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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  I Wouldnt Recommend This Car - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By j blackhall - September 27 - 3:26 pm

  Though I love the looks and the "feel" of this car, I have had nothing but problems with it, mostly due to the electrical system. Within the last month I have had to drop approximately $2000 into repairs and the car only has $82,500 miles. I would not recommend this car to anyone!

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  Fun to Drive German Quality - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By mikeg - September 26 - 1:13 pm

  I love this little car, for it gets me to work every day with no problems. It has a sweet sounding 5-cyl. engine with decent gas mileage. Its very comfortable and I moved a lot of stuff into the hatch with the seats folded down. It comes fully loaded and I just added 16 inch rims to mine. VW for life!

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  Above Average - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By gillam - September 25 - 3:06 am

  This car seems to have the same issues as other cars. I bought it new with a grand total of three miles on it. 60,000 miles later the airbag light is on and a coolant temperature sensor has failed. Dont know about the airbag light but the temperature sensor is about $20 from NAPA. The fuel economy is excellent, I average 47 mpg to and from work. I use the cruise control as much as possible and that seems to help. I am not a VW guy and to be honest the car is a little feminine for me but Im long over it. It does use weird oil and oil filters but so far havent had a problem at Jiffy Lubes across the country. I definatly recommend this car, I think its better then most others

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  So far, so good - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By qstone - September 25 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I compared Altima, Camry, Accord and Passat. See my posting in the appropriate discussion group for results. We chose Passat because of warranty (hopefully we dont need it), exterior styling, safety features, interior quality. We have 2200 miles on our Passat now, and we still get in and tell each other "I love this car." There was an annoying buzz at around 2800 rpm that was driving us crazy, but it turned out to be the tilt/telescope lever under the steering wheel. I re-locked it and buzz went away and stayed away.

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  German Engineering? - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cawfebug - September 24 - 8:26 am

  The TDI engine and the handling of this car were certainly the highlights. Reliability was horrible, making me wonder why they emphasize "German Engineering". Overall, the car was very fun to drive and solid over my 60,000 miles of ownership. I sold it due to having to take it to the dealership over and over: bad wheel bearing, heater coil, heated seat caught on fire while I was driving, each light, f/r went out within 20K, flickering lights, shudder in clutch, creaking sound from suspension, rear washer fluid tube plugged, just to name a few, there were many more issues, but cant remember all. Sorry, VW, but your premium price has lost me as a repeat customer.

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  Spent half my $50K car budget - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By milleman - September 23 - 3:09 pm

  I had spent a year test driving 20 cars over 1000mi to decide on the car that would last me the 20yrs my last car did, a VW Corrado. Lifes too short to keep driving VWs, but the final shootouts for months were between the 10 GTI and different flavors of 1 and 3 series BMW coupes. I was not cross-shopping any of the Japanese "hot hatches".

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  Awesome First Impressions - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sam - September 23 - 5:50 am

  I was set on a used 03 Accord until I drove a Passat. It is so much better in all aspects except perhaps reliability. I did have mine checked out by a mechanic before I purchased it, and they found nothing wrong with it even after I told them to be extra critial. This car always seems to have more left in the pedal when youre trying to pass someone. Ive had it a few days and it is an absolute pleasure to drive. Its fuel economy is 25.6 mpg so far but thats mostly in traffic. Drive one, have it checked out, and then enjoy it. Its so much classier than Accords and Camrys of the same year. Plus, they hold their value pretty well. Buy one!

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  What fun! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Joecool - September 22 - 8:10 pm

  Ive been driving this card just a month and I love it. My husband, who bought a Camry 8 months ago is now jealous. It is a very peppy car to drive. I am afraid Ill get my first speeding ticket. Like anything else, its not perfect. There isnt much storage space and the gas mileage as well as the cost of premiun gas is also an issue. Nevertheless, its fun!

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  GLI--Love the RIDE--hate the service - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sweenemo - September 20 - 10:00 am

  The 200 hp Vr6 is a great way to start your morning. Car pulls very hard--the 6spd manual is very percise. The monsoon radio (1300 option w/ sunroof) is what i have a problem with --the radio is not as loud/clear on the driver side. Car has 1700 miles on it and has been in the shop 4times. VW service can not fix the problem--and forget about squeezing a rental car out of them.

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  Nothing hidden, "It is what it is..." - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
  By cmc370 - September 17 - 8:01 pm

  I purchased a manual SE w/ conv package a few months ago and have driven about 80 miles a day since, mostly highway and I have been satisfied by the MPG, transmission (wish it had a sixth gear, but the fifth and forth gears are rather tall) and features. If you expect high grade interior material, then you should understand that this car is a compromise, high value, high feature, something had to give, and that was the "plastic" nature of this car. I call it my plastic car (even the seats are plastic) but appreciate the good ride, decent acceleration and good transmission. The car is surprisingly fun to drive, but compliant as a highway cruiser.