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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  Bang for the buck - 2001 Volkswagen GTI
  By kevbelz - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely the BEST bang for your buck. I bargained the price down to 21000 (maybe could of done better?) based on the fact that the 2002s would have 180HP stock. Well for a little more than $500 I added a Garrett chip and a K&N filter, and the cars horsepower jumped to 195 from 150. There are some reliability issues that seem to come up for MANY owners. (coilpacks need replacing, window regulators, and brakes and clutch seem to wear out too quickly) but luckily I havent seen any of this. Just treat her good, and shell take care of you.

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  2001 VW Jetta Wlfbrg - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By shell110909 - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Sure, my car is fun to drive and during the cold midwest winters, I love the heated seats! But I have found this car to be fairly unreliable....and true to German manufacturing, everything from the windsheild wipers to the bumper, it is way overpriced.

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  Midlife crisis car - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By arnold - November 18 - 10:53 pm

  We bought two 2001 cabrios basically for convertible fun and best heat and traction in our 30 below winters. Cars are a lot of fun but tons of problems, would not recommend them even with extended warranty; only for summer fun, service from dealership is great but next cars will not be unreliable vws. Will miss the small size convert.

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  Recurring Emissions Problem - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By John - November 17 - 4:23 am

  In theory, I absolutely LOVE this car - - its sleek & maneuverable, with refined interior, great features package, excellent power and mileage (45+), BUT...the "Check Engine" light has come on for the THIRD time, and it only has 620 miles on it. VW has tried fixing it twice, but they now acknowledge there is no known fix at this time. Unless they iron it out this time, Im invoking Lemon Law and taking my money back.

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  So much potential! - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Carson C. - November 16 - 6:16 am

  I purchased my 2009 Volkswagen Jetta S in 2013. It was a certified used vehicle purchased from Volkswagen Van Nuys in Van Nuys, CA, and it only had 27,000 miles on it. Since Ive owned the car, the resale value has tanked. It now has about 85,000 miles, and is only worth about $8,500 max (and thats including all the upgrades). Ive had many electrical issues with the car...such as: 1.) In 2014, the fuse panel under the engine melted, 2.) In 2016, my front driver seat almost caught fire, as the seat warmer burned through the seat & caused black marks...luckily, I noticed before it turned into a fire, 3.) In 2016, my fuse panel inside the car melted. Although Volkswagen considers some of these "safety issues", they will refuse to take care of the problem...which is why it is unfortunate, but I will never purchase another Volkswagen again. I will give this car credit -- it handles very well. The only other negative about this car, is that I feel as though the car goes through gas a lot faster than it is supposed to. I even borrowed a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta while mine was being repaired, and the car would say "125 miles until empty"...5 miles later, it would read "110-115 miles until empty", and so forth. I would not recommend this car to anyone over 58". I am about 56"/57", and even I sometimes will hit my head getting in and out of the car.

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  fun to drive but will cost you! - 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By nymom2 - November 16 - 3:01 am

  We have leased our Tiguan for almost a year and it is a very fun car to drive - zippy, responsive, excellent in the snow. Our biggest complaint is the gas millage. Our 2003 Honda Pilot needs less refueling. Also, the cloth interior get messy very easily. It sounds like a petty complaint but the car always needs vacuuming. After four months we had an electrical issue that was covered under the warranty. It made me glad we leased, not purchased the car. The trunk is not big enough to hold a set of golf clubs. My husband finds the drivers seat uncomfortable. As far a styling goes, this is not a poor mans Audi A5 but a souped- up VW Golf.

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  Superior SUV - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By botb - November 15 - 2:00 am

  Its exterior styling and its towing capacity sealed my purchase, despite concern over Volkswagens reliability reputation. Now 2 mos. old with 2,000 miles - so far, no major problems. I do believe that there is significant room for improvement - The location of the cd changer is a joke, $850 for the towing package is a steep price, very poor control layout on the steering wheel, navagation system is terrible, climate control doesnt function well. My vehicle was delivered with a front license plate bracket riveted onto the front bumper and Im still arguing with the dealership on the removal and repair.

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  outstanding at 50mpg - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ecolamp - November 15 - 2:00 am

  outstanding fuel economy with excellent pickup and no smoke the only downside is they dont offer this engine across the board........You dont need all those batteries, outragous weight, or explosive gases to do your part for the environment...... with regard to any health issues I would say they are a non-issue.....

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  window problems - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dori - November 15 - 2:00 am

  i have owned new cars for over 30 yrs - the new vw beetle convertable is the most fun and best fitting car i have owned. it hugs the road and is great on turns. unfortunetly i have had it back to the dealer 3 times for a rear window problem - the dealer scratched the inside panel and had to send it to the body shop to be re-painted then buried the metal clip to the seat belt inside the panel! while i am love my car, i am very unhappy about it spending so much time in the shop for these "annoyances"(4times total in 6 months) i have always owned new cars in order to avoid these problems.

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  Great Car! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Farah - November 14 - 10:10 am

  I love driving this car! Ive had older Toyota Camrys and a Honda Accord...and my 2005 Volkswagen Jetta Value Edition feels so much more powerful. Also, it looks really nice.