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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  Worst car ever - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Beetle Driver - July 7 - 11:36 pm

  This car has been in the dealership 12 times in 6 months for stupid things like spark plug wires and everytime it costs at least $400, if you want a car that is cute and reliable get a Japanese car like Honda/Toyota, steer clear of German cars, they are expensive and so is the upkeep. When you average out the costs its about $100-200 a month for repairs alone.

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  My poor Beetle - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Brian - June 27 - 11:46 am

  I bought my TDI brand new back in 1998. loved the car but boy it did not take long to start sinking shop time and money into it. from headlights to window motors, to dash lights. I have had this car to the shop so many times they told me that all these beetles were doing the same thing. I have done a mass air flow sensor, I sill have the engine light on. timing belt and by the way its like 1100.00 for that at the VW dealership. they have to change all the parts on the front of the motor so they will stand behind there work. 2 cd players 2nd one is still not working. I paid 17,500.00 for this car and prob will have 8,000.00 in repairs soon. great idea for a car but a money pit......

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  good looking poorly built - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By hodad - June 18 - 10:00 am

  The car breaks down incredilby easily. My starter failed as did my airbags.

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  Low Quality but cute - 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Ed Rooney - June 15 - 1:33 pm

  We purchased a 2008 "S" with automatic about 3 months ago for my wife, with the intent of passing it on to our daughter next year. I was reluctant to purchase this car based on customer reviews of previous model years. I should have listened, because this piece of junk has been in the shop 4 times to fix various squeaks and rattles and we havent even had the first oil change yet. So far gas mileage has been in the 22-24 mpg range, mostly suburban driving. While its within the EPA estimates, its still low for a car this small. Did I mention that it requires synthetic oil and a filter not carried at any quick lube establishments?

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  Problem car - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Upset - April 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new, and from 5000 miles on have had nothing but problems. Its been in the shop about 6 times for problems, not general auto service. Ive had electrical problems galore with this car, to the point where they have replaced 4 sensors, and now finally the entire electrical cluster. The A/C broke. The power windows, and ABS system have malfunctioned. P.S. I only have 30,000 on the car.

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  Dont get one - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By RollTide - March 24 - 2:00 am

  My VW is fun to drive howeever I am not sure I can afford to drive it... Although I did purchase an extended warranty I am out over $1000.00 in one year. Knobs fall off, lights go bad, 27 miles to the gallon, Radio Sux, Poor workmanship

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  Dont buy a car because of its color - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Araxie - March 7 - 9:50 pm

  I saw the VW New Beetle one day in the the Harvest Moon Beige color and thought it was so cute that I had to get one. The car was purchased in early Sept., when the temperatures dropped below 34 degrees, it wouldnt start and would go in auto theft mode. The first of three months of ownership were a nightmare. The instrument cluster was replaced after the service dept. believed my story about the temp drop being the factor (after being towed there 3 times). A tail light burned out within four months of ownership. The dash board squeaks, moans and groans like it is going to fall off. There is a horrible blind spot when trying to merge into traffic with the top up. I wouldnt recommend this car.

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  disposable car - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By ruizd - February 26 - 2:10 am

  I bought a 2003 convertible beetle with 60k. one week after driving it i notice a hard shift, a few days after an oil leak was noticed. I took it a Volkswagen dealer and they did a diagnostic and confirmed what I told them, suggested that I do a transmission fluid check and it could fix the problem I said BS. I had read all the complaints about this car and my mechanic also told me that I should have never bought it, he pointed out the the transmission could not be serviced and all of the hoses are made of plastic that with heat they become brittle and break.. so I took my loss and bought a Honda accord. dont buy this car is disposable. I would never buy a volkswagen again..

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  Love/Hate Relationship - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Sarah - February 24 - 1:03 pm

  I bought this car just 3 months ago and the love of the car died very quickly. 2 weeks after having the car the check engine light came on and it needed a thermostat and temperature sensor ($600), then a few weeks after that the oil light comes on, cant figure out why, now 3 months later the moon roof has decided to pop up and down all on its own, its creepy, I have just gotten to the point that I laugh at the car when one of the lights comes on. I love the look of the car and its fun to drive, people wave at you and smile when they see you but Volkswagen did a horrible job at making this vehicle and really makes German engineering look bad. I will never buy another Volkswagen product again

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  Beetles Suck - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By vwbugkelly1182 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  I am tired of having my beetle because it goes to the dealership every 3 months. i have had to replace the radiator, water pump, the window switch 3x, the back brakes 6x, the headlights 3x, the speedometer went out, the check engine light comes on all the time, and i have replaced many oxygen sensors. There are a lot of other things that have went wrong on my beetle, but there is too many to remember.