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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  02 Indigo Blue GTI 1.8T - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By rfernatt - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Great looking car, especially with the very affordable 17" wheel package, and a blast to drive. My only complaints thus far are with a few interior squeaks and rattles. I guess I was expecting a little more quality control in this area. However, materials are top notch. There are some great design features such as the way the front seats move up and away for access to the rear seat - pretty cool! Then, there are some pretty poor design features - what were they thinking when they placed the cupholder to block the radio controls and drip liquid down the center stack?

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  Great Car Bad Clutch - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By Jeff - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Test Drove Mini Cooper, VW Golf TDI, and Jetta TDI. I bought the Golf TDI with the six speed, and returned it a week later for a Jetta TDI with the DSG. Loved everything about the Golf except for the clutch. The RPMs drop so low when starting that the car is easy to stall on mild hills. Hill hold brake assist would really make the car an absolute perfect car to drive. This feature is standard in the Mini Cooper. If mini can do it for $21K, then I think VW can do it in all of their cars. Hill hold is only available in the Pasaat. Other than the clutch, the performance, comfort, and styling were amazing. Essentially it is the GTI with a diesel engine!

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  Great Car, but switched 1wk later - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By Jack Smith - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with a six speed stick shift. I could not get used to the clutch, and sadly I returned it a week later. I test drove the VW and the Mini Cooper at the same time. Over all the VW had the mini beat on standard features, and comfort. The stick on the VW shifts like butter while the Mini seemed notchy. The mini cooper had a feature that the VW TDI absolutely needs! Hill Hold Brake Assist! This feature is only available on the Passat. If Mini can do this for $21000, then VW should be able to for $23K. The TDI is very easy to stall on hills due to the clutch, and low RPMs. My dealer let me trade the Golf TDI for a Jetta TDI with the dsg.

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  German performance car with SUV utility! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ekimap - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2002 Jetta 1.8T Wagon with the 5-spd manual. Great car - its fast, quiet, comfortable, has an interior that looks and feels expensive, and handles well. PLUS it has the utility of a small SUV! What more could I want? Im the sort of person whose lifestyle would be well served by an SUV, but I wanted a real car with real performance and handling - this car fits the bill to a T.

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  seriously fun and reliable - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By KH - August 26 - 2:00 am

  4 Motion, All wheel drive, W8: Overall, it was a great purchase for the price. It is by all means a luxury car. Our only complaint is that the check engine light has been on since the purchase (8 months) and two dealerships and three visits have yet to be able to find the issue, it there even is one. Please note that this car takes synthetic oil so you will pay more for regular changes. Also, it takes a person with higher than average mechanical skills to work on the car personally. So, even minor issues will usually have to be taken car of professionally (the engine is enclosed).

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  Smiles all around - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By bucknut - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Bought in September and now have just over 3,000 miles. Always puts smile on my face. Is it the fastest in its class, no. Reality is after the first week or two... how many 0-60 trials are you really doing? I wanted sporty, fun, fast that could still get the fam around. My finalists were BMW 328i, Audi A4, GTI, and CC. Questioned reliability of BMW recently, Audi was my choice, but ultimately was able to get more features but same fit & finish in the VW for less. Liked the CC which but I felt I really needed the flexibility of the middle seat. Hello GTI, hello smiles, waves, thumbs ups from onlookers. I get seat of the pants fun w/mpg like my Honda. Cant beat German handling & feel

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  2010 - GTI - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By gerard bu - August 25 - 12:10 pm

  I purchased the GTI as a commuter car. Own a 911, lx 470 and a bmw 330i convertible.looking for something fun while economical and well built. My car has a DSG which I am impressed with the quickness of its shift. When you down shift the engine revs up a bit. If you use the down shifting to reduce speed on steep down hills you need to account those few seconds of speeding up before it starts to slow down. On making aggressive turns feels a bit nose heavy and u need to down shift if you want to punch it out of the turn, else there is a bit of delay. Handling is fun not as neutral as the bmw 330i get 25/32 mpg. finish and comfort is above my exp. The room inside is also above my exp

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  One of the last ones - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Now Wifes Car - August 25 - 5:13 am

  I have had very few problems since the initial 6 months when I had a problem with wheel sensors. It has run so well my wife wanted it. It is a real fun car. It will be hard to replace.

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  Amazing SUV - 2010 Volkswagen Touareg
  By TEB - August 25 - 5:03 am

  Coming off of a 2007 AWD Cadillac SRX, I thought this SUV would be similar. Boy was I wrong. Comfort, drivability, and fuel economy put this vehicle in a class by itself. We have driven 2600 miles including one long trip of 1300 miles 27 MPG highway and 23 in a mix. It feels like your floating down the road, yet with real precise road feel. When climbing gradual inclines transmission works well, not like the SRX. It is also very easy to park with its short turn radius. Vehicle we purchased was standard with Luxury Package that includes leather seating, 19" wheels, and heated steering wheel, which was a must for my wife.

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  Awesome Jetta Wagon - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Eshwar.S - August 24 - 12:06 am

  I have had my 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL Wagon for year now, I bought it in September of 2004. It has not had any problems, runs great, looks great, and feels like I just bought yesterday.