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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  2005 Phaeton V8 - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Franklin2 - August 7 - 7:00 pm

  The only small negative about the Volkswagen Phaeton V8 is the poor fuel mileage. For a 5,200 lb car, I espected this though. Otherwise, I think it is just about perfect. It has excellent fit and finish. It has the people comforts you expect in only the best cars which cost much more. its engine is very powerful and the car is very smooth and quite at high speeds.

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  A BMW 3 Series disguised as a hatchback - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By City Boy - August 7 - 12:40 am

  My Tornado Red 4-door Golf is a delight. Drives like a much larger car. Has lots of power and rides/handles great. Amazing but the quality of interior materials is of a $35,000 car. Also, has great stereo sound and rides quietly on the road (more so than my wifes 07 Accord). Test drove most compact hatchbacks and this one is superior, i.e. Hyundani Elantra Touring, Subaru Impreza, Mazda 3, Toyota Matrix, Kia Rhondo and a few more. Try it and youll buy it.

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  Utilitarian Bullet - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By 100hp - August 6 - 6:23 pm

  There is no better work car! BEST FEATURE: I can drive in 3rd gear at speeds as low as 15 mph allow many turns without shifting, permitting me to eat while driving in heavy traffic. The handbrake is conveniently positioned for handbrake turns unlike many manufacturers. Sit in the back and experience a hungry growl not heard in the front! The car cleans up in easily too when splattered with mud on the inside. Hows it on the freeway? 70 mph is an idle. 90 mph is where is feels right. 110 mph is a little noisy. Pickup on icy terrain is so exceptional that you realize 4-wheel drive is unecessary in northern urban areas.

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  Great Car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brandon/bswansea - August 6 - 2:13 am

  I bought my 1999 Passat Wagon new in April of 99. It has the 1.8 litre turbo engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. The only option it came with was the leather & cold weather package combo, but I had them add a 6-disc CD changer and alloy wheels. the car is almost 3 years old now and has just over 38000 trouble-free miles on it. The handling and performance are very good. This car gets plenty of power and lots of low end torque.

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  VW TDI 44 mpgs - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Big Al in Maryland - August 5 - 8:50 pm

  I spend a lot of time driving people around and as much as I love my Beemer the gas mileage was killing me. In in effort to find something better at the pumps I starting researching hybrids, then diesels. It struck me that when I found out the in Europe around 40-50% of the cars sold are diesel that they were on to something. They are, a far superior fuel economy. I average around 44 mpgs. Hybrids get great milage too, only replacing the batteries after 100,000 miles seemed costly compared to diesels longevity. Diesels also have more future fuel options, such as Bio-diesel (google Willie Nelson and bio diesel) Im completely happy with my VW and the 2006 model is very very nice.

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  Steal of a car! Audi in VW clothing... - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By wario - August 4 - 2:40 am

  We bought our 01 Passat GLX 4Motion this past January and LOVE IT! What a solid car, even with 110000 on it. We purchased it from a reputable dealer who inspected it and serviced it before we bought it. They replaced the belt, water pump, and brakes... the car needed nothing else! Its a dream to drive in all weather. Looking forward to putting the next 150k on it!

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  Super Good Time - 2007 Volkswagen GTI
  By jt - August 4 - 1:03 am

  I have had this car for 2 years now and it is absolutely the best car Ive owned (out of 6). Lots of room lively engine, suspension. Very easy to get along with. Had only minor probs. Fan switch and leaky coolant for a/c.

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  A great little car - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mlinth - August 1 - 7:16 pm

  We now have over 7,000 miles on our Jetta, and I must say as a first time VW owner, I am impressed. I tried all the others, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Pontiac Vibe, and there was no comparison to quality and quiteness of the ride and the build of the VW. Followup by the dealership here in Orlando has been poor, with them not returning phone calls on questions but the car itself is great.

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  Great car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ray Ohio - July 31 - 9:27 pm

  I bought this 2.0T Passat in 2006 and have been driving it since then. Now it has about 100K miles on it. Great car. Never had any major issues with it. The handling is much better than some competitors in its class. My wife and I both like the look very much. So classic. I was surprised to see many negative reviews here, but I do understand normally only people who had trouble would spend time writing reviews. So I wanted to tell a little the other side of story.

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  Great Car - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jmdeboer - July 30 - 8:26 pm

  Even though I bought a 2.5, it still has spunk. The 5-speed transmission makes it fun to drive, plus the addition of a K&N air filter (pain to put in) adds more zip and improved gas mileage (24-33.4 mpg). Now having put some miles on it, the drive is still fun and I want to improve it with more power parts to make it even better for the $16,000 that I bought it for.