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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  Good product, horrible dealer service... - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Trinity - January 5 - 4:46 am

  My 2002 Volkswagen Golf has been reliable, but the air conditioning has a musty smell on hot days. The dealer cant fix the problem, until the warranty runs out. Then, for money, its fixable! Both headlights have burned out twice. this car is great on highway after 60 mph. The brakes are sof thought. Overall, if gas prices werent going through the roof, I would trade it for real German car, like BMW 330Ci. the luxury package for $2,000 gets you two decent windows and mats...yes, mats. This car seems to maintain resale value, so I plan on keeping it until it hits 100,000 miles...then, itll be a gift to a deserving soul, like a college student.

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  Lovin it - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ADAM KEISER - January 5 - 4:10 am

  This car has been wonderful to me. I have only had but a few problems, i.e. waterpump, starter. It has taken well to all types of weather.

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  Build It and they Will Buy! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Paul in Arizona - January 4 - 10:26 pm

  Our 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI is our first Volkswagen. The turbodiesel engine gets 47 mpg in combined city / highway driving. It has a very quiet ride, excellent handling, excellent stereo, excellent air conditioning, and is a blast to drive. The seats are a little hard though for long trips. It has a huge trunk, very quiet motor, minimal maintenance, and its service manual is available on CD-ROM. Why doesnt everyone drive one of these?

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  Stay away from 2002 Jetta - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Eric - January 4 - 5:26 am

  VW Jetta is not worth a dime. Problems since day 1. Water pump froze up causing timing belt to jump an d ruin engine. 1 Year later water pump froze up again. Constant electrical glitches and other mysterious items. Local VW dealer wont even look at if for less than $120. I would highly recommend staying away from these vehicles. They look nice; however, the quality is garbage.

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  2012 Tiguan exceeds my expectations - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By bill95gl - January 4 - 2:08 am

  Ive owned VWs for over forty years and never really liked the Tiguan. I saw it as a too-small overweight, overpriced, gas-wasting SUV. However, my wife has always wanted a Tiguan and when a used 2012 white Tiguan SE with nav, pano roof and 6K miles showed up at a nearby Mazda Hyundai dealer, we traded her 2007 Passat 2.0T in on it. Ill have to admit that Im really impressed with the Tiguan. Its much quieter and has a much smoother ride than the Passat. It handles well, has plenty of power and is a pleasure to drive. The automatic transmission has no problems...however, I think the transmission programming was fixed before we bought the Tiguan.

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  2010 R36 Wagon Perfect Family Wagon - 2010 Volkswagen Passat
  By isihac - January 3 - 11:38 am

  My second VW (had a W8 wagon last) has given no problems. In New Zealand this car is $45k cheaper than than the 3.0D Audi and comes with all the extras I need. The ESP allows a little four wheel drift fun when seriously provoked but always feels completely in control. Normally driven by my wife with three kids seats in the back it runs around town but still overtakes most anything on the open road in less than 100m

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  Excited in St Louis - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By St Louis Boy - January 3 - 10:03 am

  I have been buying US branded cars since the first one. Ive had no discrimination against brands, Ford, Gm, Chrysler. All are good but none are making me as happy as this new Jetta TDI. It has great speed and pick-up with shifts that are unbelievably quick. Ive never had any transmission shift so fast and smooth. I was surprised when hitting 70mph there was another gear. The interior is solid and very up scale. Vinyl or not the seats feel like their from a luxury car. I havent had anyone even guess its a diesel. The interior is quieter than a Cadillac I once had. The body is smaller than the Dodge Charger we traded in on it but there was no trade off in interior or trunk space. Buy It!!

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  Gas free diet! - 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf
  By P Adl - January 3 - 7:03 am

  Range is not that great, but everything else is! I test drove most of the smaller EVs, the Fiat, the Smart car, the Leaf, the BMW, etc. The best handling/driving one was the e-Golf. So I got it and have been driving it now for a year and three months and enjoying it more every day. I work very close to home and one charge can keep me going for around two weeks with a few excursions, i.e. driving to shops and running errands (all close). I did manage just over 105 miles with level 3 regeneration, and max limited power but it was slow going. VW has free charging at their locations and I use them since one is close to my home and if one is on my way, I stop, charge and catch up with emails using their WiFi. I find it to be the most practical of all the smaller lower cost EVs out there because it is roomy, comfortable, reasonable luggage capacity, with all the bells and whistles I could want. The 2017 has better range, 120 Miles is what I was told. That would let me drive to San Diego easily (if I spend the night to recharge)!

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  2012 Passat TDI (DSG) - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By proboss - January 3 - 12:31 am

  This is my 3rd TDI. Ive owned a 2003 Jetta TDI (5 spd), 2010 Jetta Sportwagen TDI (DSG). Neither of the newer models could reach the 47MPG that the 2003 Jetta got. That said the 2010 was a great car (39 MPG), but Ive been waiting for the Passat TDI for the size and comfort. Both of which are 5s in my book. Ive had the Passat now for 2 weeks and about 1000 miles. Averaging 41.5 MPG with mostly commuting at 70-75 MPH. Very nice car with one exception. At higher speeds the car seems to wander slightly as if you were driving through gusty winds requiring small steering inputs. A bit annoying i might add. I have a call into the dealer asking for help. I suspect its the tires. well see...

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  alignment - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By victor - January 2 - 11:56 pm

  bought car beginning of August. has been in shop longer than it has been at home. Alignment problem, let go of steering wheel and drifts drastically to the right. Service guy has been much help, even though 3 technicians have tried to resolve problem. Latest attempt was to replace all tires, another alignment, and balancing. Well see what happens. Havent had time to really test drive it myself since Ive been out of town on business. Will keep you posted. Really like the style, inside and out, but well see.