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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  2001 VW Beetle GLS TDI - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Green Bean - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Great little car. Gas mileage is unbelievable! 45+ MPG!

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  Great Car for the Money - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By Thomas Phillips - April 2 - 4:45 am

  Quite a car for the money. The 1.8T engine is peppy, if not strong and smooth like a V6. Two great fun options are the Tiptronic shifting and the Sport mode for the 6-speed transmission. This car has a lot of technology and is fun to operate. There is no native Navigation but there is interface to the iPhone and Android which is actually better than Navi because you are using your own phone which you know backwards and forwards. All the features are projected to the large info screen on the dash. This saves a good $1500-2000 from the MSRP. First day I had 3 adult passengers for a trip to a baseball game with two six-footers in the back who raved about the roominess and the ride. Gas mileage looks like as advertised. Happy with this car.

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  Pros have outweighed the cons - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bdunn87 - March 30 - 11:15 am

  Ive had my Jetta TDI for about 4 years now, coming on 5. Bought it with 162,000km on it. For the most part, this car has been bullet proof. Drives smooth, gas mileage is great. Interior hasnt malfunctioned or fallen apart. Its significantly more comfortable than the previous model. I owned a 2000 Jetta as well and just found the seats were WAY too firm. The seats are firm on this one, but not as. Its easy to drive for 10+ hours. The only gripe Ive had with this car is that for some reason, both side mirrors have somewhat corroded off. Passenger mirror went first, just kind of hung there. Then the driver side just kind of fell off out of no where. Have had to glue them back on.

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  Oil Pump problems!! - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By NikkiB - March 28 - 9:10 pm

  I purchased my 2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS model in July of 2002. In the three years that I have owned it, I had to replace the coils around 45,000 miles, and the oil pump at 60,000 miles. I just took my passat in for the oil pressure light coming on AGAIN, and found out that it will be $2000 to fix due to oil sludge. This is a VERY common problem occuring in the 2001 Passats. Please ask about this problem before you consider buying one...it is a very expensive problem to fix, and will continue to occur regardless of any repairs. I am trading my car in ASAP. Its a beautiful car, but its not worth all of the problems!!! Very unreliable.

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  Loving it! - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Muji - March 28 - 1:00 pm

  I purchased my Touareg three week ago, and I absolutely love it. It’s fun to drive, and it feels great. The interior is second to none. I considered several other SUV’s in it’s class, and the Touaregs interior was far superior. I do however, wish that it had slightly quicker acceleration, which I hear is obtainable with the V8. I also would have liked to have had an optional third row seat. The Toureg is more spacious than some of its competitors as a result of leaving the third row out. So, that’s a toss up. Even with the three rows down in some of the other SUV’S it felt congested. There is no congestion in the Toureg. The only downside to purchasing the Touareg is the frequent trips to refuel. GO FOR IT.

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  Little Things Get Expensive - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By heartstrings - March 28 - 11:13 am

  The 2000 Beetle is faster than you might think. It is excellent in busy traffic. The Visibility out of the windows is also excellent. This is the car I prefer to drive in large cities. The downside is its little plastic parts break and fixing it is expensive. Both of the window motors have broken, the gas cap release cable broke, the gas cap release button broke, etc. If you want a car that is fun to look at and drive this is a great choice. However, be prepared to fix little stupid plastic parts.

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  Great Quality - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By Bill - Boston - March 27 - 11:56 am

  We have had our Eos for seven months with virtually no issues. Has plenty of power, with the 6 speed transmission it is incredible. No issues with water leaks. The top is a mechanical marvel and having the sun roof too makes it a car for all seasons

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  fun to drive! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Vantha - March 25 - 2:06 pm

  I use to own a 2003 Honda Civic but this 2001 Volkswagen owns it! to my surprise when I had my foot on the accelerator it was fast! and I could surpass any cars even the high end cars. Im also glad for the fact that the brakes are fast and sensitive. I didnt expect much from it and now I enjoy riding it so much! Since I just bought this car, Im still figuring out some stuff to it, because EVERYTHING is automatic even to the fact that almost everything has buttons to it! Another thing thats great about this car, is the comfort of it, when youre in it, its like youre sitting in an SUV because the seats are so elevated.

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  High Miles - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By driver111 - March 25 - 6:39 am

  I have a 2000 Jrtta that I bought new as a company car. I bought it from my company after. I now have 268,000 miles on it. It has the 2.0 gas engine, 5spd manual trans. I only have had a few issues with the car. I regulary change the timing belt, and water pump and tune up parts as you should. The only other parts that I have replaced is the Coil Pack. That I replaced myself and was very simple. I would recomend buying a NON Turbo Jetta to anyone. They are very dependable and with care and yes some maint. it will go forever. My Daughter took the car out of state to college and she loves that it gets 28mpg. Its been a great car and my daughter loves all the options that it has.

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  Bought Friday, In Shop Saturday - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By zookeeper - March 25 - 5:23 am

  Purchased this 08 Passat turbo wagon over the Subaru Outback. I had owned an 02 wagon previously and loved it. However, we bought this car on 8/29 and it was back at the dealership the next morning. The steering sensor mechanism was bad (warning lights were on when we left dealership but we were told it was due to low voltage and theyd go off - they didnt). The car was deemed "unsafe" to drive (Id just driven 35 miles through pouring rain to return). I was put into a rental for 6 days while the part was replaced. Ive had the car back for 9 days and Im at the shop AGAIN b/c the malfunction indicator light is on. Thinking of buying a Passat? Then, RUN to your nearest Subaru dealer!