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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  Touareg tweety - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Mike D. - April 27 - 10:00 am

  We purchased this vehicle new as a luxury SUV. Problems have been of the annoying variety. An on again/off again warbling noise when the air is on which the dealer says they cannot fix. System monitoring sensors that are faulty and a moonroof which vibrates noisily at speeds of up to 45 mph. There is a marked pause on hard acceleration, even to the point of the car revving up but the trans not engaging.I could live with the level of annoyance if this had been an entry level vehicle, say a KIA maybe,unfortunately for me this was a 50,000 vehicle and I expected more than I received.

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  Maintenance Nighmare! - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Mandy - April 25 - 6:40 pm

  In the year and 3 months Ive had this car Ive been at the dealership with problems once or twice a month. So much that they know me by sight! Falling quickly out of love. Trunk failed 4 times, suspension and brakes squeak constantly, wheel bearings broken in exactly a year. Horrible experience for such a beautiful car. Truly broken hearted that Im probably going to get rid of this beautiful car!

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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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  Money Pit - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vwdesign22 - April 7 - 4:26 am

  I love my car, or at least I did the day I bought it. I wish I had done a little more research on this make and model before I purchased. I am a young designer just out of school and this car has caused me to go into debt. It was uniformed decision and I have spent well over $7,000 in rapairs on this car. I thought it was a practical and smart choice, yet I have been proven wrong. VW did reimburse me for a mass air flow sensor that was replaced 3 times in a 3 month period. I have had less luck in trying to get a proper diagnosis and repair for my car at a dealership. It seems that they just cant figure out what the problem is, and I just cant seem to aford paying for parts I dont need

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  Should be a Ford fix and repair daily - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By THILDRETH - April 6 - 1:23 pm

  Constant repairs only 20,000 miles and most of that to repair shop been towed three times now the Windows fell out looks good just needs lots of glue and bumper to bumper for life would not recommend this car.

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  I hate this car! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By wacqui - April 2 - 5:20 am

  Ive had 3 cars in the last 22 years, this Jetta is the only one in which extended time for repairs have caused me to lose out on jobs. I always wanted a VW but I HATE this car. The parts are too expensive, not always available, and it is hard to work on the car yourself. Pep Boys would not replace a water pump for me because the car was too complicated for their mechanics and the dealership mechanics are far from good. Everything about the car is hard. You must slam the trunk to close it, you must punch the horn to get it to honk. The doors are heavy. The seats are hard. If you drop something under a seat, forget it. The manual is complicated. And I could on and on..

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  Steering wheel shake - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By shakes1 - March 27 - 7:57 am

  I purchased a slightly used 2013 VW Touareg VR6 LUX approx. 4 weeks ago. Upon driving home from the dealer I noticed that between the speeds of 60 and 75 mph the steering wheel would shake back and forth. This was confirmed over many miles and all types of road surfaces. The car would also pull to the right as well as exhibit a vibration in the seat. The car has now spent 3 weeks at the dealer and after approx. 20 tires and countless road force balancing the issue still exists. VW, in an apparent attempt to limit their liability, is blaming the tires. They now refuse to attempt any more repairs and have told me to pick the car up. They acknowledge the issue to still to be present.

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  very poor, DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gixxersixr - March 26 - 2:00 am

  i have had nothing but problems with this vehicle, the window regulator will go out, along w/all general electronics on this car. if you are even thinking about buying one of these, email me and i will dissuade you. BUY A TOYOTA OR HONDA!!

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  Worst Car EVER! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Emily - March 21 - 6:13 am

  This is my second VW. I hoped that this car would last for 150-200k miles and now at 86k miles I need a new engine. I have already had the entire steering column computer system replaced, replaced the battery twice, had to have the navigation fixed because the system was stuck, have been stranded because the key would not work, had transmission serviced, the cam is bad ($5k), and the fuel pump is bad ($2k). They acknowledge that they have an issue with the cam and have changed the design because the car is out of warranty will not do anything to assist. VW has offered me $1000 toward the purchase over another VW. No thanks! If you drive a lot... do your research before you purchase!

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  Past, Present but NOT future owner - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Peter - March 19 - 4:26 pm

  Shame on us for not taking a closer look at the car during delivery, after we arrived home we noticed holes in the front bumper. Apparently the car was transferred from a dealer in a state that required front licence plates, in Michigan they are not required. First call was to the dealer - "sorry nothing we can do, but good news we do have a new bumper in stock if you would like to buy a replacement". Well, OK, then. So step two: call VW customer support. They happily assigned a "customer advocate" who called the following day. To quote: "sorry but this is an issue between you and the dealer, there is nothing we will do!" - WOW - what a great case study poor for customer support.