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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  Im glad I overlooked the editors review - 2001 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By mogies - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I am overjoyed with our purchase of a 2001 eurovan. It has great pickup and great looks plenty of room and fun, fun, fun to drive. We looked at many different types of vehicles, including SUVs, before we purchased it. Once I got in and drove it, I knew it was the one for us. Because there are not many of these vehicles on the road (unlike the standard minivan)people stare wondering what it is. The other day a man flashed me a peace sign. What more can I say!

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  Pleasant Surprise - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DougSmithsr - January 1 - 10:00 am

  Purchased for my wife for mothers day after passing up a BMW 325, she liked the Passats looks more. Go figure! Anyway I proceeded purchasing the Passat with the 1.8L Turbo, with Tiptronic Auto/Manual shifter and fitted it with Black leather, Sunroof, and stereo package. To my amazement after managing to pry the keys from my wifes hands from time to time I just love this car. Handling is on par with some of the finest sports cars that I have ever driven, and the turbo lag is almost non-existent and mid range power is awsome, we had a 626 mazda with a v6 and this Passat will completley smoke our old car and leave it standing.

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  Passat: Best Bang for your Buck by Far. - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By clayton - January 1 - 10:00 am

  Brilliant! 2 many "pluses" to list here. Just go drive each of the cars U are considering & maybe one car a level above in price range. The Passats performance, styling (except for the pitiful cloth interior), and features compare more closely to the Lexus/Infinity/Entry-level Benz level, than the Camry/Accord/626 group. The only real stand-out disappointment (on the 2002) is the cloth materials & tones, which are amazingly poor (ugly lint magnets). Whoever came up with those tones/materials should be run out of town. If this guy worked for a defense contractor, our our $30 million fighter jets would have vinyl floor mats in the cockpit.

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  Tangerine - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Trixiebaby - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought a new Beetle convertible to replace my 1998 VW Cabrio, with 130,000 miles on it. Honestly, I was quite nervous making this purchase, in light of the recent quality control problems and past poor reliability of this model, at least in the hardtop model. Im keeping my fingers crossed! So far, the car has been a joy - only downside is that the top is a little hard to secure when putting it back up.

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  2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW OWNER - January 1 - 1:50 am

  This car is exceptionally fun to drive, considering its engine is only 1.8 liters. It is fast and averages an all around 26 mpg. Mine has a 5-speed standard transmission. This is a premium automobile at a big discount!

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  2012 Passat S Automatic w/Appearance Pkg - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By jt4210 - January 1 - 1:31 am

  I own a 2012 Passat S class, before owning this car I drove a 2000 Honda Civic EX that I had the misfortune for acquiring in 2008. My Passat is equiped with a 5 cylinder 2.5 liter engine. This is an incredible car to drive! When you shift this car into D it drives like a Benz E-Class, when you shift it into S in drives like an Audi S4! The car is beautiful inside and out! When you sit down in the back seat of this car you get the same feeling like when you climb into a Suburban or a Yukon. All three feel like stepping into a house.

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  Very Impressed - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John T. - December 31 - 11:26 am

  Ive just passed 6000 miles and I really enjoy this vehicle. I see no drawbacks from the diesel -- except that diesel is a about a dollar more a gallon than gas these days. I spend a lot less time at the gas pump -- I get over 500 miles on a tank and I put in less than 13 gallons a fill-up. The DSG transmission is well matched to the engine and the throttle response is smooth and powerful enough to inspire confidence for all merging and passing situations. The steering and road feel is good, and it takes the road bumps well. All in all Im very happy with this car to date.

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  Great buy - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By MCERK - December 31 - 3:40 am

  This is my third Jetta and they just get better. Ive owned this vehicle for 3 years and have not had any problems whatsoever. It is great on gas. I get about 33 MPG in the city. I would continue to buy VW.

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  VW work horse.. 2006 Jetta 2.5 - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Ken - December 27 - 5:20 am

  We live in the high country with lots of corners, steep grades, very rough roads and narrow roads. But we end up on the highway to go shopping some 50 to 100 miles away and have to climb over high mountian passes to get there on I- 5 (Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou area of California.) Our Jetta works the steep grades with little effort.. Will pull out and pass most cars on the long pulls. The ride is far better than the others in its class (Corolla, Civic). Making long trips a non-event. The 5-cyl. engine is happy at most any RPM. Making shifting kind of a pick a gear and forget it thing. It is nothing like other cars we have had that need to be in a given gear to go anywere.

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  Still love this car after 2 years - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jane - December 27 - 12:56 am

  This car is a great value. If you have the opportunity to buy it used, go for it. Ive had this car for 2 years, over 30k miles and it still runs like a new car. It handles like a sporty car and has a luxurious interior. I have black exterior with beige leather interior - very nice looking. I thought the light interior color would be hard to keep clean, but the leather has held up great so far. No cracking or anything, it still looks new. With regard to reliability, Ive not had a single problem with it.