Overview & Reviews
A Turbo S model debuts, motivated by a 180-horsepower version of VW's1.8-liter turbo engine teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox. Other exclusives for the Turbo S include Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP), a slightly stiffer suspension, 17-inch "Delta X" alloy wheels, revised turn signals and foglights, a front spoiler, a redesigned rear bumper with Turbo S badging and brushed alloy interior accents. Additionally, a rear spoiler will deploy from the hatch when these special Bugs reach 45 mph. Exterior paint for the S is limited to Reflex Silver, Black, Red and Platinum Gray. Later in the year, a Sport model debuts -- it's essentially a GLS 1.8T with a five-speed manual, 17-inch wheels, leather interior and a Sport badge on the deck lid. Changes for the rest of the lineup are minor: New colors such as limited-edition Snap Orange and Riviera Blue further enhance the Beetle's eye-candy appeal, and 16-inch wheels with 205/55 tires are now standard across the board. For 2002, all-new Volkswagen vehicles come standard with an improved four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, up from two years/24,000 miles. In addition, Volkswagen offers a fully transferable limited powertrain warranty that covers five years or 60,000 miles.
- Cute yet classic styling, excellent crash-test scores, affordably priced, turbo models are fun to drive, available six-speed manual and stability control with Turbo S model.
- Compromised rear seat/cargo capacity compared to Golf.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 139.00-
Biggest POJ on the road!!! - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By pflower - November 8 - 8:13 pmThis is the worst car i have ever owned. i bought it new and have had absolutley nothing but trouble. it was fun to drive when it was running. i have had to replace the battery 5 times, the transmission twice, the entire engine at 60,000. have had at least 15 recalls on it since i bought it. massive electrical failure twice. this has been nothing short of a complete headache. i cringe when i see new ones on the road!!! Dn not let the cute factor sway you, these are absolute pieces of junk!
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Squash the bug - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By franko - November 1 - 1:06 pmVery very expensive for a car of this low quality. Got rid of it after 25k miles, the single worst quality car I have ever owned. Transmission problems, AC problems, electrical problems, cup holder broke and spilled a slurpee on the floor. First of all it seems that every part of this car is built with the bare minimum of material. And to make it worse seems to have been assembled by kindergarten dropouts. By the way the old ones were not much better but at least they were cheaper. You are better off with a korean car or american car.
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I will not own another volkswagen - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By bhill - November 23 - 2:26 pmI have had nothing but problems with my car since I have had it. Since 05 I have had to have the transmission replaced and some kind of sensor replace because it wouldnt come out of park. (that was the only two things that was under warranty) then the timing belt broke which bent the valves in the head so I had to replace them the turbo went out water pump sensor the timing belt again oh and the sun roof leaked when i first got it. And I have had to replace the headlights several times. And my current problems are the brake lights, blinkers and it doesnt want to come out of park again and an oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. And by the way, it is hard to find anyone to work on them.
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Think Twice - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By dtown73 - July 31 - 11:00 pmIt 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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Stung by the bug - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By humbug - September 8 - 12:16 amOh the beetle and its quirky electronic issues. Yes, that is the joy of owning one. You never know what light will come on or when it will just quit-even when it is brand new. An adventure in driving! A leaky sunroof, a dead transmission, faulty cluster gauge, bad starter, vac leak, oxygen sensors out. The list is so long. I grow weary of it all. Suffice to say just dont take the VW trip unless you want to spend $$ and time at the dealership. P. S. They told me not to worry if the check engine light was on-only if it flashed. A great comfort indeed.
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Experience of 2002 VW New Beetle Owner - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Dave - March 22 - 7:06 amThis is the worst car I have ever owned. It has had multiple problems: a noisy catalytic converter (a rattle), the electronic door locks and truck opener quit working, and I couldnt even open the gas filler door to put in gas. The real shocker was that the car caught fire as I was driving it! That cost $7,000 to repair. I did not fix it, but instead sold it to a junkyard because the local dealer had a monopoly (no other VW dealers where I live and no one else would work on it) I had some high repair bills. This was supposed to be an "economy" car, but overall the repairs cost me as much as a Hummer to drive. There is no way the fuel economy of the VW could make up for the repair bills.
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this car will bug you - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By mtunic - May 4 - 10:39 amthis car has 60k I has had the water pump go out smog pump out air bag out the only thing not to go out is the check engine light now the transmission 1&2 shift fork is broke plus 3 set of ignition modules. I have never seen such poor excuse for a car ever 6ok and all this vw should be ashamed to sell a car like this the Yugo seems to be a better choice!!!!!!
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Real let down!!! - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By badbug - April 8 - 1:00 pmWhen my wife told me she wanted a new beetle I was not to happy with that idea, but I said lets go take a look, 1st mistake. we go and find a really clean dark blue with auto, I was surprised on the room the little car had and the power the 2.0 kicked out. so we buy it 2nd mistake, the warranty still had about 1yr left not 1 problem until warranty runs out then all hell breaks loose 1st thing low fuel light comes on and stays on even with full tank $300, 3wks later air bag light pops on, ok I live with that for about 2 weeks until I have to get the battery replaced might as well fix all $485, 1wk water pump $600 now 5wks later EPC & check eng. light and running like crap afraid of this $$$$
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RUN!!! Dont walk away - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Shane-in-FL - July 8 - 10:00 amReliability issues have been prevelant ever since it was reintroduced in 98. The window regulator issue was present from 98- 02 and coilpack failure plagued turbo model cars from 00-03. I had my car just two weeks when it failed to start after the starter selenoid shorted out. I dont expect such problems from a car that holds a MSRP of $20,900. I suggest people who are considering a Beetle as their next car to closely look at the Acura RSX(~S),Mercedes C230 Coupe, or Mazda 6 just to name a few. The market for used Beetles is HORRIBLE!
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Dont Ever Buy this car - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Priscilla - March 22 - 11:13 amI have had my beetle for three years and will get rid of it in 3 months. This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. My beetle has been in the shop more times than I can count on both my hands. I only have 35000 miles on it and it is three years old. The cup holders are the worst design. It is almost impossible to put your drink in the holer without spilling your drink. The visors are worthless, I can never get the sun out my eyes. If you get this car make sure to get the warranty because you will need it.
