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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  Great EV -- Extremely Pleased - 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf
  By teconnor - March 7 - 7:39 pm

  I Highly recommend this eGolf. An EV with range that feels like a solid, real car. Im extremely impressed with how it drives and feels. Its sporty, smooth, responsive, and more powerful than expected. It feels comparable to much pricier luxury compacts. Range is solid (100+ achievable under right conditions). The Car-Net (think OnStar by VW) bugs are a nuisance. If you need delayed charging, Id wait for VW to resolve this (keep an eye on myvwegolf.com). As of May 15, some report success with the VW updates/fixes. My opinion (as a non-delay charger) is that the flawed extra features do not distract from an otherwise solid vehicle and great EV.

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  Love at First DRIVE - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bipas89 - March 7 - 10:16 am

  I was undecided whether I would buy a truck or sport sedan. Thank goodness I finally found what I wanted. Its my 2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI. It has good looks in and out, a powerful engine, and nice wheels. Im so excited and having a lot of fun driving this car. I love the steerng feel and acceleration, especially in second and third gear. Finally, my prayers were answered. What an experience this car brings.

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  Wow, this is a Fun Car! - 2006 Volkswagen GTI
  By DarkenGS - March 7 - 5:23 am

  I moved from a Mark IV Jetta to this car. I really liked the Jettas combination of high quality feeling and good looking interior with an appealing exterior. The new GTI takes all of the things I liked about the Jetta and moves them up a few notches. I opted to get package 2 which includes many great options like heated, leather, sport seats, a great sunroof, 6-disk CD changer, and much more. I like the overall feel of this car better than anything. The interior is better than many cars costing substantially more. It just seems like it was designed with all the things I want, the way I want them. Great Car!

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  50 more horses please, no problem! - 2010 Volkswagen GTI
  By dsatl - March 6 - 6:10 pm

  I love everything about this car except that it needs more power. Well, I found out, before I bought it, that you can get a software reflash that ups the turbo boost to 19 PSI instead of 10 PSI and you get 54 hp and 80 lp-ft of torque. All this is from a company that works directly with VAG (VW of America) and develops racing concepts for them. All this is safe for the car, but dealers dont really like you to do it for obvious reasons. The car now runs 0-60 in 5.8 instead of 6.6. Its a monster and thats why I bought it. It also has a stealth mode for when you bring it into the dealer.

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  good gas mileage Fun, Cute Bug ; ) - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Tiff7575 - March 6 - 5:56 pm

  I bought a pre owned VW beetle PZEV Auto, I love the car so far I have only had it two weeks bought it at 37,510 miles one owner lease Great gas mileage about 32/35 on the FWY. So great with gas prices at $4.20 Very clean car beige on beige Leather with all of the upgrades. Cute, fun to drive with get up and go I bought the Beetle over the Jetta just because I thought it was a cuter car more my style And not as common as the Jetta is in CA. Overall great car and I will recommend it to anyone. Also next time I buy from VW I hope to get the Eros or VW beetle convertible.

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  Bought two 2016 Jetta S models - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Randomdude84 - March 6 - 12:53 pm

  Jetta is sexy, modern, efficient, practical and a wonderful all around car compared to others in this segment. I got one auto for my wife and a manual for myself. Would recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful economic car thats super fun to drive.

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  My Jetta - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Samantha - March 6 - 4:16 am

  Over all I love my New Jetta. It drives great with lots of pick-up. I have fun driving it. the interior is awesome and it makes driving at night fun with the red and blue vw lights.

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  Great little car! - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Jeff - March 5 - 5:40 pm

  Traded down from a full size SUV to the Tiguan one month ago and absolutely love it. Getting about 20 - 22 mpg in mostly city driving, so a really nice improvement from 13-14 previously. Car drives very sporty, plenty of room inside for a 6 4 driver with kids in the back seat. Styling and design are good. My kids like riding in this car better than the BMW 5 series.

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  As good as it gets - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By dkfjakdajekjaf - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Very practical. And a pleasure to drive.

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  Fun and dependable - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jvoelzow - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, handles great, goes like hell.