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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  VW in New England - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By rwsotr - April 22 - 2:30 am

  Costly repairs with the dealers. Much easier to buy parts online and use the neighbor to assist with repairs. Replaced injection pump x2, timing belt q60K, now need new drivers seat.

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  one of the best - 2011 Volkswagen Golf
  By johnlewisgrant - April 21 - 10:14 pm

  Sold the lexus, kept the golf. Smoother, better on bumps, much better on highway, handling is vastly superior, reliability is equal or better (thats been our experience). Es 350 is slightly quieter, but the handling and ride are demonstrably inferior.

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  Is Great When in Working Order... - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Adrienne - April 21 - 10:51 am

  But it took me too much to keep it in working order. Ive mine for two years, and Ive put 26,000 miles on it - most of it highway/commute. Ive continually had to put an average of $2,000 in mid-range repairs per year of ownership, not counting the $1,200 of work the dealer had to do within the first month of ownership to keep it running. New vac line, new headlights, new bearings, new struts, new fans, air intake valve - off the top of my head. Now it needs a new heater core right as its getting cold out and I have to trade it in. Im getting a Honda cause thats what I can afford to keep up with. ** On the other hand, this car has a lot of pep. When I had it running well, the acceleration, power and speed were all there. I can still get it going quite well on the highway. The sound system is still very nice, the seats and seat warmer (driver side) are still comfortable, I can see really well out of it and the mileage isnt terrible (24 mpg from what I tracked). Itd be a great car if i would just keep running and for cheaper.

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  Love my Passat Wagon - 2009 Volkswagen Passat
  By LovemyVW - April 21 - 5:33 am

  I needed to move into a larger car. Previous car was 2003 Jetta TDI sedan and I really loved it. It got great mileage and was fun to drive but not quite large enough for a growing family. We decided on the Passat Wagon because we were in no way getting a minivan nor SUV. We wanted the performance and handling of a car and not the bulk or stigma of a van or SUV. It was down to the Passat or Subaru Outback. In the end we went with the Passat as VW bank was offering 60 mos at 0%. While there may be posts out there complaining about quality, weve not seen any issues yet. The same issues were reported for my Jetta and over 5 years, few of those issues ever arose.

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  Passat TDI Where have you been??? - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By laskot87 - April 20 - 8:32 pm

  I just bought my first VW. The Passat TDI SE w/ Sunroof. WOW!!!! this car glides... suspension is a little stiff but it rides on rails. Looks wicked sharp!!! originally wanted black on black but as hard as these have been to find i went with Midnight Blue and was not disappointed! I live in the northeast and there was only one of these in Maine!!! i got mine from Prime auto in Saco Maine.... Head in there and ask for Kyle he was awesome...(tell him i sent you) service was great, price was great. No its not an american engineered car, but american people are hard at work building them!!!

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  Very happy with my Passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mladen - April 20 - 5:03 pm

  I wrote a review back in 2006 - now I see I was unfair to this vehicle... 3 1/2 years later and 35000 miles later I like it even more... It has been a stellar performer and a fun car to have. I am planning on a major service in about 6 months (timing belt) and expect to drive it another 6-7 years. What a jewel...

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  great car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By dmac - April 20 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new in 99. I had a 93 Passat Wagon with a VR6 before this Passat. The 99 is a completely different car, and way better. Mine has the 1.8T with a 5-speed. Fun to drive, great gas mileage. I have not had any problems. Replaced the brakes at about 50K, stay current on servicing.

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  I must have gotten the good one... - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Stan Balog - April 20 - 10:00 am

  2001 GLX "Sport" limited edition bought in 9/2002. In contrast to 90% of the reviews here, I have never had anything go wrong with this car. Not one thing. Three years of perfect servitude. My dealer could suck; I wouldnt know. Beefed up the turbo with a performance chip - this thing is an Audi TT with more headroom (62") but with a mushier suspension for those hard turns. Bought this as a winter car to complement my C5 Corvette, and its held its own. Checked out this place to see whether to buy as its going off-lease- all these other reviews made me think that I got lucky (maybe thats the limited edition part?

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  DONT BUY A JETTA!!! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By AMANDA - April 20 - 10:00 am

  MY CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A HEADACHE!!! CAR HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS AND VOLKSWAGONS CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS, THEY ARE WILLING TO NOTHING, I PUT OVER $1500 IN PARTS INTO IT IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS SO IT WOULD STOP STALLING...NICE, HUH?

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  Volkswagen For Life - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By The Welders - April 20 - 10:00 am

  Last year I bought a Volkswagen Golf for my daughter who was getting ready to go away to college. I wanted her to have a reliable, trusty car to get her there and back when she needed. Ill tell you what, that car has done wonders as far as gas mileage, maintenance, etc... it has such sporty handling and remarkable brakes, I had to get a Volkswagen for myself! So, just this week I went out and bought a brand new Jetta and it is the most pleased Ive ever been with a new car. The Volkswagen dealers are so incredibly informative and helpful.