW has fallen short with the new and improved Tiguan. Where to start? Does anyone make a navigation system that is intuitive? I now use google maps exclusively after wasting my time trying to get directions using the Tiguan nav system. The turbo engine has periods of fairly good performance interrupted by unsuspecting high revs with accompanying noise. The transmission is more in line with what you could have expected from a Yugo. It can’t seem to know if it should be in first, second, or third gear. This is very annoying. The entire driving experience is not what I expected from VW. I am disappointed. I am also disappointed that I didn’t buy the Subaru Forresterwhen 8 had a chance.

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  Boycott VW - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By BadBadJetta - December 9 - 2:00 am

  My problems duplicate the others, including the yellow door goo, bad oxygen sensors, frequent check engine light (cant believe it hasnt burned out yet), cup holder, peeling door handle, bad ignition coil, bad catalytic converter, and so on. I initially thought I had a lemon, but lets face it folks, they are all like this. After the last episode involving the catalytic converter, I will be rid of it shortly. Im at the point where I dont have enough faith to take it out of town. And current owners who gave good reviews....if you havent seen these problems yet, youre just pressing your luck.

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  Its the little things - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By NL - November 30 - 5:50 pm

  This car was not what I had hoped. The headlamps needed to be changed every two months, the gas door froze, then broke, the front console where the cups holders are broke. The a/c broke at one point due to a mechanical failure...a little piece of plastic broke inside the dash, ended up costing me $500 to fix. Ive paid the car off and hoped to keep it until the engine died...but I think the inside will fall to pieces before that happens.

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  I will not own another volkswagen - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bhill - November 23 - 2:26 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with my car since I have had it. Since 05 I have had to have the transmission replaced and some kind of sensor replace because it wouldnt come out of park. (that was the only two things that was under warranty) then the timing belt broke which bent the valves in the head so I had to replace them the turbo went out water pump sensor the timing belt again oh and the sun roof leaked when i first got it. And I have had to replace the headlights several times. And my current problems are the brake lights, blinkers and it doesnt want to come out of park again and an oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. And by the way, it is hard to find anyone to work on them.

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  Great looking garbage - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jjsirico - November 20 - 7:50 pm

  Same problems as many other people seem to have, power windows are junk. Windows are quite happy to fall down, but never come back up. Replacement parts should be cheap since VW knows this is a major design flaw but they arent. Exterior trim falls off. Cup holder is in such a poor spot that its comical. Radiator fan motor has burned up twice due to bad controller. $600 for a radiator fan, not including labor. Quick car, looks decent, starts every day but prohibitively expensive to repair. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! (unless of course, you would like to buy mine!)

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  Not a good choice - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bcr410 - November 9 - 1:09 pm

  This car has had nothing but problems, major problems. To begin, there is a air leak seal issue in both the front and back windows causing a wistle sound that is very annoying. Electrical issues with the horn / heated mirrors not working, and most recent, a rack and pinion that failed. I will never buy another VW And would not reccomend anyone else buy one ither.

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  Unsafe, Unreliable, Multiple Repair Issues - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By usmcwifesocal - November 4 - 3:11 pm

  Puchased van in Aug.09. Delivered t us with a broken antenna (replaced, and then replaced again a year later due to rusting). Rear DVD screen went black sreplaced. Seat covers came apart at seams, window shade fraued, headliner panel and AC vent came loose, arm rest cracked (replaced all), windshield wipers stopped randomly several times (never fixed -failed to replicate), windows and doors failed numerous occasions (3 year old sons hand was caught in door when pinch guard failed and manually had to be pried off of him) -problem unresolved), brake pads and rotors all around have had issues (back pads were recalled, rotors machined 2x in 1 year, VW now says we must pay $1000 to replace all)

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  do not buy a jetta with navigation - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jetta owner - November 1 - 10:00 am

  the car runs well and gets great mileage, but the navigation system does not have all the maps and does not connect to the phone (despite phone buttons). i am most annoyed because all VW customer service says is to talk to navteq and buy new, several hundred dollar, map upgrades. very poor customer service in my opinion. minor gripe, but there is a noticable delay with the horn.

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  Cut My Losses - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Crazy for Buying - October 14 - 9:43 am

  I bought a 1999 Volkswagen Beetle for my daughter and the car was OK for 50,000 miles. Then it started having major repair bills. It overheated and cost $1,200 to replace the heads, after which it still did not work right. New brakes cost $300. We had to replace three headlights at $45 each. The motor kept giving her trouble. We spend another $1,200 on it and then it died. We put in a different motor had all kinds electrical problems. Eventually the car caught on fire and was totaled. Dont buy this car unless you want a money pit.