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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  Volkswagen GTI 20th Anniversary Edition - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By c67302 - June 1 - 10:06 pm

  The 20th Anniversary GTI is a pleasure to drive on long trips. The seats are very adjustable. I dont get tired of driving it on short trips either. The only thing I wished it had is a center arm rest. The performance is fantastic in every way. It handles like its on rails. It can easily out accelerate most cars on the road today. All this, and it still gets 30 mpg on the highway.

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  My first VW - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Maureen - June 1 - 5:56 pm

  I have recentlly purchased the 2005 New Bettle converatable here in Fl and will be driving it home to Mass. I have owned BMS, Jaguars etc. I am sooo sorry I bought this VW. The warranty ran out 24 days ago, The first day i went to put the rear drivers window down it went down and never came back up. I called VW warrenty Company, they would not offer a dime for repair.Vehicle has only 14K miles.Reading the reviews there is a major window regulator problem with the plastic pieces on the regulator breaking and has been a long ongoing defect.when the class action Law Suit starts on this vehicle I will be on board. I would NEVER buy a VW again. NOW I AM AFRAID TO PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN,ALSO THE TOP

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  Buy yourself a TDI - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike - June 1 - 11:43 am

  This is one well made machine. Handles like its on rails. Great lines and its a TDI to boot. I can now thumb my nose at the gas pumps.

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  Great interior quality, good looking SUV - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By HS - June 1 - 1:03 am

  Very nice SUV. Interior design and quality, power, handles great.

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  GLI 1.8T - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Edgar Bravo - June 1 - 12:53 am

  I used to be a proud Honda owner until I feasted my eyes on this piece of German engineering. Absolutely beautiful to look at, my GLI is extremely comfortable and fun to drive. Its interior design is like no other car I had previously experienced; its a drfferent kind of "sturdy" quality. The way the car is built is similar only to other German automobiles like BMW or Audi. Im sold on Volkswagen quality and I definetely recommend everyone test drive one. Youll love it!

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  New Jetta in Orlando - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeff In Orlando - May 31 - 9:26 pm

  This New Jetta is awesome. Performance is unbelievable. Its German design is unique and pleasant to the eye.

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  Very Satisfied - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By VWTV8 - May 31 - 7:13 pm

  Have owned many different makes and models including several sports cars, The VW Touareg ranks right at the top for fun, comfortable, capable transportation. It has proven to be perfect mechanically requiring nothing other than routine maintenance and 3 :( sets of high performance 19" tires. This is a heavy, powerful vehicle that is a little rough on the sticky OEM tires. Highly recommend - you will not be disappointed. 17.8 MPG

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  Love my 2010 Jetta TDI premium,220hp with 290torqe - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By akarimoon@Gmail.com - May 30 - 9:34 pm

  I decided to write a review because everyone freak out about the TDI emission scandal. When Im looking for a car ...I want fuel efficient with decent horsepower. Ive been looking all other different brands like Toyota, Honda because they are famous for their cheap maintenance and have a good reputation. But Toyota look is not selling me and I cant stand Prius look even though that will be the best buy for fuel economy. I cant buy Honda either because I hate honda dashboard ...too busy with many buttons and look horrendous. I end up buying 2010 Jetta Sedan at first sight without a plan. Dashboard is simple and I got premium so I got good audio with a screen, heated seat , fake v-tech leather but good quality leather and it helps a lot for me cus easier to clean up after I travel with my dogs...also have a sunroof. Im not sure how many jetta tdi model they have..but if you buy premium with sunroof you wont have any complains about interior.....how about exterior? Its simple ordinary sedan ..not flashly but its really cute. The best part is fuel economy, I travel 60 miles monday to friday and go out at weekend too. My daily commute is around 60miles aday and my fuel fill up cost btw $22 to $25 a week which is half of the gas price of other german cars. My husband owned Audi and he has to spend like $45 a week for gas. My car Horse power is 140 but torque is 236. Can you belive that? I can easily accelerate whenever I want to..it makes my life a lot easier when i have to change lane and accelerate ..I do not feel like my car is luck of power at all.. In fact one of my friend comment how fast is my car is. She did not except that much of torque in jetta. Bascially this car is like prius but better. I can keep go on and on how much i love this car and. f... .this car as my lover. Ok one draw back experience is that my car had EGR VALVE problem at 125,000 miles .. it could cost like $2500 but when we spoke with mechanic and my second option is deactivate EGR VAVLE as it is exit for USA emission regulation and it doesnt work effiently. So i deactivated my EGR valve, install catcatalytic converter to pollute less , also chip and software update for hp boost plus exhaust pipe. It end up costing $2,000 but its worth it because I got better hp with better mpg. Also vw goodwill package give me $1,000 so i only need to invest 1,000 out of my pocket. My car has 220hp and 290 torque, combined economy is around 50mpg. For all the people want to say ..now we know that TDI is polluting the air ..why should we buy to destroy the mother earth??? TDI model is already on the market there will be someone always buying it and driving it so no matter what it will pollute it anyway and i doubt my car is more polluting than old truck on that road..not to mentioned EPA calculate pollution by a gallon. SO "EXECUSE ME, MY CAR GO FATHER IN A GALLON THEN MUSTANG OR OTHER TRUCK". Even if is still polluting it not horrible as they make up to be.....you can now install catalytic converter like me or i think vw emission fix is also same as my initial fix plus software update. You can buy the fixed TDI and boost the power like i did. Because of the scandal TDI price is going down so thats the deal that you can have. So why not? I bought my tdi before the scandal come out...and when I heard about that they lie about emission of course im upset but it is what it is for now and i still love my car and Im still Volkswagens fan. I hope that they dont lie in the future tho. I will not buy any car except Volkswagen cus they price well and good quality car . In the end, TDI Engine last forever my friend....get a good deal when you can

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  A great ride - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By stever817 - May 29 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car to drive. Its handling is amazing, the turbo is great,and the mileage is right on the mark. The seats are comfortable and unlike old VW diesels, this one makes it through tough midwest winters without a qualm starting.

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  Love my cute car! - 2012 Volkswagen Golf
  By rebby1 - May 29 - 4:53 am

  Ive had the car for 2k miles so far and Ive loved every minute of it! Not only is it entertaining to drive, it is practical with a decent trunk and roomy cabin, it rides well, and it gets amazing mileage! So far Im averaging 41.6mpg with about 1/4 highway, 1/4 city, and 1/2 suburban driving. And Im not a slow driver either! I can fit my kids in the car with baggage for a 1 week trip without any problems, or a days worth of activities and gear, all while leaving my work bag in the car. The Golf has enough pickup that I dont worry about passing or merging and a tight enough suspension to corner well and avoid accidents.