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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Avoid like the Plague - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
By harold - June 23 - 10:00 amYou may think its cute, but dont let that exterior fool you, this thing is an engineering nightmare. 2 headlights burn out quickly in under 2 years, rear brake light in 1 year, ALL four windows get stuck or regulartor breaks, 5 visits to fix the convertible stop getting stuck, lots of issues with convertible cords breaking and snapping.
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Always Broke Down - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
By HOLLY - June 17 - 1:30 amI bought my car new in 99 & was so happy for about 2 yrs. The wipers never really cleared the windshield sufficiently & the radio never picked up ANY stations. Cup holders were a joke & the emergency brake would stick when it was cold out (makes it hard to warm up a standard when you cant set the brake) Heater took too long to warm up & if the ac fan was on high forget accelerating. The brake and headlights were a constant hassle as was the O2 sensor (replaced it 3Xs & only the 2nd was covered by a recall) I had 3 breakdowns while traveling, costing thousands. Melted fuse box, blown motor, peeling interior & exterior. I cared for this car properly but always wanted to push it off a cliff!!
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Sarahs Bug - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By freeman525 - June 6 - 10:00 amFun to drive but totally unreliable--Check Engine light stays on even after repeated trips to the selling dealer-- Interior: a niggtmare- plastic casings at seatbelt housing, temp gauge... have roken repeatedly after normal use
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I wanted to love it! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
By patriciagilson - May 21 - 2:37 pmI bought this car and it was my dream car. I was really sad when teh leather seats started to rip, when I am a gentle driver and dont weigh a lot or do anything to wear them down. The headlights die, no joke, every six months and are expensive and a pain in the booty to fix yourself. The airbag light is on, the gas cap light goes on and off for no reason while I drive. I am at 100k miles and my check engine light came on. I took it to an auto part store to diagnose it and it ran FIFTEEN codes. my o2 senor and lots of misfires and leaks and when I chenged my oil it came out lumpy, even though i change it on time EVERY time. To be fair it has never broke down on me, but parts are expensive.
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Great Design, Bad Quality - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
By SkipG - May 20 - 10:00 amThe car looks great - inside and out, but it feels cheap. After 7k the window broke (supposedly fixed in this model year). After 10k the dash board started rattling. In General, the car does not handle or perform well. I long for my old celica.
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Money!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
By age - May 15 - 2:46 amI bought this car brand new and I havent even paid for the whole thing and already without maint. I have spent $7,000 on repairs. I drive 3 miles each way. My back window has stop working after 2 years and they told me $1,000. It wasnt covered under warranty. All I want to say is think about it first.
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German Engineering? - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
By julse520 - March 4 - 12:02 pmI bought this as my first car thinking I was being smart by buying something with good fuel econemy and reliability. I love to drive the car when its working properly.For the first two months or so, she provided me with all of that until one day, during rush hour traffic, the car lost ALL power completely. After that, car SLAMS into gear. Now, the car likes to do that randomly in awful places. The turbo lag on a hot day is ridiculous. I feel like Im going to be killed sometime soon. And also, all the plastic finishes in the interior break. Car is made extremely cheep. Oh yea, german engineering? Its made in MEXICO if that explains the awesome reliability haha
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Cute, but.... - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
By ST - February 28 - 2:00 amI have had my new Beetle for almost three years now. As cute as it is (and it is!), I have had many minor frustrations for such a new/low mileage car. Such as: gas cap release lever broke, passenger side window broke (in down position, of course), window switch came right off in my hand. As someone who only owned Japanese cars, my first and only VW has been very disappointing. I would not buy another VW made in Mexico.
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shoulda got the pt cruiser - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
By sam spade - January 24 - 10:00 amwhen the roof is open it sits too high. it obstructs view of rear view mirror. when roof is closed there seems to be several clunks and rattles every time i go over a bump. the ignition key seems to be in a hard to reach position, makes it hard sometimes to get the key out. rear seat folds out which makes little sense. it should fold the other way to make more room for hauling. the little side doors that open for the roof to close and open seem to be awful flimsly to me.
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Never buy a VW Beetle - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
By naty4419 - December 19 - 4:26 amI purchased the Beetle as my very first new car! I loved the design, the color...but I had numerous problems with the car but I was not able to lemon law it. Do not waste your money on one. I ask Beetle owners what do they think about the car and the reply is always the same. They stink!
