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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  The best Volkswagon - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Swenson - February 9 - 8:50 pm

  The 2006 Volkswagen Passat is very nice. I am very impressed with the new design of the Passat. I havent seen any on the road yet, but I am sure that within six months people will come around to find that this car is a great bang for the buck. I put some 18 chrome wheels on it, nice Michelin tires, and it looks like a beamer! This car is going to be easy to sell down the road. I paid MSRP, but it is ok, I purchased before it was released.

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  Golf - 2000 Volkswagen GTI
  By dk1706 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I only had the car for a few days and I love the way it handles.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Susan - February 8 - 8:33 am

  This has been a very reliable car. No problems. Only needed required maintenance. Brakes last beyond 50,000 miles. Great gas mileage and great in the snow. Has a lot of pick up for a V4 engine... no need for a higher end, gas guzzler for pick up.

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  Very Satisfied !!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Augie Lindsay - February 7 - 2:00 am

  I never thought I would be driving VW. Have always been a Ford man. After driving an Expedition, which I enjoyed, I fell in love with the AWD. But I really wanted the comfort and smoothness of a car plus I wanted the car loaded. I figured I would have to go back to the Taurus and have to settle for front wheel drive. Well I found the Passat GLX. A fully loaded vehicle, AWD, comfort, plus about the same price of a very basic Expedition and just a little more than a fully loaded Taurus but what I felt was a better built vehicle. I love the Passat.

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  toureg v-8 - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By j bergtold - February 6 - 4:03 am

  i like the color combination- off-road gray and the teak interior,i have over 21000 miles now with zero problems,the 4.2 liter v-8 has more than adequate power for this suv. my previous car was an mb 430 and this suv is much better in every respect.

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  A Great Car for an even better price - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Josh - February 5 - 11:46 pm

  Wife purchased the Jetta back in 2007. Has accumulated many miles on it since (currently on 45k and running strong). Family trips to the mountains, daily driving, and long work commutes, this car has handled all of it beautifully. Reliability has been amazing and I (the husband) love how it holds 6.5 quarts of oil (though the filter is a pain to change), we can easily run nearly 10k miles on a change with good synthetic oil. Looking at purchasing an Audi now to add to our German family. Highly recommend to anyone: single wanting a sporty car, newly weds looking to expand, or the family looking for a safe and reliable vehicle. This is a truly multi purpose vehicle.

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  Great power - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By mannyrz - February 5 - 2:03 pm

  I bought this car after driving and researching cars that did not cost more han 40.000 us. This car has great features, power is great and handling its amazing. 0 to 60 mph in 5.53 sec. Fuel consumption is great. Great lines and design. Headlights are one of the greatest improvement in this model, the nav is great, bluetooth extremely reliable with voice commands, you can do video in the screen and save music into radio hard disk. Fun to drive and if you want to feel the real power enjoy the Sport mode, it will kick full power in RPM when you accelerate. I drove a bmw 325, 335, audi 2.0 t, audi 5, ifiniti g37 and i decided to buy this one based on how good it felt driving it.

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  Love the Car and the PRICE! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Colorado Jetta - February 5 - 6:13 am

  I test drove a 2006 Jetta Value Edition 2.5 and the Volvo S40 on the same day. There is a huge difference in price, but very little difference in features and ride. I love my Jetta - I bought it TODAY. Talk about a headturner. The manual transmission has some pep, and the traction control and airbags make it the perfect snow driver.

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  A lot to like - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike - February 4 - 12:06 pm

  The Jetta in general closely approximates an entry level luxury sedan while being priced closer to more basic sedans. The TDI drive train provides tremendous performance with exceptional mileage (40+ mpg is easily obtained driving gently). At idle it sounds different than a gasoline engine but not objectionable. There is no diesel smell. Its acceleration and responsiveness are impressive. The trunk is large and easily accessible with a pass through for long objects. The cabin is comfortable for four. This car deserves to be very popular. I see no good reasons not to consider it if looking for a mid sized sedan.

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  Awesome Little Jetta - 2017 Volkswagen Jetta
  By roger_blahnik - February 4 - 2:09 am

  We did a VW Buyback (no fix) for the 2014 VW TDI SE Manual cars. Since VW paid off our loan and gave us $19,460 back. We decided to get a VW Jetta S model with no payments....When all said and done we spent $18,800 dollars (with a 10/100,000 mile warranty). This car has plenty of space in it and its a lot of fun. The dealer threw in monster matts and locking lug nuts for the rims (not plastic hub caps). I have owned 6 VWs and all of the Dealerships have all been very accommodating to our needs. I dont know why people complain so much. Our experience with VW was awesome.