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:
Showing 531 through 540 of 13,910.00-
Disappointed with 2003 VW Passat V6 AWD Wagon - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
By pillar1 - December 28 - 1:43 amThis review comes from a loyal VW owner, however, Ive been very disappointed with my 2003 VW Passat V6 AWD Wagon. It is a beautiful, comfortable car but its been in the shop way too much! My car has had the rotors replaced twice, a bad auto air conditioning fixed twice, and now a bad fuel pump. All of these problems are with a car with less than 35,000 miles. I was very pleased with my former cars a 95 VW Cabrio and 98 VW Passat, but I will look elsewhere for my next car.
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Nothing but problems - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
By claret - December 23 - 10:00 amI have very little that is good to say about this vehicle, or Volkswagen in general. I have had several unresolved problems with this car and the dealership where I bought it. In addition, if you ever have a problem with Volkswagen dont bother calling their headquarters. You will get rude, inattentive service with zero resolution to your problem. Problems: Thermostat, spark plugs, "false" computer chip errors, etc.
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The worst car I have ever owned - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
By bpatters69 - December 20 - 3:13 amThis is the absolute worst of piece of junk car that I have ever owned or been assosicated with. VW is in real trouble if this car is any indication of their quality level. Just about everything has broken - most things have broken multiple times. I will NEVER buy another VW. Period.
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VW = VERY WRONG - 2013 Volkswagen Jetta
By Vonder Whatupsen - December 13 - 2:39 pmWhatever they want to say about their customer service, safety, price....whatever....I will never own another VW ever again - I dont know what happened from 1986 (owned Jetta gli) to the current cars but holy hell these things are now FULL OF ISSUES - if its not one thing, its related to another thing that triggers another thing - stay away is my advice BUT I have one and Im lucky that I purchased an EXTENDED WARRANTY when I bought it with 7k on it......I now have 79k, extended warranty ended at 75k and Im running into continued bull(expletive) SO if you decide for whatever reason, price, look, whatever - I recommend extended warranty BUT keep looking around because once the issues start they do not stop.....
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Really, Dont Do it! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
By grumpyJettaOwner - December 10 - 2:00 amI have spent so much time in the shop with this car it is hard to think where to start. I really hate it. I have heard that if you can get one that was made in Germany, they are good quality cars. Mine was made in good ol Mexico, and have trouble with it regularly. fuel pump, window motors, AC pump, fog lights, head lights, and so on. The muffler fell off. VW wanted $400 just for the part. ouch! I spend no less that $1,500 on it annually.
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Lemon - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
By cart - December 6 - 2:46 amFrom the first 100 miles when the fuel pump kicked out WHILE I was driving on the highway, to the clear coat popping off the front bumper within the first year, to a computer malfunction that shut down the car (and the consequent week it took for them to get the warrantied part back into it), this car was the worst Ive ever had. Held tight and got a great trade-in and bought a new Elantra. About the only saving grace of this bitter lemon.
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Bad Choice - 2012 Volkswagen EOS
By bryceba - November 28 - 6:35 pmI was dead set on getting a hard top, four seat convertible, and in my price range, there was only this and the Chrysler 200. Ive never owned a Chrysler and dont want to. So that left this. Within two weeks of picking up the brand new 2012, the leaks started. VW wont fix it because they "cant diganose it." The way they "diagnose" it is to run a three inch Home Depot shower head attached to a hose suspended a foot over the center of the top of the car. Turns out when it rains in Rochester, NY, it rains over the entire car, not just a three inch spot over the center. VW America is a nightmare of a company to deal with.
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Worst car I have ever owned - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
By merry8 - November 21 - 3:55 pmBought this car brand new off the lot, brakes squeeked from day 1, when I inquired with the dealer I was advised "all new cars brakes squeek". I took to an independent mechanic at 8k miles, the mechanic stated my brakes were completley failed, rusted. The mechanic told me the brakes were so bad I should stop driving asap, I had the car towed to the dealer. The dealer b.s.ed me and told me my brakes were fine, I believed them. They were not, at just over 12k miles, they were gone, dealer said brake warranty over at 12k, they strung me along until the warranty ran out. The dealer stated it was because i lived near the ocean, that is why my brakes failed!!Numerous other issues as well.
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stay far away from VW -Worst Car ever - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
By atan - November 16 - 10:00 amI bought a vw passat 2.0T from The Autobarn VW of Mount Prospect by seller vic 2 years ago . I change almost everything in this car.also sellers in vw deale so mean,they only nice the day selling the car and after they dont give dam what s gonna happen.I will never buy another VW.Do not spend any dime for this junk car.From day one this car caused problemsHow can you make this vehicle more reliable without having to bring it into the shop all the time.this car is a junk,electrical component failures,multiple check engine lights
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Run for the hills - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
By Therese Barnhardt - November 10 - 10:00 amIve only owned the car for a short time and already it has been in the shop twice. My old faithful of 12 years never left me carless and yet I have been without this new car for a total of 6 days. First time, the air injection pump went out. Not cheap! This time the booster and main cylinder in the brakes. Not cheap and a safety factor. Dont buy!
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