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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  Surprise! I love this car! - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Diane - August 7 - 1:40 pm

  I bought this car a year ago when it was 2 years old-- never thought of buying a VW but was looking for a diesel & this was the only one available. Its so much bigger and more comfortable than it looks like it would be-- my sister says its nicer to ride in than my BMW 3 convertible was! And I got 47 MPG on my Christmas trip to Florida this year!!! Im buying 10 gallons of gas every 10-15 days and commuting 50 miles a day, averaging between 38 and 42 mpg (lower when the AC is on). I know the VWs have some maintenance issues, but Ive had no problems so far. Its a really enjoyable car to drive.

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  Want to love my Jetta, but... - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Houston - August 6 - 3:56 pm

  I chose the Jetta from a very short list. I actually wanted a Hybrid very much since. However, when I drove the Jetta, I just fell in love with its handling, interior room and massive trunk size [the Sopranos would get trunk-envy here]. Sadly, along the road a long list of annoyances has cause me to rethink my relationship with VW. Here is the list: - Sunroof - sometimes closes improperly, propped up in vent position - Interior plastics - bubble and peel - Trunk release - stopped working and then once fixed still not working - Service guys thought I was crazy for 1] having so many issues and 2] for expecting them to be fixed 1st time. - Service creating more issues during fix

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  My perfect Jetta - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By doogle4 - August 2 - 8:20 pm

  I traded my 08 SE for the same 12 yesterday. Initially I was impressed. After 100 miles, I have built the perfect Jetta. Not in order, my specs are listed under Favorite Features and Improvements

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  Great car with some drawbacks - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Brian C - August 2 - 10:31 am

  This was a former lease car with less than 2,000 miles when I bought it. I liked the fact that it didnt have a lot of bells and whistles (I test drove a 2015 and it had a lot of features I didnt need; heated seats, keyless entry, etc.). This one starts with a key and has no superfluous buttons on the steering wheel. Nice, clean efficient design inside and out. I also like the solid feel when I close the doors. Overall I like it, but it has flaws. Being an automatic and not the turbo model it accelerates like a slug. The stiff suspension is a plus and minus; it has a solid feel but you feel every bump in the road. The steering is a bit loose as low speeds but very nimble at higher speeds. On the whole Im happy with the car.

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  Dont Buy a Jetta! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Raul - August 1 - 4:40 am

  I have had a very bad time with my Jetta, Ive been to the dealership so many times that Im ready to dump this car like a hot potato. Where do I start?! The A/C failed in the summer and it took three days to fix. The power windows went out, the back seat was bad, and now it is leaking oil like crazy and they dont even have the part to fix it. The back brakes pads need replacement, which will cost $300. Im buying a Camry!

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  Audi A6 wagon lite - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By lfbmdpc - August 1 - 3:06 am

  Ive owned a lot of Audis. every bit as good although less stylish. Fun to drive, but a gas hog (so far - 9-12 mpg around town), hopefully will improve with time and break-in. No problems so far except cannot get driver seat memory to work.

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  The Black Pearl has Sunk! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By Black Pearl - July 30 - 5:43 am

  My vehicle was damaged on delivery, it had a chip in the windshield, scratches in the paint, and bodyside moldings were damaged, but it was one of the last 5A, cloth, non-sunroof (headroom), Black/Black GTIs left, and since I drive a lot, I wanted a fun factor with economy and power. Then the car developed a body flex which turned out to be a bad hinge in the door. Then it developed rattles in the dashboard and now the rotors pulse and vibrate when stopping. It is a cool car, but I am afraid I have to give it back to VW (Lemon Law) just after 7,000 miles. Too bad, the kids loved daddys "Turbo." The dealer staff has been pleasant, its not their fault that this car was made defective.

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  No More VWs - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By real_kadini - July 29 - 9:06 pm

  This 2008 Rabbit is the 2nd Golf/Rabbit in the family since 2003. The 1st was a 1999 Golf which nickeled and dimed us to death, mostly with lightbulbs, but also other sometimes unbelievable electrical failures. The reliability ratings on the 2006 and up VWs were vastly improved over the previous years, so I took a chance and bought this one in 2010, certified, from a VW dealer with 50K miles, as a graduation gift to my daughter. She couldnt afford to operate it so I bought it back from her with 59K miles thinking it would be a good work car for 3-4 years. WRONG! (continued below)

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  Wont make this mistake again - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disappointed NJ Girl - July 29 - 6:03 am

  After researching many AWD vehicles, including SUVs, I bought a Volkswagen Passat AWD GLX because of the handling and many options that you get for the money. Well, you get what you pay for. As soon as I got my car, I brought it in three times for warped rotors and was told by VW each time that there was nothing wrong. Literally, as soon as the warranty was up, VW agreed that my rotors were warped and charged me $700 to fix them. When I called the main VW office, they didn’t want to hear about the unfair treatment that I received. Then one year and $1,200 later, my ignition coil needed to be replaced. Now another year later, I have another hefty bill to pay for the cars throttle body & catalytic converter to be replaced.

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  The Creaks, Rattles, Squeaks are Getting wors - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Valleybull - July 27 - 6:36 am

  Though I love the performance and comfort of my 2007 Passat 2.0T Wagon with 6-speed, Luxury, Leather, and Bi- xenons, I have had it for four months and I cannot wait to get rid of it. The build quality is the worst that I could imagine, from broken welds in the roof to creaks, squeaks, and rattles throughout the dash and headliner. I had read that VWs quality was a little shaky, but I was not prepared for this level of poor quality. I think that I would have been better off looking for a used 1984 Hyundai Pony, at least might expectations would have been in line with the results and the price.