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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  So far, so good - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Scmil315 - July 12 - 2:00 am

  Overall, this has been a good vehicle. Strengths would be interior room for drivers and front seat passengers (I am 62" tall), adjustable steering wheel, shift smooth and quick, vehicle provides a good feel of the road. Stereo is powerful, CD changer was a nice little plus. Added the bra to the front to protect the white paint from stone chips, a must on this blunt-nosed little buggy. Colors of the dash are driver friendly at night, with purple and red gauges that are easy on the eyes. Remote controls for entry are a nice plus too. Sunroof feels almost like a convertible! Wide tires give good road feel, but a little road noise sneaks through.

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  Style versus Quality - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By jrainer - July 9 - 2:13 pm

  My wife wanted a beetle ever since they released the new version. We bought a certified used, so had a warranty on it which has come in handy. Dont buy a Beetle without a warranty! We had 2 or 3 warranty repairs that would have been $400 or more. Now that its out of warranty, weve spent about $1,500 on repairs that are quality issues, from leaking cooling systems to exhaust pipe cracks to window motors. The interior looks stylish but cheap and is cheap. The armrest, mirror adjust switch, and a cup holder are broken. Sun visors are worthless; back seat folds down to an odd and annoying position; glove box is too small.

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  I still love mine! 2002 Turbo S - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Woodenbee - July 7 - 1:33 am

  I bought my silver Turbo S used in 2005, and I still love walking up to it every day, its a gorgeous little car. This car is six years old and has its share of dents but still looks awesome, previous owner managed to make sunroof leak (fixed myself with amazing Haynes manual) and misalign drivers door? The doors on these things are really solid so how they did that I dont know? listening to the turbo whistle rocks and the six speed is cool, I have taillight issues on the left, but other than that she goes great. Anyway Ive really come to think that VW did reinvent their peoples car, used or new these are cheap and practical cars that anyone smart enough to want one can afford.

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  Love the body, HATE its guts! - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By kmad - July 6 - 2:00 am

  It is constantly running out of oil. Just had to put in 2 quarts yesterday. The door locks work only when they want to and the AC doesnt seem to be a cold as it should. Trying to work with the service departments can make a person go bald. (from pulling your hair out). They actually told me that my car was using up oil because oil in the US is different from oil in Germany so I need to check it often and add oil as needed. They estimated 1 quart every 800 miles. If this were true Im sure VW would be importing SPECIAL German oil for VW owners, put an outragous price on it per quart and make a huge profit on it. My car only has 40k miles on it!!!

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  Love it, but had a big problem - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By NeilS - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Amazing engineering and design for such a small car, lots of fun to drive. Turbo has a lot of power, but lags when starting from dead stop. I had a BMW 325is, and this car drives a lot like it. For the $, I dont think you can beat it, especially if youre looking for a four seater convertible. But.... I had a defective slave cylinder that caused the clutch to burn up after 3300 miles, and the car broke down on the NJ Turnpike. Warranty covered it, its all fixed and working great, but I have to question reliability when I break down so soon.

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  Avoid like the Plague - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By harold - June 23 - 10:00 am

  You 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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  Great Beetle at Mcdonalds - 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Anthony Herring - June 22 - 11:00 am

  Beetle review This is not just the same beetle of the nineties it has all the retro style of other models, round and economic but the factory options have changed to meet the luster of a modern day Cadillac. I used my brother car to travel to Boston last year and I thought it exceeded the power and comfort of any beetle before its time. My brother has own beetles since the very beginning and I have shared the excitement with permission. AJH

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  great little car - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By sean lasyone - June 19 - 2:00 am

  got the new beetle in 02 and have loved it ever since!! i am 6 ft.and 5 in tall and i have MORE than enough space while driving the car! i will definitely own another bug in my lifetime!

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  New Beetle for the Young at Heart - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Chuckw - June 17 - 10:00 am

  My only problem with the car was when it was two days old. I had an electrical problem where the windshield wipers would go on, the emergency flashers would activate, and myriad other electrical impossibilities. It took 3 weeks to get it back to me... problem; a bad ground in the headlight. Since the day I got it back, it has been problem free. I really enjoy the spirit the turbo GLX displays and only now, after two years, have come to drive it a little more sensibly. My two biggest complaints are the useless cup holders and the reception on the radio, which is really bad on the AM side.

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  Always Broke Down - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By HOLLY - June 17 - 1:30 am

  I 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!!