Overview & Reviews

The Volkswagen New Beetle was the cute car that started the retro-futurist design craze. It was a modernized version of the legendary VW Beetle and struck a chord with consumers who had grown tired of standard conservative car designs and had fond memories of the "Bugs" from their youth.

But that was 1998. As more than a decade passed without a major redesign, the New Beetle started to seem like a retro version of itself. With sales dropping steadily, VW decided to discontinue the New Beetle after the 2010 model year. A redesigned model, just called the Beetle, debuted a year later.

Shopping for a used New Beetle is pretty straightforward. It didn't change much, so you can shop mostly on price and mileage, though paying attention to engine availability through the years will likely be useful.

Most Recent Volkswagen New Beetle
The first-generation Volkswagen New Beetle was produced from 1998-2010. It was initially only offered as a two-door hatchback, and the convertible showed up for 2003.

Although the New Beetle was based on the Golf platform from the late 1990s, it had less interior space than today's Golf (and the '90s Golf for that matter) as well as most other compact hatchbacks. The front seats were roomy, but the same couldn't be said of the back. Trunk space was tight in the hatchback and even tighter in the convertible. The convertible came with a power-folding top as standard.

Models up to 2005 used the GL, GLS and GLX designations to reflect the various trim levels, as well as a standard 115-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual was standard on the Volkswagen New Beetle, with a four-speed automatic usually optional. A 100-hp 1.9-liter turbodiesel was also offered (the TDI trim) until the end of 2006, when it failed to meet new emissions regulations.

Until the last few years of its lengthy life, turbocharged gasoline engines were a big part of the New Beetle's trim lineup. Sold from 1999-2005, the New Beetle 1.8T was powered by a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder, which put out 150 hp. From 2002-'04, VW included the Turbo S trim in the coupe lineup. It was equipped with a retuned 180-hp version of the 1.8T turbo engine and a six-speed manual transmission. For 2006 and thereafter, the only gasoline-powered engine available was a 2.5-liter five-cylinder that produced 150 hp and was coupled to either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

As the years wore on, Volkswagen added a few features like satellite radio, but changes to the equipment level were light, as the car was pretty well-equipped with items such as air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and in later years, heated seats.

Volkswagen released several special-edition models, though, including limited-edition colors and trim packages. For 2002, VW added a Sport edition, which essentially was a 1.8T with a five-speed manual, 17-inch wheels and a leather interior.

In reviews, we found that the Volkswagen New Beetle excelled at what it was built for -- cruising and being seen in. It was a good choice for young singles or retired folks who only rarely needed a backseat, but other hatchbacks were far more practical. The original base engine was pokey and unrefined, so finding one of the turbocharged units would be a wise idea. The subsequent five-cylinder offered just as much power as the previous turbocharged engines and was more efficient, but wasn't as energetic and sapped some fun out of the Beetle. Those interested in the convertible should be aware that rearview visibility is poor with the top up or down.

User Reviews:

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  garbage - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Beetlehater - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I had so many problems with this car. My air condition stopped working a few times, my window buttons fell off, headlights were always shutting off. The customer service was also pretty bad. Also its an embarrassing car for a guy to be driving. I thought the car was cool when I first got it because it was new and a fad. As the years went on started to loathe the car and hated when people would ask what I drove.

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  Dream Car, Turned Nightmare! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By chiquitadog1 - August 6 - 4:28 pm

  This was my moms dream car, but it has been nothing but a nightmare! The electrical is always goofy, fast blinker, check engine light always on & 6 months after buying, drivers side window wont go down and come back up to the hood seal automatically - a problem Ive heard about from every convertible owner. Another problem Ive heard from every Beetle owner, the water pump either breaks or leaks. The transmission is this cars biggest downfall. After owning it for 1.5 years the transmission would get very touchy, stuck in gear, hard shifting, funny sounds, esp in stop & go traffic or when trying to go after coming to a stop. Finally went completely out while after stopping at a red light.

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  My first new beetle since 1970 - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By BigJer - August 3 - 2:00 am

  This was supposed to be my wifes car and I didnt drive it until several weeks after we had made the purchase. Once I drove it I found it to have excellent ride and handing. I didnt think that 115HP and an A/T would be ample for interstate merging and passing but on a recent trip from La Quinta, Ca. to Las Vegas, NV I was traveling 75mph on long upgrades and still had plenty of the "GO" pedal in reserve. Terrific little car!

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  I have gotten my moneys worth! - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Emilee - July 30 - 11:16 pm

  Bought my bug used on Ebay for $6500 with 75,000 miles on it. It now has $130K miles and is still going strong. I have maintained this vehicle and it only broke down once when some board fried out and cost me $238. The AC Compressor did go out and the dealership quoted $1200 to replace it. Instead I bought a compressor on Ebay for $200 and my mechanic put it in for $200 and its been working fine. It seems like the headlights and brake lights go out a lot and are very expensive to replace. Poor design that allows water intrusion. The trunk latch and gas cap latch stopped working at 100K and the alarm has never worked right. Minor issues overall! I still love it & would buy another.

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  Yep Yep my Bug is Sexy! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Cheetoz - July 29 - 4:40 am

  I absoluety love my bug! Im a new driver and its really easy learning to drive in it. You just feel good when driving. It makes you comfortable. Youre not at all worried about whos going to see you in some busted up lemon. Confidence is key, if you feel good about what youre driving, you drive well. Its gotten to the piont of being annoying, because most of my friends are talking about getting one. So to keep from falling into the crowd make sure its personalized from the licsense plate to the extra long dashbroad!

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  Doodlebug Girl - 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Amy - July 24 - 2:30 pm

  I like this car because it is so very comfortable and very attractive.

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  Not suited to the weaker sex - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By gebrimner - July 23 - 10:00 am

  The convertible top is the reason to buy but it is not easy to use. The handle to pull and latch the top is hard for a woman to use. Likewise when the top is down the cover boot for the top is required to be in place and it too is difficult to latch. The cover boot was replaced for a better fit but still suffers from difficulty to push the latches into the locking slots. Dealer suggestion to place the boot cover on while heated up is a joke!

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  I hope its a fluke!!! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By littlesister - July 16 - 2:00 am

  After owning a money pit convertible bug in high school, my husband and I purchased this car (to make up for past wrongs, I guess). With only 80 miles on the odometer, it broke down! A pressure sensor in the turbo failed. Ten days later, the top would not go up. Other than that, we both love it. It is cyber green and way too fun for its own good. We opted for the 5-speed manual turbo and love the power. Our daughters think its so cool and always want us to drive them to school with the top down. It handles beautifully.

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  Please do not buy - save yourself - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lpdjam - July 16 - 2:00 am

  This car has been in the shop over 15 times in 8 months. The roof does not go up or down most the time. The windows dont go up and down some of the time. The conv. top cables, motor, computer sensor. The roof and electrical system are a total mess. Not even to go into the airbag light going on and not parts available to repair at this time.

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  Buyer Beware - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Brian - July 12 - 8:30 am

  I bought my Volkswagen Beetle new in 2002. Weve had nothing but trouble with it. It has tons of rattles that cant be fixed. the hatchback shocks failed three times and the CD player has never worked. We had to have a complete engin rebuild at 58,000 miles (the engine came apart) and a dealer that doesnt give a darn. Do yourself a favor buy a Honda or Toyota.