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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  Near-hybrid economy, but fun to drive - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Cornfieldcraig - January 19 - 6:56 pm

  I had been driving a 99.5 Jetta TDI with 180k miles before buying this car. It had been quite reliable and is still running well, but I was ready for a new car. Cheapskate that I am, I put $500 down on a 2010 Prius which wasnt yet in the dealerships. I finally had a chance to drive the Prius and was moderately disappointed, so I went 10 minutes down the road and test drove the 2009 Jetta TDI. The driving experience was simply night and day. I expect that the Prius would have been more trouble-free and about the same cost per mile as the Jetta, I just couldnt bring myself to buy the Prius. The new TDI is SO smooth, powerful, quiet, and clean- smelling. I just wish the mpg was better.

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  Fun to drive but ... - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VWSux - January 19 - 2:00 am

  My car belt just went the other day and the cost was about $400 to replace the belt. This took 3 days, so I had to rent a car, another $100. Total cost was $500 to fix the car including rental charges. My check engine sensor has broken again for the 3rd time. Currently, the passenger side lock does not go all the way up, so I have to keep pressing unlock once or twice for it to go up all the way.

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  Great Car, Dealers are terrible - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By idontcareaboutuserna - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned the car over a year and have had no major problems. I am still excited to drive it. I am especcialy reminded of this when i go away a use arental. My big complaint, and this is big enought that i will not buy another, is that all VW dealers ive been to are terrible. From the time I bought it to all oil changes to simple warranty repairs or anything they are just a huge hassle. VW should look into this. No one should like their car as my as I do and not plan on ever getting another VW.

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  Disappointed!!! - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BaaadJenny - January 19 - 2:00 am

  I thought I was buying a good, reliable car and ended up instead with a lemon. Its a 1.8 GLS turbo and has 21,500 miles on it. I like the look and the way it drives, but problems? Lets see...Gas door will sometimes open/close, sometimes not, trunk usually does not open with the remote or the inside switch, the screws fall out of the window levers, the drivers side window got stuck and the regulator inside the door broke, the passenger side door lock malfunctioned and had to be replaced. Shall I go on? Oh yeah, and the service from the dealer sucks!

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  Yes, it is fun to drive but not comfy. - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By buggy tag - January 18 - 1:53 am

  I bought the car for the fuel economy and the looks. I have a large SUV and wanted something else to run around in to save gas when I am not hauling tons of kids. I get around 29 mpg both highway 60% and city 40%. I cant get the fuel economy that is stated. I am not a lead foot either. Check this before you buy one. This car is really meant for no more then two people in terms of comfort. I would hate to take a trip in this. The seats are not comfortable at all. They need to build them like domestic seats are built here. Teens hate the back seat. Up to 13 years is O.K. but isnt comfy. Also my dash and handles are peeling the top layer already, Im not hard on vehicles.

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  VW Jetta GLS is an awesome car. - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By qjernst - January 16 - 1:43 pm

  I got this car used with 64,000 miles on it last summer. It has decent acceleration and handles like a sports car. The 2.0 liter engine gets OK mileage but it could be better. I have had a few problems with this car but nothing major (eg: new window motor, cruise control doesnt work right). It gets around well in the snow and is perfect for tight parking spots. The interior is very comfortable considering its small size and the buttons and controls are very user-friendly. The automatic tranny shifts great, the engine is good, and the ride is smooth.

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  Buzzy Passat - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By ahk - January 14 - 2:00 am

  My 2002 Passat GLS has more interior buzzes than my sisters 1996 Civic DX coupe. Ive had my Passat in the shop 3 times already for noises in the dash. The center and right a/c vents were replaced. Yesterday the ENTIRE DASHBOARD was replaced, but the genius mechanics forgot to reconnect the wiring for the steering wheel controls to the stereo! Why didnt I buy another Honda??!!!

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  Nice Car - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By scotthsv - January 14 - 2:00 am

  Unlike other reviewers I have had fairly good luck with my Jetta (knock on wood). Its interior is very handsome for its price but has some faults. The arm rest and glove compartment doors have both broke and the console creaks around the shifter. The VR6 is great and the exterior has nice conservative lines. Although I have liked the car I will probably buy my next car from a different manufacturer.

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  Fahrvergnugen! Driving enjoyment! - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By avidr - January 13 - 9:12 am

  I sampled quite a few --Accord, Camry, Mazda6, Fusion, Sonata, etc. The Passat felt the most tuned in. I love the torque curve that kicks in a very low rpms. Up-shifts come quickly, which makes the Passat seem like it has long legs. Im getting nearly 30 mpg in town. It really favors soft-pedalling the gas, but has plenty of juice when needed. Handling is excellent. Seats are comfortable. No squeaks or rattles. Soaks up bumps smoothly. Overall build quality seems to be right on. No USB port?!, so I bought a dual outlet converter. The Bluetooth works very well. Plenty of room. Stickered for $27,500, I paid $24,200, plus 0.9% financing.

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  Tiguan has hits & misses - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Twin1chrissy - January 13 - 8:27 am

  Ive been driving my 2018 SE Motion Tiguan now for two full months. I have a love-hate relationship with it thus far, I love to drive it on long road trips (500 miles plus) and hate driving it around town. Its very quiet and comfortable for long drives, the cruise control has smart technology, the back is very comfortable for the kids, and the gas mileage is awesome for the size vehicle. Unfortunately, most of my daily driving is around town and its terrible! The acceleration of the vehicle is so weak, the best way to describe it would be a sputtering from a complete stop. Ive found a way around that, I know put it in Sport mode when I accelerate from a full stop and once Im at a cruising speed I put it back in Drive mode. Its a bit extra work, but I have more confidence pulling into traffic when doing that. One of the biggest issues I have with the car that I did not notice during the test drive and of course the salesperson didnt mention was was there is NO hatch release in the car or on the key fob and there is no button to automatically close the hatch, which is very heavy! How can an MSRP $32K vehicle (I didnt pay that) in a competitive market not have a hatch release?!?!? When I discovered this I brought the vehicle back to the dealer and asked them to show me where the release was, they couldnt find it and stated, "oh wow, thats a big miss for VW. Theyll definitely be fixing that on next years model!" Really, what am I to do then?! Ive already reached out to VW with my complaints and customer care associate was surprised too! Im waiting for an aftermarket product to come out and will have it installed. One last issue I had was the car completely died on me in a parking lot while waiting for space. It went into the energy mode (which I had activated) but when I went to accelerate I just floated. I had to put my foot on brake put the car in Park and restart the car. I called dealer immediately and went there the following day, they ran their tests and couldnt find anything wrong. I got corporate involved, went back to the dealer and still havent found the problem. Its been two weeks since the ​incident and hasnt happened again, so not sure what caused it.