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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  Sweet Little Car - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By Bob - May 8 - 5:40 am

  We have put 6k miles on this Golf TDI and find it very well put together. It handles very well in all kinds of weather, I was very pleased how it handled the snow the first night i drove it home. The Sunroof is very quiet when open. We use the car for commuting 160 miles a day, getting 42 MPG . My wife loves to drive it she likes it much better than the 06 Jetta 2.0T and the 03 GTI we had.

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  VW means poor quality - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By nomorvw - May 7 - 10:01 am

  After owning 4 Honda vehicles (civic and accord) i bought my son a new 2006 Jetta. I was impressed by the ride and the safety rating for the Jetta. however, now 5 years and 75K , i am stuck with a 1600.00 repair bill for a clutch repair. Apparently, the hydraulic cylinders for the clutch broke apart and soaked the clutch assembly. If the flywheel is damaged add another 600.00 to the repair cost. The care is barely paid for and the car is literally falling apart. I did call customer care at VW and received a nice apology. Dont buy a VW product!!

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  Buying This Car is a Bad Move - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jason schelert - May 7 - 9:33 am

  I have literally brought this car into the dealership eighteen times. Yes, EIGHTEEN Times. Every time I have had the vehicle in something else has gone wrong. The fan stopped working, the power windows wouldnt function, now the tranmission is failing and only at 34,000 miles.

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  The New Jetta - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Eric Moore - May 7 - 12:13 am

  This is a great car. I believe it is reliable and it has a lot of features that are nice, such as seat warmers, rain sensors, and the 6-CD changer. It rides and drives really well. The fuel economy is not bad either. This car has style and class for a very inexpensive price.

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  Enjoyed My Jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Anand - May 6 - 2:33 pm

  I enjoyed my car right from the beginning. I had some minor electrical issues when it was under warranty. Also, there was minor issue with the indicator lights that was repaired under warranty. My battery broke after 75,000 miles and thats when I replaced it. Under warranty, I had an oxygen sensor issue that has been corrected by the dealer. The catalytic converter failed at 60,000 miles, but luckily there was recall on that and my payment was reimbursed by VW. At 97,000 miles the transmission broke. Guess what, it has a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and the dealer replaced it with a new transmission. At about 75,000 miles, I had an air conditioning issue that I had to pay for.

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  The Best Car Nobody Will Buy - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By Chris - May 6 - 10:43 am

  Hands down the Eos is one of the top 5 best new model cars of 2007. The mid trim level combines the best of VW and Audi design in the 2.0 liter turbo FSI engine and the 6 speed DSG automatic. The 200 horses push this car from 0-60 in 7 seconds regardless of the transmission (a feat that will turn many manual drivers into DSG fans). The 5 piece stacking hard top designed by Webesto features a panoramic sunroof that is only one of its kind. Dynaudio spent 2 years working with VW to tune a 10 speaker sound system to the interior dynamics. The Pontiac G6 doesnt come close in features or reliability and the Volvo equivalent is $10,000 more. It even gets 31 mpg hwy for summer top down crusin.

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  Problems - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Frank - May 5 - 8:23 pm

  The car has had many electrical problems. The cheap battery left me stranded, faulty switches renderd the brake lights useless, the glovebox door breaks repeatedly, and the door locks malfunction. Most of this occured while under warranty, but it still occurs now that the car is out of warranty. Of course, fixing these issues is quite expensive even though I consider them manufacturer defects.

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  New to the VW Family and Loving It - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By VW for Life - May 5 - 9:13 am

  After not even remotely considering a Jetta. I took co-workers suggestions and took one for a test drive. I absolutely fell in love with the car. It handles well and the features that come standard are amazing. I looked at a Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry and the Jetta surpassed them all. Not to mention the sales service that I received were excellent. This was by far the best car buying experience that I have had. I am definitely a VW Jetta fan for life. I love my Jet-Jet.

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  Fastest Bug Ever Made (STOCK) - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By captbill - May 5 - 1:30 am

  This is one of the most fun, sportiest, fastest little speed demons on the road today. It is 6 speeds of pure driving pleasure. Mine has every option that you could have on a little machine from heated leather seats to heated mirrors. This machine rocks! I LOVE IT! Volkswagen outdone themselves on this little baby. The way every window and sunroof closes at 85 to keep you safe and aerodynamic is amazing.

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  1999 Passat 1.8T - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brad Landis - May 5 - 1:13 am

  We love the ride of the car. The 1.8T has a funny hesitation when you step on the gas. The car has been totally unreliable. Its in the shop every 3 months for something. Definitely would not recommend.