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 baby friendly but still good. - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By chicloso - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Beetle is a very good car overall, with only a few annoying quirks. The ride is sporty, yet supple where it needs to be. Very easy to control. Just try to get it on 3 wheels or to spin out of control...it aint easy. Braking is top of the line & out performs most Japanese cars & many domestics. No one can match the headroom, not even a truck,unless your in a convertible. Power windows,locks,alarm,sideairbags,heated seats,etc are standard. It has an excellent safety record too. Beetle has a solid feel to it.

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  I luv tha Beetle - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Michele Pitkoff - December 15 - 10:00 am

  I love this car . It is so comfortable to drive and fun to drive.

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  My pretty black car - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By smoothish - December 15 - 2:43 am

  Gotta love that German engineering. Very comfortable car with everything in the right spot. Pretty dang quick also, can feel the extra thirty horsepower from the 01 Wolfsburg to the 03. Great car.

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  Excellent Choice! - 2017 Volkswagen Passat
  By RAL - December 14 - 12:25 am

  What we paid for this model was only slightly higer than our 2001 Passart. However, they cut back the warranty, changed the dash lights to whiteish, and it seems there are no drip edges over the doors, we got a small puddle on the seat when we opened the doors in the rain. Otherwise the Tech option give you a bunch of toys! Even if some cost money like Car-net, and XM radio. But the car overall is great, with the tech stuff it makes the car fun and the handleing is totally German, so is the quality. Everything fits perfectly! Oh, they also cut out option choices, you get the package of each model and thats it. If you want to cut out the Sat radio and get Park assist instead with a regular radio, its not gonna happen, whats on the advertisements and the sticker is what you get. And as everywhere today there isnt much haggling on the price, they have their sales and you get a little off that, then theyll add in maintenance and paint protection and tir warranties and they get their full price. Then there was the SEL with lane departure and Park assist for only a couple thousand more!

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  VW Jetta - My first and last VW. - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Zack B. - December 13 - 10:03 am

  I purchased the vehicle certified used with 30k miles on it. The Galactic Blue Metallic finish was gorgeous. BBS wheels were hot stuff. And then I began driving the vehicle. Plenty of pep and great gas mileage. 3,000 miles later, on the highway at cruise, my clutch plate broke. Destroyed the transmission. That was just the beginning. During the 2.5 years and 50,000 miles I owned the vehicle, I went through three power window switches, two coolant temp sensors, a trunk release, a glove box door, four Mass Air Flow sensors (two directly from the dealer at $500 a piece), a front left wheel bearing, and rear brake caliper hardware. $8,000+ in parts and repairs in 2.5 years. Questions?

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  And they make the gas version because... - 2010 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Fresno Vicary - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Traded in a 2006 Expedition for this midsize SUV and we arent looking back. The Touareg is just the right size for our family of 5 (kids range 3- 9yrs.). It doesnt have the interior space of the Expedition, but its not a big lumbering beast either. This is a fun to drive SUV with plenty of power at a great price point. Early results on mpg indicates it should more than cover the EPA ratings. My only hope is that we didnt get one of the unreliable ones. I only rated reliability "5" because we havent had the car long enough to rate.

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  Terrific car but expensive to fix - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Susan - December 13 - 10:00 am

  We love this car. It is so comfortable, secure, tremendous dexterity, tight driving circle, and compares really well in performane and looks and comfort to our friends more expensive BMWs. Have had 9 years, bought new, mid-year, i.e. new model. It was perfect for about 50,000 miles and then things started happening. I just replaced the water pump; the really bad thing is there is no warning that it is going to fail soon... I could have fixed before starting big road trip. But, we may well buy another Passat; they just feel so good to drive and you feel safe. Thinking this time of a lease so as not to keep an older car that we need to worry about.

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  Good not great - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By Chris - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Wife & I have had this car for over 3 months and it hasnt given us any problems. My wife loves it but I have some reservations.There are numerous things that need to be improved upon. This car does not offer a smooth nor quiet ride. The HVAC system is loud and cant keep up when outside temp is above 90. The far left and right air vents in the dash are worthless, as they cant be angled enough to hit the driver or front passenger. No seat memory. Not a fan of the seamless door windows, as one of windows already squeaks every time you get in or out of the car. 1st gear isnt very smooth and the engine shudders until the turbo kicks in. If I wasnt pressured by my wife I woulda kept looking.

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  VW is better than this. - 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By JPotter - December 12 - 9:45 pm

  VW has fallen short with the new and improved Tiguan. Where to start? Does anyone make a navigation system that is intuitive? I now use google maps exclusively after wasting my time trying to get directions using the Tiguan nav system. The turbo engine has periods of fairly good performance interrupted by unsuspecting high revs with accompanying noise. The transmission is more in line with what you could have expected from a Yugo. It can’t seem to know if it should be in first, second, or third gear. This is very annoying. The entire driving experience is not what I expected from VW. I am disappointed. I am also disappointed that I didn’t buy the Subaru Forresterwhen 8 had a chance.

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  Greatest Car in the Whole Darn Universe! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dora2 - December 12 - 8:10 pm

  I bought my Beetle Baby used!! I loved it from day 1 that I first saw it. The color is bright green with a sunroof. After I had it for about 3 months I had problems getting it started, but that was due to the mechanic not knowing what he was doing. My next car is going to be a convertible Beetle Baby.