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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  vw passat - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By m.j. - March 4 - 10:00 am

  excellent vehicle handling and ride, comfortable on extended trips as well as around town.best vehicle investment ever made.

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  The Piece - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Honey4Duke - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I Love it! All my friends can go and take a ride with me.

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  Love My Convertible - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Funmaster7 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had it now for a month and love it. My friends no longer want to drive their cars anywhere. It is a real attention grabber and very practical compared to other convertibles. I previously owned a Jetta for 5 years before the Beetle and never had any problems that why i decided to stick with VW!!

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  My little green bug... - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By cher - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I have dreamed about owning a VW Beetle ever since they came out with the new ones!! So, last Christmas my husband got tired of hearing me go on and on about getting one, so I received a beautiful gift box with the keys inside to my new Green Beetle!!! I was soo shocked and just love it to death!! I am the happiest gal in the world driving it!!

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  Love My cc - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By Leah - March 3 - 3:08 pm

  This car is fast, great to handle, and the gas mileage is approximately 600 miles to a tank. A bit on the small side for taller people. Very happy with my purchase.

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  Really like the car - 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
  By Modestojohn - March 2 - 11:30 am

  Well made performance sedan, drives on freeway better than the Audi A8. Very stable, comfortable highway sedan with AWD.

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  Pocket Rocket w/ 200 ponies - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Drew - March 2 - 10:00 am

  just got last week,absolutely love it. driven many nice cars in my day, mothers 2001 M5 and dads 2002 carerra 4 porsche, have to say this car is equally as fun if not more fun to drive. this car handles like its on rails also. also, before this i had a 2000 jetta glx. i can notice a huge difference in build quality between the gti and my old jetta. my jettas center console rattled like a piece of shit. a great purchase as well as a great deal. the dealer let it go to me for $24,000 which was about $650 below the sticker.

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  A Great Little Car - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By happyowner - March 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought my red 1999 GLS 5-speed used with 17,000 miles on it. The car has been nothing but reliable. I now have over 61,000 miles on it and it continues to drive and run flawlessly. Nothing has broken on it other than two headlights. The bulbs cost about $7.00 and are easy to replace once you figure out what youre doing. Everything works, none of the switches have fallen out or broken and the power windows work just fine. The air conditioning works great. I guess some cars are lemons, but mine has been every bit as reliable as my wifes Honda Civic (she sold the Honda and bought a Cabrio).

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  Exellent Car!!! - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By nubugman - March 2 - 10:00 am

  I dont know what these other people have done to there car, but I have 90000 miles on mine and very few proplems. I had to replace the window regulator at 84000 miles and it only cost my $100 plus 1/2hr labor. Other than that is has run perfect. Fun car to drive.

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  A Great Little Car - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By HappyOwner - March 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought my red 1999 GLS 5-speed used with 17,000 miles on it. The car has been nothing but reliable. I now have over 61,000 miles on it and it continues to drive and run flawlessly. Nothing has broken on it other than two headlights. The bulbs cost about $7.00 and are easy to replace once you figure out what youre doing. Everything works, none of the switches have fallen out or broken and the power windows work just fine. The air conditioning works great. I guess some cars are lemons, but mine has been every bit as reliable as my wifes Honda Civic (she sold the Honda and bought a Cabrio).