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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  A car to park outside... - 2005 Volkswagen Golf
  By David Burrus - September 27 - 12:43 am

  I have had my Golf for over a month now and am impressed. It is a very fun to drive, it handles extremely well, especially on curves. Its interior build quality is impressive. It has excellent paint and exterior finish. The car feels very solid, and tight at all speeds. The manual transmission takes time to get used to. It is very effortless, but very slick. My second choice was a Honda Civic. How did I decide? A naive young boy once asked, "Should I buy a Civic or a Golf?" And the response was simple...buy the Golf if you want to park it outside, buy the Civic if youre going to garage it. This is a unique car.

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  Best car on the Road by far - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Volkswagen Dream - September 26 - 12:16 am

  Ii love my Jetta GLI I wouldnt go with anything else. The handling and the looks of this car is worth every bit of the price tag. The new GLI 05 1/2 will be even better but I just love the look of the 05.

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  Best in class - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Joe - September 24 - 10:40 pm

  I got the wolfsburg instead of a passat 2.0T wagon 3 months ago. so far we all like it and enjoy each ride very much. Even for a short ride it is fun to speed the car a little with great engine power at all speed. Taking corners is very precise and better than most sedan on the market. steering and handling are very impressive. I use the DGS control mode all the time and it is very quick to shift a gear or two. The Jetta and especially the Wolsfburg is a great driver car and my choice for best car under 25K

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  A Solid Winner, 2012 VW Eos - 2012 Volkswagen EOS
  By sandboxkid - September 24 - 9:49 pm

  This senior has been driving domestic cars for 50+ years and recently leased a 2012 Eos Komfort convertible. My prior lease was a Pontiac G6 hardtop convertible The Eos blows the G6 away in many aspects and I loved that car.  Some words I use to describe the Eos are fun, quick, smooth, and beautiful. After 30 days and 1000 miles, I find the quality of workmanship and operation to be excellent. My mixed driving habits net me 28.3 mpg overall. The rear seating is fine for grandkids but I usually do not use these seats.  With the top in the trunk, you still have some room to go grocery shopping, not so with the G6. The wind screen behind the front seats is a welcome feature.  The car gives just enough road presence that you think youre driving a sports car.There is a moderate learning curve for all the gadgets facing the driver, so engage your dealers knowledge at delivery. My VW professionals made me very comfortable.  There is a vast array of exterior colors, I picked the Black Oak Brown with beige interior which has attracted many lookers. It was in the brochure and hooked me immediately. Now I cant stop finding reasons to drive my new Eos.

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  The Rabbit is back - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Ben - September 24 - 5:43 pm

  My experience so far has been great. The Rabbit is fun to drive in all settings I have encountered. The gas mileage is less than stated but comes in at estimates at about 60 mph. Oh and the 10 speaker stereo is great! Just be ready for high service costs. Even an oil change is about $50.00.

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  Not so safe? - 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Chris - September 24 - 3:32 pm

  We wanted a new car for our daughter, as she is headed off to college... four and a half hours away from home. Our wishlist criteria was AWD, decent gas mileage, reasonable price, safety, safety, and of course safety. We looked at Nissan, VW, Toyota, BMW, Audi, Chevy, Ford, and Honda. The Tiguan was the only small SUV we tested that was not even available with any of the current safety technology. We wanted active braking assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, cross traffic monitoring, rear camera, adaptive cruise control, etc... Unfortunately, VW has deemed it unnecessary to offer any these features on this vehicle. I guess our kids dont need safety features. Other brands we looked at were nearly as bad, since they only offered the safety features on the high end models. Shame on them... to think less-affluent people dont deserve the option of safety features. They require you to purchase all the high end whiz bang gadgetry before being eligible for safety features. Supposedly, Honda is going to offer the safety suite on mid-level brands soon, but we dont have time to wait for that. Fortunately, Toyota has pulled its head out, and now provides a nice suite of safety features standard on its Prius. We dont get the AWD, but three out of four aint bad.

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  2005 Jetta TDI (Pumpe Duese) - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brian - September 24 - 11:36 am

  The new Pumpe Duese TDI offered in the 2005 Jetta is even better than the already proven diesel of the last generation. The new TDI features a direct injection, which as a by-product boosted engine performance and fuel economy. For those interested in speed - the New TDI Jetta will out perform the 2.0L gas 5 speed manual Jetta and get twice the gas mileage during the process! Overall, the new Jetta drives with outstanding peformance, efficency, balence and versatility.

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  It does nothing wrong - 2004 Volkswagen GTI
  By clarkma5 - September 24 - 7:06 am

  Ive had my 04 GTI since it was new and Ive just ticked over the 80k mark (this is my second GTI, after a 02 Tiptronic). It has never once had a mechanical or electrical problem. Ive done just about everything in it...5 people and their stuff, track days, commuting, long road trips, backroad drives, snow, rain, sun, traffic, moving...short of towing or off-roading theres nothing it doesnt do competently or better. Its such a delightfully well-built car, its no surprise that VW didnt actually profit from the MkIV Golf. Yes maintenance is important, but isnt it with every car? Do it on schedule and its unbeatable!

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  1ST FUN CAR - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By YOUNG 68 GUY - September 24 - 3:50 am

  Might be oldest bug buyer of 04. Enter/ exiting very important for this senior; tested many small size convertibles, by far my volks the winner. The quietness with top up (not a rattle) is sedan like. Goose the turbo, wind in my face, smoothly hugging the road...thrilling. Old guy/gal friends are very comfort impressed. Purchased 10 new cars but never before went for a drive just because it was fun !!!

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  Maine New Beetle - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By VW Flashback - September 24 - 1:43 am

  Bought new, my daily driver for almost 11 years. Great headroom, & visibility except on some corners the "A" pillars are a massive blind spot. Car has too many plastic bits, started falling off early e.g. overhead bin button & the fuel cap. Recurring check engine light the past few years, garage clears it on oil changes & its OK for a few months. Lousy in the snow (Maine), use studded snow tires to deal with that. Still Id rather drive the Bug than anything else in the yard.