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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  Never again - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By twilliams - May 22 - 10:33 pm

  Bought car w/only 17,000 miles-1 owner. Brakes/front needed new w/rotors @ 37,000 miles. R/brakes w/rotors @ 58,000. R/hatch takes 2-3 hits to release. Have had 4 low beam bulbs burn out! Dealer charges $$$ 2 replace. Check engine light on, thermostat eng. Temp light on yet nothing wrong at all. Interior continues to fall apart- radio presets, visor clip, hand brake knob, dash vent close knob, tilt/tele. Rubber knob loose, glove comp. Latch ready to fall apart anytime now. Will never buy a Volkswagen again no matter what model. Have a few months to pay off, then selling it before it fails me for good. I maintain my cars well & drive them easy. Worst car ever owned- period.

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  Good riddance - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Theresa - May 22 - 5:33 pm

  Being a baby boomer I just HAD to have one of these. Big mistake. Once things started going south it was fast and furious. The biggest downer was having to have the transmission replaced for $3500. While it was there they managed to find another $500 worth of work. Part prices are ridiculous. A dash light was always coming on for one reason or another. The cup holder was just plain dumb and there was no CD player--oh yeah--you could put one in the trunk if you wanted to. The gas mileage was terrible for a car that small. Overall workmanship was shabby. I have made it my mission to tell anyone who will listen how poor the overall quality is.Dont make the same mistake I did.

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  I would not recommend this car. - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By SAM# - March 28 - 10:00 am

  This car to me is very much not worth the money. There are way too many problems with the car as you can read on the other forums here in edmunds. I have had mine for four months and overall am not happy with it. The automatic transmission is not good at all - horrible shifting at all the wrong times. Cruise control is the worst Ive used on any car. At cruseing speed the engine whines at a most annoying pitch also. MANY problems with the Beetle and check engine lights, airbag lights, power windows not working correctly, motors on the hatch not working with many other problems. This is not a one car problem, so watch what you buy.

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  What a piece of Crap! - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Bug Loather - January 2 - 10:00 am

  My wife just "had to have it". Bought it used (it was 2 years old and had only 12K on it). Ended up buying the extended warrenty for 1K cause the factory warrenty had expired and thanked my lucky stars for buying it. Lets see....problems included windows, battery, headlights (many times) trunk/gas release, rust, radio, interior pealing, door seals falling in and my favorite. The gremlin that lives in are car and rolls the windows down by itself while we sleep. STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAR, DONT GET IT WET AND DEFINATELY DONT FEED IT AFTER MIDNIGHT!!!

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  Worst Mistake Of My Life - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By design_o_mite - December 22 - 10:34 pm

  Within three days of buying a 2004 Beetle convertible from a used dealer for $8,600 (incl CA sales tax and dealer fees), it became obvious the tranny had issues. (88K miles on the car.) Less than 2 months later, Ive replaced the transmission, and axle, the triptronic...to the tune of $6500. Im not into this car 15K and every week, something new (engine valve) keeps popping up. The dealer had to have known--the car didnt "know" what gear it was in the first time I took it on the highway. It only made it the 5 miles home after purchase uneventful. Ive now maxed out my credit cards and even w/ the new tranny, the car is STILL shifting choppily!

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  2000 Volkswagen Beetle - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By sandy - November 29 - 9:43 am

  I purchased this car for my daughter. Its the worst car weve ever had. Major problems. Interior parts come off in your hand. Go to web sites before purchasing a bug. I traded it for a Saturn!

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  Worst car on market - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Jules1477 - November 17 - 2:00 am

  This car has been nothing but trouble: the gas mileage is half of what it should be, the dealership lied about the length of the warranty in relation to the length of our lease, and when we tried to get out of the lease early found out that they have this weird policy that could cost you thousands of dollars. Go with something else, preferably that doesnt share a service center even with VW

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  Looks are so deceiving... - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ncnurse - October 31 - 1:18 am

  I bought mine in March 2010 with 60k miles on it. She ran perfectly...for 6 months. The catalytic converter went out immediately followed by a wheel bearing. 2 months later the ignition coils and spark plugs went out. Ive put around $2500 into this car, which Ive dubbed Beelzebub since everything that can go wrong, has. The a/c went out at the beginning of this summer and now the gears grind when I put it into reverse. While the turbo is awesome (and the reason behind my 3 speeding tickets) the reliability just isnt there. Im trading this car in a.s.a.p. because I refuse to put any more money into it.

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  Volkswagen should be ashamed of themselves - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By IhateVW - September 22 - 7:06 pm

  I purchased the car of my dreams an aqua blue Beetle convertible, little did I know, my dreams would turn into a nightmare. Since purchasing this car last year it has been in the shop 12 times. I did not have it in for minor repairs these were all MAJOR! New transmission, new computer system, the top broke 2 times, the heating and cooling system failed 3 times and the car overheated twice. This car a piece of junk and I would not recommend it to ANYBODY. When Volkswagen was contacted regarding these issues, I basically got a so what tough luck response. SHAME ON VOLKSWAGEN.

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  The Cutest Car on the Road but... - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By colorado1974 - August 15 - 5:06 am

  We, like 1,000 other VW owners are filing for lemon law this year. Of the few months we have had it, most of the time has been spent in the dealerships service driveway instead of ours. The windows randomly go down, the front logo peeled off, the starter doesnt work all the time, the radio quit, the top broke twice, there is a metallic sound from the front and the kicker is that I am only getting 20 mpg at best. The window sticker said Id do much better. Everytime I get the car back it is fixed but after a couple weeks, more problems seem to set it back. Ugh.