This "buggy" punches back!
The redesigned VW Beetle is no longer the bubbly, girly car with a flower pot in the dashboard; its grown up and its great!
The VW Beetle (or "Bug") is one of the most recognizable cars in the world. It is also one of the best selling cars in the world and has been in production since WWII. Since that time it has only been redesigned twice with the current Beetle on the market since 2012. The current Beetle blends styling from the original and from the previous model meaning that it still has a very distinct style but is modern as well. It is wider and more aggressive looking than the super bubbly, circular model of the early 2000's. It is now based on the Golf platform meaning that there is more room and better driving dynamics.
Take a look:
Different Styles:
In true VW fashion, the Beetle is offered in a wide range of setups. It has 2 doors, and 4 seats. However it can be a hard top (known as the hatchback) or a convertible. Depending on the year, the Beetle can have a variety of engines such as: a 2.5L 5 cylinder, a 1.8L Turbo 4 cylinder, a 2.0L Turbo 4 cylinder, a higher output 2.0L Turbo 4 cylinder, or a 2.0L Turbo 4 cylinder diesel.
The 2.5L engine is no longer available in the 2015 year.
Transmissions are: 5 speed manual or 6 speed auto for the 2.5L and 1.8L engines. A 6 speed manual or 6 speed automated manual (DSG) are for the TDI or 2.0L turbo engines.
The 2.5L engine is no longer available in the 2015 year.
Transmissions are: 5 speed manual or 6 speed auto for the 2.5L and 1.8L engines. A 6 speed manual or 6 speed automated manual (DSG) are for the TDI or 2.0L turbo engines.
Styling and Comfort Impressions:
Good job VW at making the Beetle no longer a "lady bug". This car has great looks on the outside. It keeps the style and outline of the original car while adding new modern touches like the lights, wheels and use of slim chrome stripes. Its curved lines and wide lower body make it look like its ready to go whenever you are. It has relatively large windows and the wheels fill up the car nicely.
Going inside means more great looks. While the new Jetta has a functional but relatively plain interior, the Beetle looks funky fresh. Yes it may have some hard shiny plastics, but they look great in it. The theme is curves, and it works. The different colour combos are fun and really can make the car yours. The front dash is pretty simple and functional just like in it's Golf and Jetta siblings but it just gives you the feeling like you have to touch it. With the turbo engines it also has 3 little gauges on the top center to show you how your oil temp, turbo psi and time are doing, a little touch that looks great. The sound system is fantastic and comes with 8 speakers as a standard setup. The front seats are sporty and very comfortable and supportive. Visibility is pretty good in all directions except through the rear view mirror. Its not that the rear window is small, but the mirror itself is just too small, like really small. It comes with a lot of features and heated front seats are always nice.
Take a look:
Going inside means more great looks. While the new Jetta has a functional but relatively plain interior, the Beetle looks funky fresh. Yes it may have some hard shiny plastics, but they look great in it. The theme is curves, and it works. The different colour combos are fun and really can make the car yours. The front dash is pretty simple and functional just like in it's Golf and Jetta siblings but it just gives you the feeling like you have to touch it. With the turbo engines it also has 3 little gauges on the top center to show you how your oil temp, turbo psi and time are doing, a little touch that looks great. The sound system is fantastic and comes with 8 speakers as a standard setup. The front seats are sporty and very comfortable and supportive. Visibility is pretty good in all directions except through the rear view mirror. Its not that the rear window is small, but the mirror itself is just too small, like really small. It comes with a lot of features and heated front seats are always nice.
Take a look:
Headroom and legroom are ample in the front thanks to the high curved roof. The car doesn't feel very small even though it actually is. The doors are large and long which means two things. 1, that entry into the back seat isn't that bad. 2, that opening them in tight parking spaces may be tricky. Speaking about that back seat, its not too large. If you are over 6 feet your head will be hitting the top, but legroom isn't that bad depending on who is sitting in front of you. It definitely has more room in the back than the Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, or Hyundai Veloster. If you are in the convertible head room is then fantastic when the roof is open and even when it is closed it feels better and the top is soft. Finally the trunk space, its not that bad, but it could be better. Due to the extreme slope of the back on the hatchback, the trunk isn't very deep and height is cut off when the rear seats are up, reducing the space to maybe just a few small suitcases. However with rear seats down the space is quite large. In the convertible the trunk space is just like other convertibles, tiny. But thanks to the fold down rear seats it may still be possible to drive to the ski hill with the top down.
