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 6551 through 6560 of 13,910.00-
vw passat - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
By bgibbon - September 22 - 2:00 amThis car is fun to drive, looks good , has great performance and gets good gas milage. An attractive car without the gaudy looks of some of the other cars being designed today, classy and understated.
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Great Car! - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
By Max_Quebec - September 22 - 2:00 amIm very satisfied about my GTI 1.8T 2002! Fun to drive, but too much rattle sound who comes from averywhere!.... I think volks should think to upgrade HP in his 1.8T to 225hp minimum! (in competition with subaru 2.5 RS)... The thing i more like in my GTI 1.8T is high torque when you push item over 5500 RPM!!! Whatta feeling!!
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Excellent vacation mobile - 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan
By rtt108 - September 22 - 2:00 amThis is the perfect family van. Useful and fun! The MV seating configuration sold us. Traveling with kids is great. Handling is tight and precise. I did add a european headlight switch to activate the rear fog light circuit, and installed a rear fog light. A lot of technical advise is available in Yahoo Groups, under: "ev_update" My wife gets a big kick out of teenagers stopping her in parking lots to tell her "Thats a really cool van!". NOTE: I find most written reviews on this van to be either wildly inaccurate, or so full of personal bias as to be useless, if not offensive.
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Passat 4-Motion Sedan is Outstanding! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
By jabphd - September 22 - 2:00 amThe best looking, most comfortable, reliable, all-round drivable car I have owned in 35 years of driving. We were shopping for an Audi A4 when my wife spotted the Passat. One test drive sold us both. Our car has every creature comfort I could desire, including a back seat that really will accommodate 3 fully grown adults comfortably. Its an outstanding road car, as well, with plenty of power, precise handling, and solid feel at high speed. Highway gas mileage is good (26-29 mpg), but city is not (12-15 mpg). Aside from that, I would be happy never to own another car than our Passat.
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Not the same ol VW - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
By macaddiict - September 22 - 2:00 amI have driven Hondas, Toyotas, and a slew of different US cars over the last few years without really having a "favorite" that stuck out from the rest. I first test drove one because my son was working for the local VW shop and I felt compelled to support who was supporting him. I have never been more impressed with a car -- Dont buy a sedan without checking out the Passat -- Youll be sorry you did! I recommend test driving a Passat right after driving another vehicle youre interested in so you can have them both fresh on your mind. The handling and steering alone will have you sold! VW does it right.
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Second Jetta - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
By James326 - September 22 - 2:00 amThis is my second Jetta. I loved my 1992 which had 200,000 miles on it when I reluctantly gave it away. Ive already fallin in love with my new 2003.
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Great car! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
By Bharat P - September 21 - 9:40 pmThe first day I took it out, the window fell in, but that was the only problem. I love this car, it has nice torque and it looks great. I especially love the turbo. The cupholders dont really interfere unless you change CDs frequently.
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VW Rabbit 06 4 Door Manual - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
By Moss - September 21 - 5:00 pmThis is a great car overall! It handles great and you could feel the high quality German build. I test Drove a Civic and a Mazda3, and Mazda6. Test driving this car sold me right away. It has a great sound system and great drivng performance
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Achtung! - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
By KD - September 18 - 9:00 pmVery nice! I love my 2009 Rabbit. Its fun, its swift and surprisingly roomy. It fits 2 adults in the back quite nicely. I dont know who the previous reviewer was trying to fit in his 2 door! I have had 3 girlfriends squeeze in the back! I wanted all the standard safety features. Mazda 3 does not offer ESP standard. Even after reading all the bad reviews of the previous models with electronic breakdowns, i still got the Bunny and I love it!
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Just purchased in March 2016 - 2016 Volkswagen Golf
By R Lynch - September 17 - 10:49 amBought a loaded (except Nav) Golf 4door TSI SE in March and love it so far. I think the value of these cars exceeds the competition. The build quality seems like Audi which I have owned in the past. The dealership was also great to deal with. If you are looking for a hatchback you must include the VW Golf TSI in your test drive line-up.
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Volkswagen Atlas 41 Reviews
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Volkswagen Beetle 29 Reviews
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Volkswagen Cabrio 124 Reviews
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Volkswagen CC 350 Reviews
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Volkswagen e-Golf 17 Reviews
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Volkswagen EOS 252 Reviews
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Volkswagen Eurovan 94 Reviews
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Volkswagen Golf 608 Reviews
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Volkswagen GTI 1,003 Reviews
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Volkswagen Jetta 4,495 Reviews
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Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid 9 Reviews
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Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN 89 Reviews
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Volkswagen New Beetle 1,368 Reviews
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Volkswagen Passat 3,322 Reviews
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Volkswagen R32 199 Reviews
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Volkswagen Routan 150 Reviews
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Volkswagen Tiguan 313 Reviews
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Volkswagen Touareg 979 Reviews