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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  BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By supercharged36 - May 12 - 12:08 am

  bought my jetta in 2005 with 200 thousand kms, it now has 310 thousand on a 2.0 gas model, i have repalaced the rad,inner and outer tierod ends, battery, cv joint,breaks all around, ball joints, all basic wear and tear parts you would replace on all cars, i drive this car hard, and it has never let me down, just a blast to drive, i find the 2.0 really woke up when i put on a cold air ,,air intake, added much more power and great sounding grawl when you punch it,,with the added 18 inch rims and the 2 inch suspession drop i have done, my jetta can out handle most cars on the road, im a vw customer for life

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  Disgruntled In Denver - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By DisgruntledInDenver - May 11 - 10:13 pm

  This was my dream car. I bought it used,(certified pre-owned), but it came with no warranty. The car drove great for a year and a half and around the summer of 09 I noticed several little changes in the performance of the vehicle. I brought the car to a VW garage and explained that I was having issues with the acceleration, as well as a ticking noise that came from under the hood while idling. The car was also making a loud whining noise as I accelerated and the engine thermostat light kept coming on. $6500 later and a new transmission, timing belt, water pump and tensioners, the car runs great. My only thought was, $6500, really? This is not a car for young people in college. Expensive!

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  Good Price, beautiful interior, but car has issues. - 2013 Volkswagen CC
  By world_travel1 - May 10 - 5:31 pm

  First of all the gas and break pedals are freakishly close together - they almost overlap. Second of all, at very low speeds (such as bumper to bumper traffic) the engine feels like it as about to stall as you alternately tap the gas and break (it never does but it shakes a bit). Third the window needs to be slightly open when the door is opened and it is supposed to happen automatically but it often does not (as people getting in to the car just grab the handle and pull before the auto down feature kicks in). Fourth, you cant not hit your head as you get in the car. The window sill is too low. Fifth, you cant tap the horn, it gives a full second of honking even with the lightest tap.

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  Keep up with it! - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Justin - May 10 - 6:33 am

  This is NOT a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. It is INFINITELY better. Things people forget, however, is that with performance comes a lack of "reliability." Dont read reviews about how people have a lot of problems. This is not a problematic car. It is a car that uses performance parts that needs to be watched and maintained. Mine was big money to keep running, but worth every penny. It drove like a sports car, carried a family like an elite sedan, and looked more expensive than it was. It never had an issue that disabled it, and it never had an issue that wasnt to be expected with the high mileage it had. This car costs about $1500 a year to keep up with repairs and maintenance. Beware, and enjoy.

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  Shame on You VW - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Dave - May 10 - 12:20 am

  We have had many problems with our Touareg. We did not even make it home from the dealer before we had to turn around to have things fixed! The tire PSI computer is junk and it is the source of many dealership visits, the drivers seat had to be rewired, the rear seatbelt recall is a joke, it requires the dealer to install silver metal plates on the rear belts that are visible, that rattle around when driving and scratch the plastic interior. This is not something that I expect to have on a $50,000+ VW! The tires need to be replaced at 28,000 miles on a truck that my wife drives to and from work? I would never recommend this car to anybody and would strongly recommend that they look at a different vehicle. Shame on you VW

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  an alright car - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Andy - May 9 - 8:36 pm

  The VW jetta is my first car I own and it good for a person who like to drive leisurely. Its suspension is Rather soft and there is body movement in the corners. But thats not much of a problem if your stuck in traffic moving at 3 mph. The automatic gear box in regular drive mode is quite dumb, its too eager to shift to 5 or 6 gear which is really annoying, so I have to put it into sport or use the tiptronic mode. The biggest problem is the squeaks and rattles, but to fix that all you have to do is turn up the radio. I Rather regret buying this car mostly because the new golf came to market the next month and I would rather have that.

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  VW Passat - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jessica Felker - May 8 - 7:20 pm

  I really enjoy my Passat, because it is reliable and fun to drive. The interior is very comfortable; it has heated seating that really helps in the winter. My favorite thing about the car is the AWD. It drives wonderfully in the winter weather with no problems at all. You can hardly tell that you are driving in snow and ice. The car is quite and drives smooth. You can hardly tell that you are driving it. This car has definitly made VW the top car for me. I will never buy anything else other than a VW.

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  Love it! - 2007 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Dorene - May 8 - 4:16 pm

  I am very pleased with this purchase. Not too flashy, not too boring. Fun to drive. It comes at a bargain price with lots of features that would normally cost extra. It handles great, and feels safe and solid. I went into the whole car shopping process fully expecting to buy another Honda Civic, and this car is much better. My first VW, but probably not my last. No regrets here.

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  So glad I bought this car! - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By Jamie - May 8 - 4:36 am

  I love, love this car! It travels well, and provides great diesel mileage of course. I have had little problem with it. My only complaint is that it is designed so that a dealership has to do most of the basic maintenance.

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  More Than Expected - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Brandon - May 8 - 12:16 am

  After searching for a low priced second car I couldnt have been more pleased with my selection. The Rabbit is a powerful, well equipped, and fun to drive vehicle. The commute to work is somewhat enjoyable while zipping through traffic in my sporty new VW. After driving a Hyundai Accent, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, and a Scion xA, I drove the Rabbit. Needless to say this car outperformed them all and had all the safety and convenience features included in the price. The Civic and the Hyundai had a/c available for an extra $900, what a deal! Im happy with my purchase and I feel safe driving my two young children in this car.