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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  Best Budget Fun Car - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Hareesh - March 30 - 4:16 pm

  The Acura TSX and Subaru Legacy GT were the other cars that I considered. The TSX had really nice features on the inside but I was dissapointed with the performance and ride quality. It was very refined but lacked the fun factor. The Legacy GT was great, it was really fast and handled very well. I didnt like the gear shifting of the GT as it was not precise and felt rubbery. Also, I was concerned about the low gas mileage of the GT. Then we went to VW dealership and test drove the Jetta GLI, wow! Right then I knew this was the car for me. The GLI brings a smile to my face every time I drive to work in the morning. It has brought the fun factor back into the daily commute. The new GLI also has less turbo lag compared older VWs.

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  Love the Car - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By scrubber92 - March 30 - 7:46 am

  I have two Veedubs in the family now, and both have been bulletproof. It seems the dependability of VW in general is pretty variable, but if you can score the right car, as we apparently have, they are very trustworthy. I am going to get jumped on for this, but it seems to me the vehicles that come from Germany, i.e., the Touareg, are more problematic than the ones built in Latin America. Anyway back to the TDI - the car amazes me, and most people who ride in it instantly want one. Accordingly, TDIs get snapped up real quickly around here. The power and handling, while not quite sports-car caliber, are simply much better than youd expect from a car capable of 50 mpg. No more gas-cars for me!

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  The Pleasant Surprise - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By acw02 - March 29 - 11:43 pm

  After 20 plus years of the popular Japanese makes I decided to try VW again. My 1980s VW experience was less than stellar. What a pleasant surprise. The car rides smooth, handles excellently, and build quality, so far, appears to be as good or better than the above mentioned makes I have owned in the past. The biggest and most pleasant surprise is the blend of performance and economy. With a light foot on the highway I can achieve 37 mpg. In the city I usually get about 25 mpg. Power from the turbo 2.0 four is another surprise, especially the torque. Its is faster than most normally aspirated fours and almost as fast as soon sixes. In summary I think it is a "keeper".

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  My Passat SW - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By MarcoWV - March 28 - 9:36 pm

  I have a 4 cyl 6 speed tiptronic Turbo Passat SW and love it! It gets great gas mileage around 35 miles to a gallon, and when it shifts its so smooth you cant feel it. American carmakers are now discovering the tiptronic but putting them with 6 cyl cars. Unless youre towing something you dont need an engine that big.

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  The True Herbie - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By MJ North Carolina - March 28 - 5:33 pm

  This is the car I have been waiting for. It gets great gas mileage, a big car ride, and is so much fun to drive. I can go anywhere, do anything, and do it in style and luxury. I think the Japanese could learn a thing or two from the engineers at Wolfsburg in design and functionality.

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  Finally I got a quality car. - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Leo Yudysky - March 28 - 10:06 am

  I purchased my 2004 Volkswagen Touareg V6 new, it had a few electronic bugs, no pun, but the dealer fixed them all and they didnt come back. It is an extremely high quality vehicle after being in American cars for 30 years. If youre in snow country your problems are gone. It has excellent traction and clearance. Its super quiet. The luxurious interior has real wood and metal accents. The seats are firm but have infinitely variable adjustment. I love the navigation system and cockpit design, it is like being in a jet aircraft. the sound system is the best that Ive ever had and VW does not overrate itself. The factory tires are huge and wear out quickly but they are rated 200 and extra soft for traction. The transmission is so smooth you can hardly hear it shift through its 6 speeds.

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  Great car, fun, reliable - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By dg11394 - March 28 - 7:26 am

  The 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0L provides great acceleration with good gas mileage via the turbo engine. I like the handling -it is fun to drive. The seats and positioning are very comfortable. It has a huge trunk - plus folding seats in the back give me wagon capabilities without actually driving a wagon.

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  Great car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brooke02 - March 28 - 2:00 am

  At first I thought this car was ugly but my husband kept taking me back to the dealer as this was the only car that his 6ft4 frame could fit into without his head hitting the roof even though it would be my car. After 4 years of driving this car I have had no mechanical problems.

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  My new love - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jaybee - March 28 - 2:00 am

  This is one great car; how can you argue with 45-50 mpg? It is comfortable, fun to drive and gets me where I want to go with no problems. The dash lights at night are a nice little bonus. The only problem is with the cup holder; it does block some of the audio controls, but on the other hand if the AC is on it keeps your drinks cold. The seats move enough to keep both the shortest and tallest drivers happy. I love the car but would not go to the same dealer again; he charged me about 5K more than he should have.

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  My new love - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JayBee - March 28 - 2:00 am

  This is one great car; how can you argue with 45-50 mpg? It is comfortable, fun to drive and gets me where I want to go with no problems. The dash lights at night are a nice little bonus. The only problem is with the cup holder; it does block some of the audio controls, but on the other hand if the AC is on it keeps your drinks cold. The seats move enough to keep both the shortest and tallest drivers happy. I love the car but would not go to the same dealer again; he charged me about 5K more than he should have.