What do you guys know about VW New Beetles?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Boz Mon
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Boz Mon
Ok, so the general consensus is that the Beetle is cheap, slow, boring, filled with electrical bugs, and even more boring, but its safe? Does that pretty much cover it?
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Yes.

So find a diesel. Even more slow and boring but far and away better on fuel.
 
What about this?
Volkswagen_New_Beetle_RSi.jpg


Pretty good for some AWD hoonage. There actually are some in Mexico that have not been sold. Downside? Its $58,000
 
My brother got one New Beetle 1.9 TDI since 6-7 years if memory serves me right, it looks awful in my opinion but it's quite comfortable, low consumes and he didn't got any problem up to now.
 
Boz Mon
Ok, so the general consensus is that the Beetle is cheap, slow, boring, filled with electrical bugs, and even more boring, but its safe? Does that pretty much cover it?
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VW/Audi vehicles with the 1.8T are turds. There's a reason they depreciate as quickly as a carton of milk.

Regarding safety; no car is safe with a 16 y/o female new driver. Teenage males get into more serious accidents, but I'd wager females get into more accidents in total. I'd also argue that women run over crap all the time (curbs, parking stops, medians, etc) and generally trash whatever vehicle they have after the honeymoon is over. Sure, there's exceptions...but since you don't know yet you may want to play it safe.

Your sister needs a car that is 'safe' for when she decides to cause a multi-car pile up, a car that can run over stuff w/o removing the oil pan, will not be a regular at the repair shop, and has room to fit all the crap she will eventually leave in it. Your sister needs an SUV...preferably body-on-frame.

Think Ford Explorer, Honda CRV, or some other SUV/CUV that isn't a GM product.

Expect your sister to be the worst driver in the western hemisphere, but hope for better.
 
BrutherSuperior
Your sister needs a car that is 'safe' for when she decides to cause a multi-car pile up, a car that can run over stuff w/o removing the oil pan, will not be a regular at the repair shop, and has room to fit all the crap she will eventually leave in it. Your sister needs an SUV...preferably body-on-frame.
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BOO! BOOOOOOO! HISSSSSSS! You, sir, are a cad and a bounder. This is the EXACT thinking that is ruining the public roads for everyone, including those that should now how to drive but never bothered to learn because they didn't have to, thanks to the perceived (and artificial) safety of an SUV with electronic nannies.
 
The trunk is useless. I remember trying to help a girl load hers when she was moving; it was hard not to laugh. Apparently they are optimally designed to not fit anything of any normal shape, despite not being particularly small.
 
Philly
The trunk is useless. I remember trying to help a girl load hers when she was moving; it was hard not to laugh. Apparently they are optimally designed to not fit anything of any normal shape, despite not being particularly small.
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As is the back seat. My daughter couldn't comfortably ride back there when she was 14-15, even by herself.
 
Aren't VW Bugs known to be one of the worlds most unreliable cars?
Or at least that's what my dad says.
He said 85% of the mileage on his older beetle was from him pushing it. lol
 
Original Bug has zero in common with the New Beetle.
 
Duke
Original Bug has zero in common with the New Beetle.
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OK, I don't have much experience with the new ones, nor does anyone else I know, so that was a bit of a question as well as my contribution to the topic.
 
Duke
BOO! BOOOOOOO! HISSSSSSS! You, sir, are a cad and a bounder. This is the EXACT thinking that is ruining the public roads for everyone, including those that should now how to drive but never bothered to learn because they didn't have to, thanks to the perceived (and artificial) safety of an SUV with electronic nannies.
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Listen munson; there's absolutely nothing safe about a 16 y/o girl behind the wheel of a new car....SUV or not. Some people never learn to drive just like some never learn to read an entire post. That's why every parent/sibling of a new driver should expect the worst and hope for best.

You cannot teach or train someone to not be an airhead.
 
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So I performed a used car inspection today on a Beetle with the 2.slow engine.

60,072 miles.

Airbag light on
Soft top wouldn't go down completely
Driverside window would go up halfway and bind up
Lights on the gear selector flicker when you fiddle with them/bump the center console


Off the top of my head of what I could remember, but they're all pretty much like this.

Honestly, I work for a Hyundai dealership and I would 100% recommend any newer Hyundai over a Beetle. Much more reliable, cheaper, more fun, and IMO better looking.
 
