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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  146,000+ Miles, Lots of Fun, but Headaches Too - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By pjkportland - August 7 - 9:30 am

  I have owned my 2003 1.8T 5A GLS wagon since new and now have over 146k miles. It really is fun to drive and has amazing cargo hauling space. But . . . expensive to maintain and gets only about 21 mpg on premium. Make sure you have a good mechanic. Mine is one of the best, and I still have a funky/random issue - a beep, blinking dash lights, then a power drop, as if the tranny disconnected with the engine. As much as I like driving the car, I think Im going back to Honda when old blue bites the dust.

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  Ups and DOWNS!! :( - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Lura - August 5 - 9:17 am

  Do your research before buying! Its a good car in many ways!,, But everytime I think all is well, something else goes wrong with it!! Now, it wont shift into overdrive!! This is my work car, cant keep having it in the shop! Going broke fixing it. Any ideas out there on the overdrive issue??? Thx!

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  great car - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By raven1959 - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Great car with one reoccurring problem. It’s been in for repair 4 times since I hit 20k all four times was for check engine with an emission workshop message. Repair cost average $175.00 for ‘vacuum hose crack’

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  Buy the extended warranty. - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ferstcs - August 4 - 10:00 am

  If the quality was better, then the Jetta would be an excellent vehicle. Always buy the extended warranty if you plan to own this car longer than the standard warranty.

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  turbo 5 speed fast and great MPG... - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By cali guy - August 4 - 1:58 am

  Its was my sister car at 79k miles on it. It look and drove great. I was impress with MPG and Yes at 30 plus plus mpg!! Now at 100k and moved to the horrible south Texas! With humility and very Hot I noticed the door panels are pulling back-off like, there leather and its anoing! It has cute looks thats what girls and women like but really its a nice car. With the 1.8L turbo and 5speed manuel...its a Fast little sleeper...hehe I love it at stop lights with big trucks or mustang even the 320z it just leaves all of them at the light! And the drivers look as they only see my tail lights!! Ha!! But as the car it has one of the Best n World engine top 10... But with the window regulator(drivers side was out!) and door trim pulling out...and headlights work great but fade to fast... It has problems....Sad cuz its actually a good little Fast great MPG...car. I drove PCH highway for those that dont know that the twisty road on the west coast...and with the top down..it was a fun fun little car to drive...and I drive spiritly quick to I may add. So for a safe and good MPG and a Fast car with manuel n turbocharger its great. But some quality built materials would be appreciated.

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  thanks - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By robert - August 1 - 2:23 pm

  auto trans can be jerky with hot weather

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  2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium, Automatic: 3 Months / 7K Miles - 2014 Volkswagen Passat
  By jones1972 - August 1 - 5:54 am

  Researching The Cost: I researched and test drove many vehicles, including Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Lexus Hybrids, Honda Hybrids and even some fuel efficient Buicks. I considered that if I was going to get a car that had great gas mileage, then the sticker price had also better make sense. I didn’t want to pay an extra $8k for a car that would save me only $2k in fuel costs. So, it had to make sense base upon sticker price, residual value and fuel economy. The Passat came out ahead because the car was less expensive than the others (even loaded), and had an acceptable high fuel economy.

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  Lumber Wagon - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Done - July 30 - 10:00 am

  The passat looks awesome. It has great performance. It is great on gas mileage. To bad it is not a complete package. The build quality is horible. 75k....New control arms..$2400...timing chain $1000.....Numerous Electrical problems....$500....fortunatley I sold the car...Looking for a car that has all the performance and great reliabilty BUY A MAXIMA....

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  Big Satisfaction, small disappointments - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By spidaman - July 28 - 10:20 am

  This is our first SUV, as the kids are older and we are downsizing from a minivan. The handling is excellent, even on snow and ice. We have not been able to take the T-reg offroad as yet. Power with the V6 is adequate; if I were towing a boat, I would probably want a larger engine, as the V-6 barely holds its own on merging on the highway. The NAV system is disappointing. Entering destinations is not intuitive. The NAV CD-ROM takes the only slot in the car. A 6 disc CD changer is in the back. This should be reversed. Although there is an AUX button labelled on the radio, there is no auxiliary input for an MP3 play, which is disappointing in a high-end car. Comfy!

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  Go for it - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By davef - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Purchased a demo w/ 4,500mi. Very please with ride and comfort. Everything very tight. Radio reception leaves something to be desired but with a CD in the Monsoon sound system is great. Also stereo system just did not wrk one day. Took to dealer who pulled plug and replugged. No trouble since. Some areas of "chrome" molding are foggy. Dont know why. Acceleration a little delayed but when it kicks in watch out.