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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  Too Bad - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jerry - September 13 - 6:16 pm

  This was a fun car. But its low level of quality really stinks. Something was always broken. The bulbs for the headlight are impossible to change if the plastic mounting/locking device for the headlight assembly break (the dealer confirmed that was the case). 10,000 miles before the timing belt was due to be changed the tensioner broke destroying the engine. And because VW makes the engine mounting holes different for different models with the same engine you can not interchange them. This became a pricey repair ($7,000 before it was done). The airbag and a sensor both went bad. Several sensors went bad. It was a nightmare. I was very happy to get rid of it.

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  Worst Car - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By lvazquez1watcx - September 11 - 4:55 pm

  I bought this car on June 2011. it had less than 90, 000 miles on it. few months after i bought it, the flap panels broke, headliner started falling apart and the inside began to deteriorate. when it hit 100,000 miles the transmission started acting up, the valve body ended up need replaced. the headlights and anything electrical really is always acting up. i got this car at the VW dealership and thought i was getting a good deal on it, but not even 2 years later and i have already put thousands of dollars into its repairs. I am a nursing student and this is probably the least reliable car you could own. Have filed a complaint with the BBB, but never received a response.

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  Think Twice - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dtown73 - July 31 - 11:00 pm

  It looked great on the lot. I did my due diligence and had the car checked out prior to purchase - where they found a rear-main leak, bad CV Boot, and some other minor items. All-in-All it seemed like a great vehicle for my teenage daughter. The car was a nightmare - ELECTRICAL problems. I had read that on Edmunds - but ignored it. The ECM was replaced 3 times. My daughter was stranded 6 times over 11 months. Thank GOD i purchased an extended warranty (1yr/12,000miles) for $1,100 (the premium warranty) - which covered (ready for this) $4,652.27 in repairs. Please Think Twice before throwing good money after bad. Traded it yesterday for a 2012 Nissan Versa... never again VW.

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  Used to like it.... - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Gettin_an_Audi... - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I am the original owner of a Blue New Beetle, we have had to Replace the 02 sensor, the windoew controls twice, window regulator, and just yesterday, door latch sensor, air conditioning filter, mass air sensor, etc - most of which were all out of warrenty. The car was decent - I got it as my first car. The safety was definetly a selling factor. But, if we would have known all the issues it was going to have, we never would have bought it. My interior door handles are peeling too, and I dont use lotion... VW sure gives everyone the run around.

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  please read before buying beetle - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By hatevw1 - July 22 - 8:54 pm

  i bought my 2000 new beetle in feb 2010 and i have put probably 3000 or more into it with repairs have seen it be towed away 4 times, left me stranded for all those times. i have done nothing but regret buying that car. yes its cute but thats it. i am honestly scared to drive it places in fear that it will leave me stranded again. its a piece of junk, and everything is expensive to fix and a pain to fix as well. i do not suggest anyone buys this car. i really wish they would stop making them to be honest. that breaks my heart to say because i always dreamed of owning a beetle and that dream has turned into a nightmare.

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  Never again... - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Mandys - June 8 - 10:00 am

  If you are considering it, dont. At this point, I doubt that anything more could go wrong with it...4 power window switches, 2 Oxygen Sensors, 1 power mirror switch 1 uncontrollable dead battery right after crappy 2 year warranty expired, knicks all over fenders after 1st week off lot, no warning when I leave lights on, when locking doors w/ remote the car beeps, but the doors do not lock, brakes replaced by VW, they now squeak, and apparently nothing can be done about this, it is terribly embarrassing

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  dont buy!!!!!! - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By nothinggood - March 15 - 10:00 am

  I will never buy another VW again, something is always going wrong with my car!!! Dont buy one!

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  Poor Craftsmanship, Gas Mileage, and Reliability - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By DJBoca - February 5 - 3:40 am

  This car looks nice, rides nice, but then things start to break. Ive replaced the convertible top, drivers door, key cylinder, all the window motors, various sensors in the engine, and the convertible flaps. So much goes wrong. Im in a love / hate relationship with this thing. I love to drive it and I love the windshield angle / distance, but hate the constant breakdowns. A door replacement took three weeks to fix. This car is not worth it. Find something else.

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  Terrible Wretch of a Car - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By dansmiles - February 2 - 2:00 am

  This is a terrible car! The worst I have ever heard of! It breaks all of the time. It keeps on getting recalled. Also, every time a headlight goes out, I have to take it to a dealership and pay someone $80 per hour to have a mechanic install the new headlight, because you have to have a special tool that not even my regular mechanic has. It cost me $50 to have a $5 headlight installed!

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  Never ever going back again - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By notlovingmybug - January 30 - 10:39 pm

  I consider this car a lesson learned in poor decisions. I purchased this car new in 2008 and have had numerous problems. So many in fact Im not sure I can list much less remember them all. I will make this short (as possible) and sweet(as possible). The passenger side window motor stopped working, the radio buttons stick, the console top has broken twice, the compressor is barely working therefore I have almost zero air conditioning and the transmission is failing. Not to mention the car has an odd odor that I cannot get rid of. A light continually stays on that I was told needed a computer upgrade but the dealership never seemed to have the "disc". Too many problems to list.