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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  2005 Beetle - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jackson - April 29 - 9:46 pm

  I was very excited to buy my 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. Its cool looking and fun to drive, but belive every bit of bad press that you read because the build quality is awful. I own a 1971 VW that is actually more reliable than this thing. Save your money and sanity and buy something else.

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  Cute, but Little Power - 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By amattke - April 27 - 12:53 am

  My dream car is a Porsche 911, but circumstances require that I get something else in the meantime. The bug is very cute, and will eventually move fast, but the lower gears are slow off the line. Mine has the Tiptronic automatic transmission like the Porsche, which allows shifting manually. The gear throw isnt as satisfying, but I like having the ability. It looks slow even when cruising at 80 mph, but I suppose that isnt a bad thing if there is a patrolman nearby. It is surprisingly comfortable. I smile every time I open the garage door and see it there smiling back at me - its just charming. There is a reason that so many cartoon cars look like Beetles.

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  VW in New England - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By rwsotr - April 22 - 2:30 am

  Costly repairs with the dealers. Much easier to buy parts online and use the neighbor to assist with repairs. Replaced injection pump x2, timing belt q60K, now need new drivers seat.

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  I must have gotten the good one... - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Stan Balog - April 20 - 10:00 am

  2001 GLX "Sport" limited edition bought in 9/2002. In contrast to 90% of the reviews here, I have never had anything go wrong with this car. Not one thing. Three years of perfect servitude. My dealer could suck; I wouldnt know. Beefed up the turbo with a performance chip - this thing is an Audi TT with more headroom (62") but with a mushier suspension for those hard turns. Bought this as a winter car to complement my C5 Corvette, and its held its own. Checked out this place to see whether to buy as its going off-lease- all these other reviews made me think that I got lucky (maybe thats the limited edition part?

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  surprising beetle... - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By kathryn - April 1 - 10:00 am

  I also always wanted a beetle, and when they returned a few years ago, I couldnt wait to own one! Its adorable, and the test drive was amazing- how it hugged the road. I love the sound of the engine. I bought a black one, and all was well until...a front headlight burned out after owning it for only 3 months?? Next? A light came on indicating that I could not drive without damaging the engine...most recently? The car died- fine one minute, dead the next. It needed a new battery after 18 months?? Oh- and the other headlight burned out. I do still love the beetle. Would I buy another one? No. Its unpredictible.

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  Nice, but dont go cheap when buying. - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Leia Cullifer - March 3 - 10:00 am

  This black Beetle was bought just a couple of months ago and havent had any problems with it. I do think that it needs some more power under the hood as the 2.0 w/ auto tranny is rather slugish. I would suggest the 1.8t w/ manual to compensate for the poor acceleration. I do notice that it doesnt sound very nice from the outside, it seems to have a puttering type sound that def gives away its lack of performance. The rear hatch does have a lil rattle or clunk to it when enetering or leaving the drive sometimes. Other than that the car is great. I love the comfort of the seats. The pump style height and vintage roller style recling seats give it a nice ride no matter what body type.

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  Dont Be Fooled By Good Looks - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By bobk - February 28 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned two older Beetles (63-69)and a 91 Jetta. As you can see I like VWs. I fell in love with the New Beetles looks and overlooked its flaws. After 66k miles I have to admit I made a huge and costly mistake. Problems include 2 blown headlights, both power window switches broken, passenger power window wont go up, uses alot of oil, dead battery while driving, replace starter and moisture in oil. Ive found out since that these are normal problems for New Beetle owners. During all of this VW wont do anything!

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  Fun car to drive - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By TurkZero! - February 23 - 10:00 am

  The car has exceptional ride and handeling for a vehicle of its size. The drivers seat is comfortable and adjustable. The vehicle seems much larger than it really is. The car feels solid and confident until pushed to its limits.On the dependabiltiy side, there still seems to be some issued that need attention. My car had an start and stall routine from time to time. The engine and transmission require close attention to keep the motor from redlining. The engine revs fast and requires shorter shifts than the 150 hp 5 speed. It is a good car and a good choice for single or two passenger vehicle.

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  Nice looking but at a price - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By nohoguy - February 17 - 11:40 pm

  Bought the car because I liked the styling, the handling and the turbo engine. These good things about the car are lost in the inconvenience this car has brought me. Since I got this car four years ago, I have had five lightbulbs blow out - two in the headlights, two in the console and one taillight. The armrest has broken twice. Both power windows have malfunctioned. Plastic shielding has fallen out of the moonroof twice, one time falling on my shoulder. Worst of all, my ac failed right in the middle of summer, for my ac problem I went to an ac specialist who tested my ac for $0 while the dealership in Santa Monica wanted to test it for $200. No joke, these cars are very unreliable.

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  Own for 5 years - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By garner61 - February 10 - 1:43 pm

  I bought this car Feb.1st of 1999 after waiting almost a year to get one. Great gas mileage - I have 106000 miles on it still get 44 mpg. The A.C. compressor has gone out twice. Left door window broke and have had lots of trouble with lights. But all told I have saved more on fuel than repairs. About 2100.00 so far on total repairs. Have changed belt out at 60k. Hope to run till 200k.