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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  Hot Looking Road Rocket - Poor Quality - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By TalismanPHX - March 15 - 7:40 am

  I love the looks, handling, and power of my Reflex Silver Jetta GLS 1.8T "road rocket". Mine is loaded with all the options (Sport Luxury package, moonroof, leather, awesome Monsoon audio). However, as much as I love to drive this car, I will never ever buy another VW again. It has very poor build quality because it was built at the Mexico assembly plant and its very cheap interior plastics ruin what should be an enjoyable car. The windows fall down into the doors due to cheap plastic clips that break and the fuel filler release has failed about seven times. The fold down rear seats rattle constantly. The car has left me stranded three times when it wouldnt start due to ignition coil failure. The CV joints have failed.

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  The Drivers Car - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By trepidity - March 14 - 6:26 am

  I hated driving before I drove this. My previous car had no power and I didnt feel safe driving my children in it. When shopping for a new vehicle I had the following demands: good pick up, a hatchback, 4 doors, and a manual trans. In hops the Rabbit. One test drive and I was sold. The torque is what got me. Like I said, I hated driving before this car. Now I find any excuse. I have to drive a lot as well so I didnt want to spend money on a car that I didnt like driving. The Rabbit has plenty of room for two child seats. It has sporty looks for a great price.

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  Its been a very satisfactory vehicle. - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By richardb3 - March 14 - 2:50 am

  After 17 months, this 2008 VW Eos has performed reliably and has been very satisfactory overall. The top has worked as promised, with but one instance of stalling in mid-operation. In that instance I was able to retract the top normally. The dealer lubricated the roof seals and the problem has not recurred. The fit and finish are great and the styling both inside and outside is pleasing. Engine performance has been fine. The car has plenty of zip in D mode and exceptional zip -- really like a sports car -- in Sport mode. I have had to add oil twice in addition to regular maintenance oil changes and that is disappointing. However, I actually get highway mileage greater than 36 mpg.

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  nice but troubled - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By peterdh2000 - March 13 - 10:00 am

  beautiful car, unreliable at best. replaced instrument panel 2x, headlight switch 2x, dimmer switch, climatronic, radio didnt work for 1 month, died after sitting for 1 week from bad battery, both headlights burned out at the same time, broken ashtray, bad mpg on 91 octane. great in snow, classy and smart looking, but with serious issues. thought a german- built would be better, but sorely mistaken. plus, dealer bordered on incompetent, took at least 2x to fix any problem, then tried to tell us 3 weeks before loaner car available. nice try, we got an enterprise that same day. after 20+ visits, service advisor acted like it was first problem.

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  wifes truck - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By jburns - March 13 - 10:00 am

  My wife had to have this car,over my objections, as I could have gotten a better equipped Explorer for $7000 less. This has a V6,leather LIKE seats as in plastic, no tow package which only the dealer can install for $1000 and oil changes are way to expensive. Needless to say she wins. Overall I think the car looks great, very nice interior. However, the gas mileage is tough to take & having to use premium feul only is a real bite in the wallet.Its been into the dealership at least 4 times for recalls and a nagging tire pressure sensor that continues to be a problem.Frankly for the size and the utility of this SUV for the cost,there are better values.

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  Should have keep the BMW - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Bluemax - March 13 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems from day one. The rear hatch was ready to fall off from the factory. When the hatch was opened it buckled against the roof and bent the roof. There are noises that come from under the dash that the service people have not heard before. Now the display tells me that I have a Break Failure. Would I purchase another or another VW? NO! I have talked to 3 other owners that would love to get out of their Lease. As time goes on it only gets worse..

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  AWESOME! - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By lori b - March 13 - 10:00 am

  BOUGHT THIS AUTO FOR THE GAS MILEAGE, BUT COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR ANYTHING MORE! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! WHERE WERE THESE VWS ALL MY LIFE? WILL NEVER BUY ANYTHING BUT A VW DIESEL AGAIN.

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  I Love the Car, but... - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mike - March 13 - 7:30 am

  I love my wifes Passat, but when anything goes wrong its an absolute nightmare. Weve had three or four problems with the car requiring dealer service, and every time theres been a two week wait in order to get the car looked at. Right now it wont start, and the dealer said "Well, theres other cars in front of you so itll be at least a week." That is absolutely unacceptable. When the starter went out on my Ford I was back on the road the next day. Not only do you have to pay out your rear end for VW service, you have to go out of your way to do it. Its enough to keep me from ever buying another VW.

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  Best bang for the buck! - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By scott - March 13 - 12:03 am

  My wife and I were looking for a car that could do it all. Fun to drive, good gas mileage, high quality and comfort. Looks like we might of found it! We have been test driving cars for two months (Prius, ugly, slow, cheap plastic interior, over 30,000 for leather, corolla 158 hp, solid, slow, good looking, boring to drive, 21-29 mpg, 29,000 for leather, Honda fit, roomy, ok looking, real slow, feels cheap when driving) The Wolfsburg with the leatherette seats and the DSG transmission made me feel like I was driving a BMW 335i (I also test drove) just not as fast. As far as gas mileage, we bought the car in Scottsdale AZ. Drove through Flagstaff AZ, over to Fullerton CA (670 miles) got 31.4 MPG.

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Eric - March 11 - 11:43 pm

  This car is exactly what I thought it would be. It will turn heads with its 18" wheels. One recommendation is get the gorilla gear and GTI mats. Your fast is worth the extra $700. This is a great car, everyone should have one.