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 Buy - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By vwunderbar - February 11 - 5:23 pm

  Excellent fit and finish, great power, good sound system, very much improved rigidity and suspension.

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  Ride on - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ride on - February 11 - 10:56 am

  I drove multiple other cars in this segment. Chose the Passat after driving Honda, Nissan, Dodge, Mercedes and Cadillac. This car has similar or more features for thousands less. Being a large person- 65, 230lbs- the interior amazes at its roominess. I stayed away from the nav system (mixed reviews), and find the rest of the controls are very intuitive and easy. Build quality rivals any of the others, Japan or European. Mileage very adequate- averaging 25mpg since purchase. A little road noise is noticed at speed, but nothing unmanagable, or unable to be overcome by the fantasic sound system.

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  Outstanding! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By AdamR - February 10 - 1:56 pm

  This van is an eye-catcher! There is not a single thing left to want on this van. Harddrive, folding 3rd row (power), and more storage than a cargo ship. The A/C in the 3rd row is just as good as the front and the fact every door is powered, incredible. If youre looking for a van, and you dont check this out, youve seen nothing but the average. LOOK at this superior vehicle... HOLY SMOKES!

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  The Good and The Bad! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By thayes82 - February 10 - 12:13 am

  I have had my Routan for exactly 30 days. On day 28 I was traveling with a friend and 5 kids. The transmission acted up and wouldnt go out of first. We were stranded in small town. Mind you my van only had 1050 miles on it. Anyway, the good is VW roadside was Awesome, they picked up the van delivered it to the nearest dealership and are fixing it now. They gave us a rental so I am impressed with VW service. They are replacing the valve body on my van and hopefully there will be no more issues. I love my van and am very hopeful nothing else goes wrong and this was just a fluke!

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  Feels Brand New - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JC - February 9 - 2:20 pm

  This is my first VW and I have to say that Im sold. Ive owned two Hondas and, while the gas mileage of the VW doesnt entirely measure up in the city, the comfort and drive quality more than make up for the lack of MPG. The first two weeks found me looking for reasons to drive somewhere. Took it on a long trip and loved every minute of it. So many little conveniences that I would have never thought of but have come to love (who thought to put a grocery bag hook in the trunk?) As I said, with the exception of the MPG in the city, Im head over heels in love with this car. Only had 26k on it when I bought it and it feels like a brand new car!

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  Very Surprised - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Mtnplay - February 9 - 12:13 am

  I have owned virtually every model of BMW for the last ten years. Decided to stop feeding my cash to the bavarians to only have them keep pushing my price points up and value down. I purchased a Black on Black CC Sport, Auto, Sirius, the "leatherette" is superb, and at this quality, leather is a waste of money. What a wonderful car. The fit and finish is impeccable,the styling is modern and fresh, the drive is excellent. You do get a little of the front wheel drive pothole suspension behavior, but it doesnt detract. My mileage in the first thousand miles on freeway is 31.5. I purchased the car for $2500 under sticker. Amazing car for the money. VW has a new level of respect from me.Amazing

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  drain plug broken by VW dealer - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By markp46 - February 8 - 5:22 pm

  I took my 2010 Jetta TDI into the dealer for the 50k oil change. They broke the drain plug. This dealer blamed both the dealer who did the 40k oil change and VW for a defective drain bolt. Neither party would accept any responsibility or offer any assistance. The shop that broke my car did offer 50% towards the $600 repair bill as they needed to replace the oil pan. VW after doing nothing did ask me if I was satisfied with their service. Dear VW Im not satisfied and I will never purchase another VW product. Avoid VW. If they will not help on a minor issue that had nothing to do with wear or abuse do not expect VW to step and help if something major goes wrong.

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  My Mom-Mobile - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Christi - February 8 - 2:43 pm

  This is a wonderful car that has given me few problems in the time Ive owned it. The AWD allows me to corner at any speed I want and never complain. Ive been able to drive through rain and then a couple of feet of snow and it feels no different that driving on dry pavement. This really feels like it is the Audi in VW clothing.

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  2002 GLS V6 manual - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By ayilar - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Excellent overall. Zero trouble since we bought it 2 years ago. Quiet. Very comfortable on bad roads -- among 2002s, the only car that beats it in cities (for less than 30K) is the C- class Mercedes. Very comfortable on long road trips: a 4-hour nonstop drive leaves one without back ache. Best in cities, where the suspension soaks almost all bumps, and on highways, where the car is stable and averages 30 mpg at a fast clip. Weakest points? City mileage (16 to 18 mpg in clogged traffic) and not really involving to drive on country roads (better than an S60 but the C-class and 325 are more fun).

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  2 hot, 2 fun, 2 fast - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Hayabusa - February 7 - 10:00 am

  I juss got my 2003 GTI VR6 at last tuesday, which was August, 8th. This little machine is extremely fast and with composure. Im having break-in period up to 1,000 miles, so I mostly shift up at 2000~3000 rpm. On my research, I considered ACURA RSX TYPE- S, HYUNDAI TIBURON GT V6, MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT, and of course VOLKSWAGEN GTI VR6. Im very picky about cars. After all I chose GTI VR6, and Im 99.9% satisfying with my decision. I had pretty great deal on my GTI, because of season(end of 2003) and EDMUNDS.COMs TMV pricing. It helped a lot. My buddy also bought 2003 GTI VR6 before I was. Im very proud of my GTI VR6.