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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  Why I wont buy another VW - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By DrRix - September 23 - 12:40 am

  I have been leasing the 05 VW New Beetle Convertible, a special edition in dark flint with a red top, red wheel trim, red leather seats. Ive never gotten more compliments, and never driven anything that completely feel apart on me before, even when I had an old Toyota truck with no power steering and a leaking oil tank. Parts just fall right off this car - seat headrests, the glove compartment handle, the sideview mirror adjustment knob, random plastic parts that I dont even know where they came from. German cars used to be good, but these arent made in Germany anymore, and they are CRAP. Dont buy!!

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  Spend your money elsewhere - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By julianna33 - September 21 - 8:07 pm

  From my experience with VW my car and others they are junk. They all break easily. I have had to repair so many things a 1K a pop 5 times at least. Not including maintenance things. The design so compact requires many hours of labor to remove and replace to get to certain things. Plus the headlight lens falls off and cost ALOT of money to replace which i have done twice now at $400 each lens assembly and its falling off again! Just a crappy car. My sister has a golf the transmission and engine are going. Other family members have toyota and honda and hey i have never seen a repair as stupid or as costly or as often as VW repairs are. Junkie cars and they say German engineering is the best HA

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  Fun Car to Drive - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Linda - September 17 - 1:40 pm

  I purchased this car on a whim and never regretted it! It is a fun car to drive and people are always coming up to me in parking lots and asking me how I like my convertible." I dont like it", I say, "I love it!" Every time another New Beetle convertible passes me the driver will wave and I will wave back. On the more practical side, the car gets about 26 mpg around town, and around 30 on the highway. I have been able to fit an entire JV football team defensive line in the car, and during lacrosse season the pass- through to the trunk allows for long stick defensive players equipment. The New Beetle handles very well in snow and ice, a must for New Hampshire drivers!

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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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  Buy Used! - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Gootee2Shoes - September 9 - 7:56 am

  I bought this car used and I think that makes a huge difference. I have (hopefully) avoided the pitfalls that the new owners did and my car is intact and in beautiful shape, inside and out. I bought some tires and got an alignment and some wipers, but everything else is going smoothly. I love the way it drives, besides how tight the clutch is. Everyone thinks it is the cutest thing ever and it is the first car I am proud to drive. I loved my 97 Golf, but I love this car even more.

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  ITS A TON OF FUN - SOLID PERFORMER - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By PALAW2004 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  BOUGHT AS CAR FOR WEEKEND FUN, IT HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY GREAT. BACK SEAT IS FINE FOR KIDS. HEATED FRONT SEATS ARE EXCELLENT. 5 SPEED MANUAL TURBO PROVIDES PLENTY OF PUNCH. MONSOON SOUND IS ALSO EXCELLENT. I GET MORE SATISFACTION FROM DRIVING THIS BEETLE THAN MY OTHER GERMAN CAR (BMW). IF YOU WANT TO GET AWAY FROM DRIVNG LARGE SUV TYPE VEHICLES AND WANT TOP DOWN FUN, DONT MISS THIS TRYING THIS MODEL. YOU WONT BE SORRY.

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  zippy, but little things go wrong - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By hollyhock - September 7 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive, lots of acceleration, great gas mileage and looks good. the finish details are plastic and arent holding up well. I accidentally drove over a short parking curb and did $1.7K in damage -- the steering and cooling systems are behind the front bumper, so if you get in a minor fender bender, these things all get damaged. The service at Santa Monica dealership is TERRIBLE!!!

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  Happy Driver in Florida - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Richard Huggler - September 7 - 10:00 am

  After breaking in the vehicle, the wife and I took the bug on a 6,000 mile ride to Calif and many parts West. No problems, Average 50 mpg. Great trip ! We think we will do it again.

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  Why this is my last VW purchase - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By finalstraw - September 2 - 11:15 pm

  After owning many VWs and with a lifetime of great memories Ive got to accept the fact that VWs have never been reliable and Ive spent waaay too much time and waaaay too much money for those memories. The final straw happened today; I received a Warranty Extension notice in the mail about the transmission valve body in my convertible. WOW!...VW finally admitted there has been a problem and they were going to fix it. WRONG! I was out of the warranty window by 2 months - but they could repair it for $2-3k! VW lost me forever. I wish I could recapture the time that Ive wasted fooling with VWs. Unless you want to spend a chunk of your life hanging out in garages with mechanics - stay away!