VW New Beetle Test Drive
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-HOW IT LOOKS.
Well, pretty much the same as it did when it came out for the 2008 model year.
Sure, they changed the fenders, front and rear end a few years ago. To make it “less round”.
Otherwise it pretty much looks the same as ever. Especially the interior.
I personally love the design. So I’m not complaining. But I realize it is not for everyone.
Actually, most people like more boring looking cars.
So the Bug, the Mini and other “cool” and different looking cars are not the most popular kids around.
-HOW IT IS INSIDE.
The interior is pretty much the same as it was back in 1998. Which is best described as “different”.
The dashboard is really, really deep.
Weird for a car, more like what you’d expect in a minivan. But it does give this small car an open feel. Everything is kind of far, like the rear view mirror.
After driving one, every other car feels almost claustrophobic.
The stereo on the convertible version I drove was a Moonsoon system and sounded great. The coupe had a cheaper set up that just sounded “pretty good”.
The seats are really good. They look kind of flat, but they do hold you really nicely.
The whole interior has a high quality feel to it. And still looks original and unique, even 11 years later.
-HOW IT DRIVES.
-Ride.
The ride is always smooth if a bit firm. At least with the standard 16 inch wheels. The convertible had larger 17 inch wheels and I could tell the difference.
The coupe’s smaller wheels were quite a bit smoother.
But it is never harsh in either version.
The coupe does feel like a tank. And of course, the convertible, a bit less so. Especially with these super tall side windows, that tend to rattle a bit over bad roads.
-Steering.
The steering is a bit firm and very precise. In a word, very German. But again. the convertible, with the 17 inch wheels, had a much firmer steering. Still fine to me. But it might be a bit much for most people.
-Engine.
The newer 2.5 Liter engine is smoother and quieter than the old 2.0 Liter. It is pretty much always quiet, even when you push it. Which you don’t need to to as often, thanks to the extra power.
And it also get better mileage too.
I test drove a 2.0 Liter a few years ago and averaged about 21MPG in a week of mostly city driving.
The new one got me about 23MPG in similar conditions.
Not great, still. But better.
-Transmission.
The 6 speed auto is one of the smoothest automatic around. It is even better with the new engine.
Not sure about the coupe, but you cannot order a manual with the convertible anymore.
-SO??
I really love the New Beetle. Convertible and coupe.
It is still one of my favorite car to drive around. At the same time, I realize it is not for everyone.
But , as with every VWs, the main concern is reliability.
And it has been at the bottom of most surveys in the US.
A tough choice between a fun looking a great driving car VS a reliable but boring one.
A conendrum that repeats itself in most aspects of our life on Earth.
The “eternal” choice between fun and good.
With all the cars available today, there are many that are both "fun and good".
You don't any longer need an unreliable car to have fun.
that car we was desgined by hitler s best friend this sgould never be sold her wheer we ll stan an d the did nt come out in 98 it came out while hitler was running germany decades a go get your facts straight it is an old design s nd should n not be on the e e road i a can tell you i dont allow them o n on the road in beautiful modest o c c california
I can't understand why VW ranks so low in the U.S. but much higher everywhere else. I've always had at least one VW/Audi vehicle in my garage. One of my current cars is an Audi. It's my fifth VW/Audi and I've had very good luck.
Vince, did you take a look at the trunk? Not very useful…
Also maybe interior looks decent but not so much the cheap steel exposed in the doors.
I'm suprised you found the manual 6 speed smooth but maybe they fixed it in the last models. I don't know definition of fun for this car but it's certainly not sporty.
For $19K+ way overpriced. Imagine what you can buy for that…
I never said I drove the 6 speed manual, so I have no idea how i is.
Carsdirect has the car for about $2000 less than MSRP. For around $17000.
To each, his own. I hate the look of the New Beetle.
i've been reading this blog for some time. not bad at all…
..but in this case. You have a fun looking great driving car much more reliable than most of american boring cars….
.. VW is above all a quality freak brand, and that quality is easily seen in the cars
Hey, you like that new Beetle???
Pay close attention to the rubberized material around the door handles. It will peel off about a year later and expose cheap shiny plastic underneath that isn't even the same color.
Notice how the window goes up and down when you hit the button? After about six months the regulator will fail, and about yearly after that. This will cost you a ton of money.
Is the check engine light on? Well if it isn't, just wait a bit. It will come on many, many times.
Catalytic converter functioning properly? Wait a couple years, it will fail.
That stereo sounds great doesn't it? Yeah, you will go through two head units in about 4 years. Speakers will then quit working for no reason.
That vast expanse of plastic in front of you looks stupid doesn't it? It will also sound stupid in cold weather where it will creak and rattle. Vince, you say it is has a quality feel? It is CHEAP HARD PLASTIC!!!
