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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  Not Impressed - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Greg - June 24 - 11:03 pm

  My Passat got looks...but Ive had a series of problems with it, including a broken pin in the power window, a recall for the fuel pump, and heated seats. The trunk latch failed after 50,000 miles. The chrome trim is falling off the gear shift. The drip pan fell off while driving. The engine is leaking oil. It is fast and fun, but I got a speeding ticket on the interstate...so whats the point of having a turbo?

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  CC VR 4motion - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By plate58 - June 24 - 4:30 pm

  Hands down the best bang for the buck on the market. Handling excellent, fit and finish excellent. The interior is one of the best on the market today. Standard Sport Seats for rear seat passengers incredible. For only being out 1 year it has already achieved Cult status.

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  2006 Passat - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Superf9 - June 23 - 9:03 pm

  I recently purchased a 2006 Candy White Passat. What a carÂ… If I only had a dollar for each person who has stopped me to comment on the car. It rides like a dream, miles above my 2005 Nissan Maxima. The only flaw is the wind design. Driving with only the driverÂ’s side window open is extremely windy. The airflow hits the window frame and pushes into the car. The new sound system has better quality sound than my previous 2002 Passat Monsoon system.

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  Best Buy Rabbit - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By FloridaMax - June 23 - 6:33 pm

  This new 2007 Rabbit 2dr is the perfect car for city driving. Great quality feel, good handling, good acceleration and excellent braking. I feel like I am driving a $35k luxury car! Very tight body, good vision, and great German engineering (attention to detail). The car seems well planted to the ground. You do sacrifice some fuel economy, but in return, get a very safe and stable vehicle that comes in a small package. I am very impressed with this vehicle and the many features that come standard on this car. I am on my 4th day of ownership. Everything seems to be screwed together well. I cannot comment on the reliability of my new Rabbit.

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  terrible rotors! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By derrcik - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Nice looking car alright ride! Had this car for 2 yrs. had to replace the rotors 4 times! Dealer can/could not find no reason why rotors are becoming warped every 5-10,000 mile is rediculous! Had a 95 Passat GLX that was not this hard brakes, if this is new technology I dont want no part of it! Also terrible in snow!

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  The best VW ever - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Charles Brown - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Truly an unparralelled car for the money. Owned VWs for a long time and this is the best one ever. Smooth power, beautiful interior. I would buy another if I could afford it.

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  TDI Jetta - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By abcde - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Great mileage and fun to drive and is very comfortable for long periods. After 45000 glow plugs had to be replaced for $600 and dealer had car for 2 weeks. I thought they should do better on both. No loaner available! No other problems with vehicle.

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  My 2nd update. - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By 2fastdre - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I put another 16K miles on my TDI since we last spoke and I am still happy (although I did go through 2 unpleasant experiences). I had the front window problem: well, my window basically fell into the door when I was going about 70mph on the highway. The linkage broke (as VW vaguely warned) and nothing was holding it in place. They replaced both linkages with no questions. I had an EGR problem: the car would not start one morning - it would crank but no fire. Had to tow to dealer and they had to replace the EGR valve. For detailed info on EGR go to tdiclub website, but it basically got stuck in an open position and it prevented oxygen from entering. Warranty is great.

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  Solid Value - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ellis_Island - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Jetta 1.8T for about 2 years now and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a smooth, comfortable ride, responsive handling, attractive styling, excellent efficiency for the power output, and attractive styling for a relatively low price. The Audi components under the hood make I feel Ive got a base A4.

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  A sedan with performance - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By lobowil - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is my seventh vw,all I can say is that I really enjoy my vws. The car is great to drive, you can hug corners,quick acc. great when turbo kicks in..a performance sedan.. And dont be afraid to run it, takes rpms up to 5 without any hesitation. Has a great look..(with size 18 tires), great value of a car for what you get.....