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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  My Cabbie loves my mechanic! - 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Lotttie - June 8 - 1:46 pm

  I love my Cabbie and she loves my private Mechanic. I will never trust a VW Dealer for the rest of my life and this will surely be the LAST VW I own. My Mechanic keeps her running. One door lock, two door handles, wheel bearings, vacuum pump, muffler, interior trunk release (VW permanently ruined this)and a dead radio. Did I mention she has 134,000 miles and keeps on running? She costs me quite a bit and I am thankful I have a good salary! Not looking forward to trading her in someday as she is a hoot to drive. "Baby Baby" hopefully will make it to 200,000 miles or by some miracle 250,000 miles. Caution: VW Cabrio....lovely to behold, lovely to drive but not lovely to maintain.

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  Happy with Jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sherry - June 7 - 9:53 pm

  Above average vehicle. No engine leaks at 116,000 miles - unheard of. Still a tight running car.

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  Nice power and no problems! - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Steve - June 7 - 10:53 am

  This is my third VW and the best so far. I have been driving my Jetta since July 2008 and havent experienced any problems. The car has nice power and many features (e.g. power everything, nice stereo) are standard. The only negative is the gas mileage isnt great but not much of a problem for me because I take mass transit to work.

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  vw passat glx feedback - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By vwpassat responder - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Overall I enjoy my Passat GLX 2002 very much. It is a fun to drive vehicle and very tight/quiet for a smaller car. I have had some problems, left turn signal needed repair, couple of headlight bulbs replaced, but overall very satisfied. Enjoy using the triptronic auto shifter occasionally. They need to work on improving the gas mileage considerable for a smaller vehicle.

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  The Golf Was The Best Car I Ever Bought - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
  By Quiller - June 7 - 10:00 am

  This is one tough little car. There are problems: The emission sensors are way too sensitive and the "Check Engine" light cant decide if it wants to stay on or not; There are times when the fuel mixture is off [sensor again], and the cars idle speed zooms up out of nowhere. However, it moves like anything and I can zip from here to there effortlessly.

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  Really happy with my first VW - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By mpayne - June 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first exp. owning a VW and I am very pleased so far. This car is deceivingly roomy, esp. in the trunk. My Golf is so much fun to drive and its great on gas mileage ( I always use midgrade gas, that seems to make a difference). I have had no problems with the service department, actually they have been very helpful. The only problems weve encountered so far are the doors freezing shut in the winter. The door seals on both front doors were ripped/broken in the process of trying to pry the doors open. Service dept. has taken care of this with no charge.

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  Factory Fun - 2003 Volkswagen GTI
  By Bad Andy - June 7 - 10:00 am

  The car drives and handles great if you dont mind the stiffness in ride. Enough interior room to seat someone over six feet comfortably. Get up and go is wonderful at any speed, along with cornering at excessive speeds, tail end doesnt get light and slide all over. I have over nine thousand miles on it with a trip over three thousand miles and never got sick of the car. I had the stereo replaced because of a fault under warranty, but other than that, nothing mechanically wrong. Love the car and worth every penny.

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  Beware - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By iajtapmas - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Ungaraged, the car looks fabulous. However, my problems started before the first scheduled maintenance, and went on and on. Had to miss work quite a lot. What option do you have when you have invested over 33K on a car. For details on what happenned please visit my posting on http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotiv e/vw_smoke.html. This manufacturer is nothing but problems. Please review thoroughly before you make a decision to buy this car. The reviewers give high marks to this car. Unfortunately, reliability is not one of their criteria.

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  The Best SUV Ive Ever Seen - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Filo - June 7 - 10:00 am

  I feel very sorry for the people who grossly overpaid for the Cayenne, X5, and ML 500. The Touareg is an incredible car for an even more incredible value. It features the chassis of Porsche and the engine and interior styling of Audi. Quite simply, it is the best SUV out there. This is just the beginning of great things to come from Volkswagen!

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  Off-Road Luxury - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By tmeekusa - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Touareg for the last three weeks. This last weekend we took it up the side of a mountain in CO -- literally! This car is even more awesome than they make it look. I have the V6 at high altitude and it definelty has the power to do almost anything youll want it to do! I havent even began to push it near its limits and it keeps taking everthing I throw its way!