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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  A Guys Beetle? - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Mtman - May 26 - 10:23 am

  I bought a new red VW Beetle Turbo S recently and am very happy with it. I previously shied away from the new Beetle due to its image as a "chick" car, and its lack of power. When I test-drove the Turbo S, however, my mind was changed. Clearly, VW is trying to appeal to the male driver and they just might succeed with this car. Its quick, agile, and holds the road well even in sharp corners. Im planning a few performance mods, but even stock this new VW is very entertaining.

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  Great Car! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By krazzz - May 26 - 5:40 am

  The 2000 Volkswagen Passat has been a great car. I drive about 40,000 miles a year and this car has never failed me. I think all the negative reviews are more about the places they take their cars to. These people are getting ripped off for most repairs. I have put less than $200 into repairs in the 60,000 miles since I bought it. I drive this car very hard and it has treated me well. If you take care of your car it will take care of you.

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  Not So Great Car with Great Mileage!!! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JLB - May 24 - 9:20 pm

  I understand that VW has always been a bit "quirky" as I have owned three. This particular car has been somewhat of a nightmare. From the second day of ownership, the car was in the shop for 7 weeks because of incorrect engine assembly. After it was returned it was fine for the first 6 months. From that point on I have been through 3 sets of brakes on the back only! (The front are still at 40% and considered normal by the dealership) 2 transmissions(auto), 1 sunroof motor, 5 oxygen sensors, 1 a/c compressor, 3 sets of glowplugs(and I live in PHOENIX!), NUMEROUS window mechanisms and motors and several front door latches and alarm sensors!!! The horn has been replaced 5times (still wont work!

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  Great Car, Great Deal! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JLev - May 24 - 7:13 pm

  I just bought a 2006 Jetta GLI 6A with package #1 and 18" rims about three weeks ago and I love it! The price I paid was about $200 above invoice after all the dealer fees and I got 0% financing. Its a great car that I spent a lot of time researching before buying, and Im very happy with my purchase experience. Something to note is that the new 2007 version will have several minor features removed, such as interior aluminum detailing, presumably for costs savings - not a good sign for this line of car or VW.

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  Fun car but its falling apart - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bbo - May 23 - 12:55 am

  I bought this car brand new and it was a fun car to drive. I love this car and still love this car but random parts of the car started falling off like the interior door handle, the window regulator, pretty much every plastic piece. my head lights burn every 3000 miles and my rear passenger side fixed window fell off on the freeway. The radio went out and the defroster doesnt work well. I a little electrical issues.

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  My favorite car to hate... - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By d and b - May 22 - 9:56 pm

  Sheesh, when I bought this car a few years ago I was so thrilled, my first car out of college and my first new car ever... bought all by myself! Three years and thousands of dollars on maintenance later...its paid for and on the financing side of things, I have about 72,000 miles on it now and have replaced (in no specific order) rear brakes, mass airflow sensor (twice) 02 sensor (front and back? twice), catalytic converter, spark plugs and wires (twice), and now the A/C doesnt work... I live in the Mid-Atlantic and its hot as all this summer...grrrr. Look, Im not one of these hard on a car people, Ive babied this car from day one... now Im bitter. The car is still hot though.

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  Dont understand the Hybrid Hoopla - 2006 Volkswagen Golf
  By smarkway - May 21 - 9:43 pm

  Since I purchased my diesel Golf, I have driven 10,000 miles and my miliage has improved from 40/48 to 42/48. I get 600 miles to the tank of fuel on the highway. The only problem to date is a plugged water line for the rear wiper/washer. The cruise contol is ackward to use.

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  another example of overenginered parts - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By noisyhonda - May 21 - 12:53 pm

  when i bought this car it gave a GREAT FIRST impression. good fit and finish clean lines good overall german paint and body.it was fun to drive plenty of power good not great handling. over all a very seemly sound investment. I have now owned the vehicle for four years 1.5 setting in my garage dead. I have had this car in the shop about five times for dead batterys snapped timing belt bad water pump( its impeller is made out of plastic very bad idea) bad alternator, tail light constantly going out, check engine light comes on in two minutes after dealership resets it but it show no codes, and now something is wrong with the transmission wont go anywhere. overall i would not recommend this car

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  Roomy plus good mileage too - 2014 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By lagniapperob - May 20 - 3:56 pm

  We looked for the a SportWagen TDI for a while. We usually buy a 1 or 2 year old car to avoid the initial hit from driving it off the lot. There just arent many of those out there, and those that were out there were almost as much as new. These cars tend to last, and their owners hold on to them. So we bought new.

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  Not too shabby car - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Retoo - May 18 - 7:26 pm

  I am a travel therapist and use my car to commute. It is pretty good on gas and I love the moon roof. It also came with a sporty racing stripe design on the doors... cute! Even though she is 7 years old, I still receive compliments on her. My husband likes the gas mileage but says that he feels like the guy on the Simpsons when he drives it (hes 62). Its also a great car for wives who have problems keeping their husbands from driving their cars. :0)