That cool spoiler on the turbo model that goes up and down will break twice.
The headlights have a tendency to burn out prematurely. You have to REMOVE THE BUMPER to replace the headlamp. Instead of taking two minutes to replace like on any other car, it takes over an hour. If you have it done at the dealer, it will cost you over $200 to have a flipping bulb replaced!!!!!
My best friend had a Beetle for six years. It is HANDS DOWN the worst vehicle that she has ever owned and I have ever encountered.
I will go on to say that FOUR VW products have been LEMONED where I work.
" Anonymous said…
i've been reading this blog for some time. not bad at all…
..but in this case. You have a fun looking great driving car much more reliable than most of american boring cars….
.. VW is above all a quality freak brand, and that quality is easily seen in the cars"
There is not a SINGLE American car in this vehicles segment that is LESS reliabile. Check your facts, check Consumer Reports, check JD Power. As for the Beetle being a "quality" vehicle, please see my post above.
I made the mistake of purchasing a 2006 GTI and sold it after a year and a half. In the ~500 days I owned it, it spent nearly 80 days in the shop (at multiple dealers). I should have trusted what I read in the publication I mentioned above. I thought that they couldn't be THAT bad as everyone says, they are. VWs are awful.
VW is TRASH.
Their reliability record is awful, their dealer service is abysmal, and their resale value is nil. Trust me, I learned the hard way.
"My best friend had a Beetle for six years. It is HANDS DOWN the worst vehicle that she has ever owned and I have ever encountered. "
Then why did she keep if for six years?
I've owned two VWs and other family members have owned VWs and Audis also. None of the issues you've said are common have happened to me or to anyone that I'm aware of. A broken cup holder spring, a failed Bose door speaker and a discolored VW logo are all the issues I've ever had to deal with outside of normal wear and tear in my last VW. No excessive maintenance during the 150k miles before I sold it. Maybe those things wouldn't have happened in a Camry, but I don't wear pleated chinos with a fanny pack and white sneakers. So I'm not permitted in a Toyota or Honda dealership.
People love to exaggerate and make stuff up.
"Anonymous said…
"My best friend had a Beetle for six years. It is HANDS DOWN the worst vehicle that she has ever owned and I have ever encountered. "
Then why did she keep if for six years?
I've owned two VWs and other family members have owned VWs and Audis also. None of the issues you've said are common have happened to me or to anyone that I'm aware of. A broken cup holder spring, a failed Bose door speaker and a discolored VW logo are all the issues I've ever had to deal with outside of normal wear and tear in my last VW. No excessive maintenance during the 150k miles before I sold it. Maybe those things wouldn't have happened in a Camry, but I don't wear pleated chinos with a fanny pack and white sneakers. So I'm not permitted in a Toyota or Honda dealership.
People love to exaggerate and make stuff up."
She couldn't sell it because she couldn't afford to, you prick. That is what happens when your father gets (and eventually dies) of cancer.
The problems that I have mentioned are all WELL documented problems, they aren't a one off. Open up Consumer Reports or browse VW Vortex (great resource when I had my GTI). I had some of the above mentioned problems in my GTI.
Your mentality for not driving a Toyota or a Honda is flat out dumb. So should I stereotype you as someone who has a Starbucks cup in hand, uses a Mac, is a hardcore democrat, and shops at Whole Foods? THAT is the VW stereotype.
You have no idea what you are talking about. Again, FOUR VW products where I work have been lemoned. Two Touearegs, a Passat, and an A4. All you have to do is check JD Power and Consumer reports. They survey THOUSANDS of consumers, but hey, they are all making it up, right? Companies don't get a bad reputation for no reason.
Idiot.
-MR
"Anonymous said… Maybe those things wouldn't have happened in a Camry, but I don't wear pleated chinos with a fanny pack and white sneakers. So I'm not permitted in a Toyota or Honda dealership.
June 16, 2009 9:48 AM"
We are labeling people who drive a certain brand now?
I think that you wear assless chaps and a mesh tanktop. Do you sometimes start singing YMCA and "It's raining men" out of the blue? Do you have a gay pride/rainbow sticker on the back of your Beetle? VW is the #1 vehicle brand purchased and researched by the homosexual community, so I will call you gay for driving a VW.
Seriously, go do the research yourself. You are making yourself sound stupid.
I also don't understand why VWs in America seem to be so unreliable, because in Europe they aren't. However, the New Beetle is absolutely no fun car to drive. It feels like a tank, it feels heavy and absolutely not fast or like it was made for curves. For me it was always not sporty enough. Drive a Ford Ka and you know what is missing…