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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  Beautiful Nightmare - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By PA - July 8 - 1:16 am

  A black Jetta was my dream car. Thank god I leased it because at 200 miles the car began to fall apart. Brake light switch went twice in one week and the car would not get out of park, window dropped down in a snowstorm and after being replaced 3 times it still leaks, computer shorted out and the whole car went dead, sunroof leaks, CD player broke, transmission bucks and VW doesnt know what is wrong with it, factory tires were awful and the car would slide in a dusting of snow, and I made a left hand turn and the front axle broke. Dont but this car without a warranty because you will be livid when u pay the price for german parts!

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  The BEST Car Ever - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jess - July 7 - 10:03 pm

  Every day I spend with my 2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, the more I love it! It is an absolutely awesome vehicle any way I look at it. Not only is it amazingly safe (the first car ever to get a 100 in the side impact crash test, and the first car ever to receive a good rating in every single category), its also very economical, fun, luxurious and sporty. I cant think of anything that VW left out that you could want in a car. You get so much for your money...beautiful interior (both leather and cloth are unique), spunky rims, 6 disc CD changer, a superior engine, power everything, steering wheel controls, and all this comes standard! The new huge and automatic trunk is also very convenient.

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  So far so great - 2012 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By screenname420 - July 7 - 11:11 am

  Bought car, went on 300 mile trip right out the dealer. Awesome time. The whole family loves it and we are already planning the next trip. I got the manual and I got the 86000 mile warrantee so I dont care about anything breaking down. Triple checked that dealer would cover HPFP failure.

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  Down but not out - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By pkwan - July 7 - 7:40 am

  Found hard time and downgraded from driving Mercedes E/SLK/S to Nissans. Never happy with them. Tinny and whiny. What do I do? Eureka! Found salvation in this bunny that captures the essence of German road feel big time; cost less than Mazda 3 sport comparable equipped where I live. Yes, the engine is a bit noisy, and road noise is somewhat high, but what the heck. This is supposed to be an economy car. I never thought about VW because of the bad rep re: reliability. Regardless whether it will hold up for a few years, I am VERY happy.

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  Disappointing - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By GoME! - July 7 - 5:36 am

  I bought this car without doing my research. I wish I had, it had problems from the moment I bought it. First the brake light switch, then water pump, now crazy electrical issues no one can figure out. Its very unreliable, and Ive taken it to 4 different mechanics and handed the key handed back to me saying they have no idea whats wrong with it. Im in college, so I had to downgrade to an older Toyota. It makes me sad, I loved my Jetta, but I would absolutely not recommend it to anyone. In fact, I vehemently advise all people I know considering a V-Dub, and anyone reading this, LOOK ELSEWHERE! Ive heard a overwhelming number of similar stories, and wish I had done better research.

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  this is the one! - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By atlanticdave - July 7 - 2:04 am

  unlike so many other folks who seem to have owned nothing but foreign cars, i have only ever driving u.s.-made cars...and, although i know that american cars are essentially now the best theyve ever been the quality theyve ever been, i have to say i have never owned or driven anything as nice as this car...i am saddened that not all of us have had positive experiences...i purchased it three years old, with 14,000 miles on it...and i just want to say, so far, so GREAT! nice ride, nice interior comfort, great sound system, very head-turning and eye-catching, plenty of acceleration, i recommend this car without hesitation! i have driven it 6,000 miles, and have nothing but positive things

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  Nice little city car - 2016 Volkswagen Golf
  By Andrei Smirnov - July 6 - 10:51 pm

  2016 golf looks very clean, distiller almost. In general the ride is very enjoyable: plush and quite. Ride wise my two biggest complains are: cornering and handling uneven pavement on stock 15" wheels/tire is entirely unpredictable, the car tilts and bobs diagonally at highway speed at times. The second complain is down-shifting of an automatic transmission: especially at lower gears, when downshift occurred the sound and the vibration comming from transmission is to much, almost feels as some sort of malfunction.

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  2000 Jetta - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jasmine - July 6 - 10:40 pm

  It is my first car so my dad wanted to get me a used one. I was stupid to start with a volkswagon. I wanted a cute car so did not even think about reliability. The bumpers are cheaper than something at the 99 cent store. The plastic underlining catches on to anything and everything. I have had to replace the bumper once and recently cracked it again. But because I am getting a new car in a couple month, I just taped it. The brake makes a terrible sound every time I take my foot off the pedal. Fun ride but not worth it with the cheap build.

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  Never again will I buy a VW - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Denise - July 6 - 9:43 pm

  This is a horrible car! Weve had nothing but problems. We fix one, then another quits working. We get water in the floorboard - weve replaced the seals and top - still wet. All the dashboard lights light up - dont light up. The manual lock on the drivers side quit working and, of course, so did the remote. Thats another $500-$1000. Sometimes the key will start the engine, sometimes it doesnt. Sometimes it leaks, sometimes it doesnt. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. I could go on and on - bottomline, stay away!

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  O Well - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bob - July 6 - 8:30 pm

  I found all the initial reports to be very favorable. My wife hates to drive the Jetta due to a stall when she trys to merge into traffic. I now believe that the car is a death trap.