Overview & Reviews
Optional 17-inch alloy wheels can be ordered on GLS 1.8T and GLX models. Exterior mirrors are larger, high-intensity discharge headlights and a Monsoon sound system are available, and all New Beetles benefit from redesigned cupholders and a trunk entrapment release button. Rain-sensing wipers and a self-dimming rearview mirror now come on GLX models.
- Cute yet classic styling, excellent crash-test scores, affordably priced, turbo model is fun to drive.
- Compromised rear seat/cargo capacity compared to Golf, could use a stiffer suspension.
User Reviews:
Showing 61 through 70 of 107.00-
The inside/outside of it all - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By carrot soup - November 23 - 10:23 pmInterior needs much improvement. Cant set taller cups in cup holders and cup stabilizers keep getting lost and drinks spill over. I purchased it as 3rd owner. Would love to have a diesel with convertible top but the diesel smell needs to be controlled somehow. Michelin tires look good on it. Love the shiny finish.
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Expect Big Bucks for Problems - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By bcbirdie - August 26 - 2:00 amSo far (1 month of ownership of a 1st complaint: the cup-holders are TERRIBLE!!!!!By far the worst design ever. Clearance is poor, the holders twist out, the rubber rings come etc. COMMUTERs BEWARE! 2nd, Expect costs to repair things to be outrageous! Headlights $94 minimum. 3rd complaint - To replace the key and the transponder, get this, $175+tax! ARE YOU KIDDING!?? Just a valet key is $125! While security is nice, for 2 sets of keys and a valet key at $500 buck this is ridiculous!
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Over 315,000 miles and still getting 49.5mpg! - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By twincitytdiguy - August 5 - 4:15 amI bought this TDI Beetle from a customer at 300K. He had it from new. The car is in great overall condition, original clutch, rustfree, and still gets an amazing 49.5 mpg highway at 78mph in the summer. I bought the car a little over 4 months ago and managed to put on 15,000 miles. I go where I want. I am not afraid to take this car across the country, I am planning a trip to Florida in the spring for some baseball action. Very fun car to drive. Gotta go with the folks upset by the cupholders. They seem to be an after thought. Germans cant understand why we drink beverages in our cars. If you are a taller person, Im 67", This car has a lot of room. I can nearly straighten my left leg.
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Good riddance - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Theresa - May 22 - 5:33 pmBeing a baby boomer I just HAD to have one of these. Big mistake. Once things started going south it was fast and furious. The biggest downer was having to have the transmission replaced for $3500. While it was there they managed to find another $500 worth of work. Part prices are ridiculous. A dash light was always coming on for one reason or another. The cup holder was just plain dumb and there was no CD player--oh yeah--you could put one in the trunk if you wanted to. The gas mileage was terrible for a car that small. Overall workmanship was shabby. I have made it my mission to tell anyone who will listen how poor the overall quality is.Dont make the same mistake I did.
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Not for me - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By lynnurd - April 22 - 8:13 pmWhen I first bought my Beetle, it was great. Then all sorts of things started going wrong. My check engine light came on (which cost more for the diagnostic check then for the parts and labor) - 2 weeks later, it came on again... my dealer cant find anything wrong with it though. My headlight went out and I had to pay $45 for the dealership to fix it. Any time I have a problem, I have to take it to the dealer because no one else can fix it. Forget saving money on gas, youll only spend it on oil changes because it uses synthetic only. I am NEVER buying an import car again. Im going back to Chevy. I never had a problem with any of their cars! The only positive is it can cut in and out of traffic well.
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Fun and economical - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Dan & Karen - April 7 - 12:53 amWe bought our 2001 Beetle GLS 1.8L Turbo Hatchback a year ago and have had no problems with it, whatsoever. Its not as comfortable as a Cadillac but its still comfortable, even on long trips. Its excellent on fuel, fast, and fun to drive (a modern and improved version of the classic Beetle). We enjoy waving to other Beetle owners on the road (sort of a cult thing). We also have two large artificial daisies in the vase on the dashboard which complement the car. Overall, we highly recommend this car for those who want something different, economical, and fun to drive.
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Fun, economical, but too many problems. - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Kristi - March 20 - 6:50 amI have been a VW driver my entire life and never even considered anything else, but this car has been a huge disappointment. The electric windows malfunctioned twice, the trunk latch has had to be fixed twice, the sunroof wasnt draining properly so every time it rained I had 2 inches of water in my car, the back seat head rests are broken, the lens cover on the headlight pops off randomly, and I have an electronic issue causing a drain on the battery, so the car is dead and has to be jumped about half of the time. Our neighborhood mechanic couldnt fix it so we took it to the dealer, they had it two weeks and still were unable to solve the problem. We sadly will not be buying another VW.
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I love this car - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By J man - March 8 - 2:00 amThis is my first car, and its better than any other car i was looking for. its fast and stops very quickly. handeling is very responsive.
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Fair, but fun to drive! - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By Bob The One - December 1 - 2:00 amThis car has been un to drive, and we got a killer deal on e-bay for it. But the engine light came on at about 32,000 miles and it has minor mechanical problems from time to time. But it sure is a cute car, and my wife loves to drive it.
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Looks are so deceiving... - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
By ncnurse - October 31 - 1:18 amI bought mine in March 2010 with 60k miles on it. She ran perfectly...for 6 months. The catalytic converter went out immediately followed by a wheel bearing. 2 months later the ignition coils and spark plugs went out. Ive put around $2500 into this car, which Ive dubbed Beelzebub since everything that can go wrong, has. The a/c went out at the beginning of this summer and now the gears grind when I put it into reverse. While the turbo is awesome (and the reason behind my 3 speeding tickets) the reliability just isnt there. Im trading this car in a.s.a.p. because I refuse to put any more money into it.
