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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  03 VW passat GLS 1.8T Sedan - Great Car - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By 2003 VW passat - December 9 - 12:33 pm

  I have had this car since Jan 2009, and this is the most comfortable car I have ever sat or driven in. The only problem I have had since buying the car was a CV boot which was just a month ago and it was torn and needed to be replaced asap. So I recommend to you VW owners to not go to a dealership for ANY repairs including headlight/tail light bulbs & oil changes unless you want to pay up the butt in bills. Find a car mechanic. The only thing I dont like about the car is that the headlight bulbs are hard to find and replace. My advice to VW owners is to not to go to a dealership unless that is your last option! I love my car and I guess I was just lucky compared to other reviews.

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  Ger. Engnr-good; Mex. assembly-bad - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Tulas Mom - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I got in to my first car accident 16 days after I bought my first Jetta in Sept 2000. It was totaled and I am convinced saved my life. On the other hand, my new VW jetta (Oct.2000) drives like a dream but I have been hassled w/ the drivers seat cable breaking, the arm rest lock breaking, the engine light randomly coming on and dealing w/ a service team that thinks you have all day & every day to spend with them by turning what should be one visit into two. Due to these dumb things happening I am about to drop $1350 for the extended warranty (2001 models get the 24000mi or 2yr jippy warranty).

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  THIS IS A 4? - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By WSK - December 7 - 2:00 am

  When we first test drove this vehicle, i couldnt believe it was a four cylinder. After that, I couldn,t justify the extra $2300 for the six. The car has been fantastic. Why would anyone pay all the extra money for the Audi? The build quality is absolutely first-rate; it gives my CLK cause for alarm. ( just kidding MB )

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  Vroom, vroom, meep, meep, happy, happy! - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By littlefaith - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have really enjoyed driving this car. No matter how practical or luxurious another car may be, I never wish I were driving some other car. I just like the feel of it, I cant put my finger on it, its like magic. The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

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  Fun to Drive, not your Grandmas Corolla - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By dean-l - December 5 - 1:16 am

  I wanted a small sedan. One test drive of Civic and Corolla and they were out. Those sheep need to look around a little. Mazda3 is a good car and better value, but this one just "felt" like it was built better. I picked the Rabbit over the Jetta because of the chrome on the front and the fake leather seats, I just couldnt do it. The real stuff is better, why bother? Also Rabbits are unusual around here. Ive enjoyed the car so far. It really IS fun to drive. Plenty of power. NO exterior "loud & obnoxious" things about it. A real knock out in red. I cant believe this car is not more popular.

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  So Far So Good - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Big D - December 4 - 8:56 am

  I have wanted a diesel for years. Finally ordered a no options car from local dealer. Order time was about 3 months. Had to break in on a long trip of 1600 miles but seems to have turned out OK. So far no problems. Only annoyance is squeaky brakes in the morning when I first start it up. Mileage has been exactly as advertised, at least according to the onboard mileage indicator. I like the manual transmission but it does give a little chatter into second gear until it gets warmed up, after that it shifts very smoothly. Side mirrors are smaller than I am used to but vision is otherwise pretty good. Fueling is somewhat messier than gas. Engine is very torquey!

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  LOVE my wolfsburg! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By wolfy87 - December 2 - 3:26 am

  I just put 10,000 miles on this car and have loved every mile of it! It looks and drives like it costs $10,000 more. The DSG transmission is a ton of fun and sport mode always helps me get to school on time. This car is leagues above its Japanese competitors in the performance and handling areas. Definitely opt for the 2.0 turbo engine because it seems more refined. The fuel economy is as advertised (20/29).

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  One Year Review of 2002 VW Passat - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Bob H. - December 1 - 10:00 am

  My Passat has run problem free for 11 months and 8600 miles. Ride is smooth and quite on the highway. Highway mileage very good. Averaged 33.8 MPG on a recent 600 mile round trip. Turbo is smooth on the highway a bit of turbo lag in city driving. Overall quality of vehicle is excellent. My only complaint is the comfort of the seats. I previously owned a 1997 Passat GLX with leather seating and those seats fit like a glove. My 2002 has the leather seating option but the seats are not very comfortable on long trips. The seat bottoms seam short and the 2002 lacks one adjustment in seat bottom that was present in the 1997.

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  Love the vehicle - hate the repair bills. - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By farwest - November 29 - 7:13 pm

  Wife uses this as a daily driver to work - 20 mile round trip - almost all highway miles. But is horribly expensive to maintain. $700 for heater blower motor (in California - so hardly ever used). $2800 for timing belt at 60K miles. Just got quoted $3500 to replace the [non-permissible content removed] alternator (have to lower the friggin engine to do it). As much as I like the Taureg, Id never recommend anyone buy one that is out of warranty.

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  5 years and going - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By joel - November 29 - 12:10 pm

  My gti is 5 years old and generally runs well and is reliable. I would buy another gti. However here is a list of my negatives or complaints, radio knobs have loosened or fallen off, radio has poor am reception antenna was replaced once already, two different sensors [computer chips] had to be replaced in one year, original tire were low quality [had an abnormal number of flats] changed tires 1 flat in four years. Cup holder bad place. Almost impossible to do your own oil change. These are the problems I have had. Most of which occurred in the last 2 and a half years. It is a great car and I love it but everyone should know what its weaknesses are.