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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  DSG Nightmare - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By awd_turbo - June 16 - 7:34 am

  17,000 miles now, and going in for the fifth time in an attempt to fix the severe hesitation from a complete stop. The rest of the car is great, but the way the transmission works drives me crazy and ruins the whole experience. Its potentially a very dangerous issue if it decides to act up when pulling out into traffic.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By ralfo - June 15 - 6:26 pm

  The Rabbit is a great car in this price range. I drove some of the Japanese imports and this car beats them all as far as power, handling and ride are concerned. Its very solid and well planted as most German cars are. Its not "tinny." For the options you get, the price is right! I bought this car as a commuter car and have not been disappointed. It fits you like a glove when you drive it! Some are complaining about the gas mileage...but you cant compare it to Civics, Mazda3s, and the Yaris...etc as the horsepower and torque blow those all away. They are not in same class! You want to drive a lawnmower....then buy a Yaris or Fit!

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  What a car - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Joomeister - June 15 - 1:53 pm

  I love my GTi. I have nothing really to complain about. Excellent power and feel. The turbo is awesome.

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  2006 Volkswagen Touareg V6 - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Marbella E. De Jesus - June 15 - 1:43 pm

  When Im driving in my Touareg I feel safe because of its heavy frame and excellent handling abilities. The interior is plush, the exterior is slick and the ride is smooth. What more can you ask for? Volkswagen has definitely set the standard for what an SUV should really be like.

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  Drives great, economical. Media interface and customer care, not so good - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By radsm - June 15 - 12:19 pm

  We purchased the Golf TDI to be a solid feeling, fun to drive, high mileage commuter car. It has all off those attributes. It gets 40mpg combined highway and city. Its much zippier than my Passat V6, and is solid and well-built. The media interfaces, however, are very buggy. For instance, I pug in my iPhone and am listening to a track, when the bluetooth pairs with the phone. On that event, the multimedia interface dies and no sound comes out until I unplug the iPhone and re-plug it back in. This and other annoying bugs make the navigation/multimedia package a very bad deal. Customer CARE will not pass along bug reports to the QA department for fixing, so dont expect it to work ever.

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  A follow up review - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Pat - June 15 - 11:46 am

  When I wrote a review in January 07, I had given this car an overall rating of 9.4. The 2.0L VW Passat since then has been as close to a perfect vehicle as possible. The fuel economy is much better then expected, especially when you take a little care in not engaging the turbo. 0-60 acceleration is excellent, but where this car really shines is in how quickly the car achieves passing speed. I never, ever expected it to be that quick. Fit and finish is as good as it gets, and this has become the best, and th most favorite car I have ever owned. The latest vehicles I have had include a 2002 Maxima SE and a 2004 Maxima SE. The Passat has them beat.

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  The Poor Mans BMW my butt! - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JorgesVWNightmare - June 15 - 10:00 am

  This car has been one nightmare after another. I have a love hate relationship with this car. It is fun to drive and the engine and the transmission have been good, but everything from windows, to ac compressors have blown in this car, and the rate for fixing this car is almost as high as working on a BMW. Come to think of it, for what I spend on fixing this car, I could have bought a BMW. I love the way this car dirves and handles, but I hate the tempermental features this car has, windows, cruise control knobs, a/c buttons shking loose. A poor man simply cant afford a VW, next time I wont buy the imitation.

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  2002 TDI Golf - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By gary moore - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I had a probelm with the front passenger door- water was getting in through the mirror area. It took the dealer four times for the probelm to be fixed after I had threatened them with the lemon law.

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  Great car! - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By pilotdc9 - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I have had absolutely no problems with this car during its 68,000+ miles. Very comfortable on long trips and my 17 year old loves it. Fuel economy ranges between 42 and 53.7 mpg.

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  best VW ever - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By ALeu - June 15 - 10:00 am

  fun to drive, great 6-speed, best car ever