BrutherSuperior
Listen munson; there's absolutely nothing safe about a 16 y/o girl behind the wheel of a new car....SUV or not. Some people never learn to drive just like some never learn to read an entire post. That's why every parent/sibling of a new driver should expect the worst and hope for best.

You cannot teach or train someone to not be an airhead.
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Thing is... Putting said "unsafe" 16 y/o girl behind the wheel of a 5000+lb SUV just makes her do that much more damage when she hits something.

A Beetle is light and small enough to not completely obliterate whatever it hits yet strong enough to hold up to being hit. So it's about perfect.

I'd say to force her to drive a fairly slow manual trans car... She'll probably kick and scream about it at first (as did a friend of the family's daughter) but it'll make her a better driver overall.
 
BrutherSuperior
Listen munson; there's absolutely nothing safe about a 16 y/o girl behind the wheel of a new car....SUV or not. Some people never learn to drive just like some never learn to read an entire post. That's why every parent/sibling of a new driver should expect the worst and hope for best.

You cannot teach or train someone to not be an airhead.
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Speaking as the parent of 18-year-old and 15-year-old girls, I'm going to have to go ahead and differ with you on that. I have had my 18-year-old compete in her own car in every autocross event I've attended since she got her license. She knows that when you're driving, you're driving. I do expect the worst - she's already had a minor accident - but under no circumstances do I think that the solution is to buy her a big, heavy, crappy-handling tank and send her out in it. That does a serious disservice to both her AND everyone she shares the road with.
 
So my dad bought a beetle today. Heres the scoop:

The car has about 117k miles on it, and the previous owner (who had it for about a year) had all of the 100k work done, along with a crap ton of other stuff for a total of about $4000 of work at a dealer. He was going to pay $4000 for the car, but apparently yesterday the fuel pump went out on it, so he got it for $3300, and is currently en route to get a new pump to change it today. The car is in pretty good shape minus some interior flaws and like 1 ding on the outside. Auto tranny, heated seats, the whole 9 yards.

The funny thing is that everything that was fixed on the car, was one of his points on convincing me to get a naturally aspirated Miata as opposed to a Mazdaspeed, so IMO, he is being a bit of a hypocrite, but thats no big deal.
 
Considering that most of that work was done, you're better off than not having it completed. I'd give the car at least another 15-20K before anything serious would have to be looked at again. But, yeah, it is a Volkswagen.

Good luck!
 
We just finished swapping out the fuel pump and the car is running again. There is a strange noise coming from under the hood that sounds like an electric motor is running while the car is off.
 
Rad fan? The fan in my friends Prelude would run with the car off to help cool the engine down after you turned it off if it was hot out.

Wheres the sound coming from? Pin point the noise, and you should know whats making it. Then its just a matter of finding out why...
 
My Jetta that had the same 2.0L I4 used to do it for a minute or so after shut-off, just to cool things down. My guess is that is what the sound is.
 
Better off buying her a Jetta or Golf. She'll get more practicality out of them instead of the Beetle.

Me personally, after seeing my older brother's pains when dealing with his Rabbit's long list of problems, and my friend's VW Golf have lot's of problems, I'd buy her a used Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

By the way, I'm a firm believer that a person's first car should be a used car.
 
sumbrownkid
By the way, I'm a firm believer that a person's first car should be a used car.
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I'd probably agree with this,even tho I dont drive. I took lessons years ago in a new car but it beinfg very new tge clutch was uber tight and I couldnt feel the bite point even when wearing slippers. I tried my brothers old but much bigger car at one point and could literally feel the difference!
 
Boz Mon
We just finished swapping out the fuel pump and the car is running again. There is a strange noise coming from under the hood that sounds like an electric motor is running while the car is off.
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Could be the auxiliary water pump. Does the noise stop after about 10 minutes?
 
The noise eventually stopped. We detailed the stupid thing yesterday and it looks pretty good now. The trunk lid is already having latching issues. I cant wait to see what kind of issues this thing ends up having...
 
new beetle's are fugly as hell for start, that among whats already been said..buying one for a 16 y/o girl is not the bets idea, regardless if she wants one because it 'looks nice'.

i wouldn't spend much on something that is going to get its fair bit of abuse/end up in an accident or something (depends on her driving knowledge/skills), like sumbrownkid get something used and in fairly decent condition like a honda/toyota etc
 

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