Driving Impressions:
I was not able to drive the convertible or the diesel. However since the diesel is the same as in the Jetta and Golf, please refer to my review of the Jetta TDI here: 2011-14 VW Jetta TDI
I was only able to try the 2.5L 5 cylinder but will try to drive the Golf 1.8L turbo later, or possibly the 2.0L turbo.
First you start the motor, the great sounding 5 cylinder motor. It definitely feels and sounds larger than a 4 cylinder. It has a nice quiet rumble during idle and sounds like a much more powerful engine under acceleration. It is very smooth and provides plenty of power at any speed. Acceleration is quick but when its put in sport mode it really wants to go with fast shifts in either direction. This car is fun to drive for sure! While the engine may make some noise under hard acceleration it is in no way loud and the car is pretty quiet at any speed in terms of road or wind noise. The car rides well over bumps and cracks in the road but also has a bit of a sporty firmness that makes you want to just whip it around corners.
Visibility is great (except that rear view mirror) and it is easy to maneuver in tight parking lots. One thing that seems a bit odd though is that the rear window does not have a wiper on it, which it could probably use.
I was only able to try the 2.5L 5 cylinder but will try to drive the Golf 1.8L turbo later, or possibly the 2.0L turbo.
First you start the motor, the great sounding 5 cylinder motor. It definitely feels and sounds larger than a 4 cylinder. It has a nice quiet rumble during idle and sounds like a much more powerful engine under acceleration. It is very smooth and provides plenty of power at any speed. Acceleration is quick but when its put in sport mode it really wants to go with fast shifts in either direction. This car is fun to drive for sure! While the engine may make some noise under hard acceleration it is in no way loud and the car is pretty quiet at any speed in terms of road or wind noise. The car rides well over bumps and cracks in the road but also has a bit of a sporty firmness that makes you want to just whip it around corners.
Visibility is great (except that rear view mirror) and it is easy to maneuver in tight parking lots. One thing that seems a bit odd though is that the rear window does not have a wiper on it, which it could probably use.
Overall:
The current VW Beetle is a great little car. If you are looking for a small funky car to have fun driving, but find the Mini and Fiat too small, the Beetle may be the perfect choice. It has great looks, great performance, you can get it as a convertible, and it actually can fit 4 people. Depending on your situation it may be the perfect first car or a very cool second car to the household. It should have the same fit and build quality as most of the new VW products which is quite good. With the variety of engine options you should be able to find a perfect fit for you.
Facts/ Figures:
Price new (1.8L, and TDI engines): $24,000+, $27,000+
FWD
Max HP: ( 2.5L: 170),(1.8L: 170),(TDI: 140)
Max Torque lb/ft: (2.5L: 177),(1.8L: 184),(TDI: 236)
MPG (approx*): (2.5L) 22 city; 29 highway. (1.8L) 25 city; 33 highway. (TDI) 29 city; 39 highway
Cargo room (approx*): 15 / 30 CuFt (convertible: 7 CuFt)
Length: 168"
Width: 72"
Tank Size (gal): 14.5
Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 362, 420, 493
Average used price with 60,000KM or less (80,000KM or less for the TDI) : $17,000+ ($24,000+)
* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic.
**No pictures featured are my own, they have been taken either from Google images or the manufacturer's website and their rightful owners should get any credit for them. This review featured all pictures from the manufacturer's websites ( some through Edmunds.com).
Price new (1.8L, and TDI engines): $24,000+, $27,000+
FWD
Max HP: ( 2.5L: 170),(1.8L: 170),(TDI: 140)
Max Torque lb/ft: (2.5L: 177),(1.8L: 184),(TDI: 236)
MPG (approx*): (2.5L) 22 city; 29 highway. (1.8L) 25 city; 33 highway. (TDI) 29 city; 39 highway
Cargo room (approx*): 15 / 30 CuFt (convertible: 7 CuFt)
Length: 168"
Width: 72"
Tank Size (gal): 14.5
Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 362, 420, 493
Average used price with 60,000KM or less (80,000KM or less for the TDI) : $17,000+ ($24,000+)
* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic.
**No pictures featured are my own, they have been taken either from Google images or the manufacturer's website and their rightful owners should get any credit for them. This review featured all pictures from the manufacturer's websites ( some through Edmunds.com).
