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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  great fun, comfort - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By Robert H - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for almost a year and love it. Its daily driveability but sporty nature make this the perfect sports car for the man who wants fun but doesnt want to sacrifice comfort for it. I love the styling and how it separates this car from others on the road. the performance is great as well. Stay away from automatic transmissions - in VWs stable they are horrible. the 1.8T i test drove felt the same as the VR6, but with some lag. they say there is "almost no lag", but i felt some. the VR6 is a charm. get the VR6! price wasnt favorable compared to the competition either...

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  LOVE IT!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By J Dunbar - July 3 - 7:10 pm

  When I still had this car stock, it was awesome, the sport suspension, the power. Even though only 200 ponies, it was still very snappy. I have since put a chip, exhaust, intake and some higher performance sport suspension and love the car even more. It is def a sleeper and no one has any idea what the little sedan is capable of. HIGHLY recomend it. And since it is a 24v VR6, and VW only made them for about 2 years.. should hold pretty decent value for enthusiasts.

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  Adequate basic transport - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By Vladimir - July 3 - 5:47 pm

  Dont delude yourself into thinking that you are getting "German engineering" on a budget because a lot of corners were cut to make a car this cheap. The engineering design thought is there, but its betrayed by utilizing plastics instead of metals, and Brazilian assembly. This is most evident in the elegant, but squeaky interior. For the price, this car serves a very good purpose: a small yet spacious, relatively comfortable, nimble, easy-to-park city commuter that needs minimal maintenance considering its German origins. The 2.0L non-turbo engine is reliable for a VW, easy on gas and acceptably quick in the city when combined with the equally reliable 5 speed manual transmission. I got this car in 2013 with ~80,000 miles on it, and have since put on another 35,000. Maintenance-wise, I have done the predictable, reasonable maintenance that has included oil changes (Rotalla T6) every 5,000 miles, timing belt, battery, engine mount, strut mounts, sway bar bushings. There has also been a small amount of unexpected maintenance, that is a result of design faults: original water pump with plastic impellers upgraded to metal impeller model ($70), coil pack cracked leading to misfires in wet weather ($120), low pressure power steering line cut by the nearby radiator fan ($15), thermostat failed ($30), center muffler rusted ($180). Future repairs include: grinding starter in cold weather, abnormal wear on rear disc brakes. Apart from the power steering line that almost left us stranded in middle-of-nowhere, Maine, the other repairs were not very urgent and not overly expensive.

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  Great Car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By poopoopeepee - July 3 - 6:37 am

  This is a great car. My car is at 38k miles and the only problem Ive had is weak break pads, but that can happen to any car. It is extremely smooth to drive. It has delayed steering, a great suspension, smooth shifting, and a VERY quiet engine. Im pretty young, and I drive manual transmission so I think that the quiet engine is a negative quality of the car, but that is a great thing for a lot of people. And the inside is amazing, I havent had a person sit in my car and not give me a compliment. With heated seats (not leather), electric Everything, and plenty, i mean PLENTY of room in both the front and back seats, it feels like a $30k+ luxury vehicle. (only paid $14k)

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  Loved it & now hate it - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By thomasz - July 3 - 12:40 am

  We bought it after our 01 passat starting having problems (bottom pan fell off while on the hwy). The car is great when you do not have any issues. Our passat has been in service for repairs 12 times or more in 3 years. 4 of them I needed to be towed. Had fuel system problems, a/c went out twice (we live in Texas), check engine light blinked several times totally disabling the car (once over x-mas holiday), replaced rear axle beam due to old one bending, & now the oil pressure light came on and showing signs of sludging (found out that sludging is a big problem with the 1.8T engines) and might have to replace engine. We have drove across USA with it and it is unreliable on any type of trip.

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  Love this car! Efficient, Fun,Versitile! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By NWS - June 28 - 1:00 am

  I commute 180 miles, round trip, each day to work and with fuel cost skyrocketing my GMC Yukon was simply costing too much to run. Some of my friends who own VW diesels suggested I take a look at them. Test drive, purchase, happiness! The fuel cost savings pays the car payment and the insurance, very amazing. Have never gotten less than 39 mpg and on several trips have gotten 48 mpg, average is 43 mpg. Local driving and AC use seem to be the things that lower the mileage but only by 2 or 3 mpg. The crash safety ratings were also a major plus. No maintenance issues yet at 35,000 miles.

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  Fun to drive - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By frekt - June 27 - 2:00 am

  2002 GTI bought in Nov 01. Very excited to get this car. Definately fun to drive, 5 speed, 1.8T, sweeeet. 25000 miles on my Indigo Blue baby. Irritating things: Cant keep Indigo clean! Bird poop damages paint, cheap rubber coating on interior door handles peeling, rear speaker quit, center console latch broke, louvre under passenger headlight fell out, headlight replaced, replaced each window regulator at least three times, check engine light four times. By now Ive owned the car 2 1/2 years and have had it at the dealer at least 10 times for problems above. All relatively minor problems but what a pain in the keester.

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  Fun car so far - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bee1000e - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Driving my Jetta has been great-the engine is wonderfully responsive, especially in 2nd & 3rd gears. Powerful enough to have fun, not so powerful that I get into trouble. The interior is of great quality, but the ergonomics arent great - stereo and HVAC controls are a stretch. Seat could be more supportive. Dealer has never been able to completely fix a passenger side window glitch.

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  VW Jet - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mark1980 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Good car that looks great! The car drives like an expensive German car but cost half the price. The 5-seed manual transmition is a must it gives you the extra proformance punch. Steering is responsive a little understeer is noticable while cornering at high speeds. Enough power to make a pass in 5th gear and 4th will over through most anything.

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  Burning Oil - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By discouraged3 - June 26 - 1:07 pm

  I bought my Passat Komfort new 2008 and was very excited because I had just traded a 2007 Passat Wolfburg limited edition with no problems. After driving this 2008 passat for 50,000 the vehicle engine shut down engine light came on and I stop to checked the oil and the oil stick was dry. The vehicle was towed to the dealership because I was told not to drive it and they said the vehicle had oil but not reading on the stick and the car only get around 600 miles to a quart. now i have to check the oil often before the oil changes. The car now in 2011 is buring oil as fast as I add oil. It make me sick to know I paid 30,000 for a vehicle and now have to check the oil during every fill up.