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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  Beetlemania - 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By thegretsch@aol.com - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Great,no problems except brake dust on rave rims. gets dirty fast Im trading it in for the convertible...

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  Sarahs Bug - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By freeman525 - June 6 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive but totally unreliable--Check Engine light stays on even after repeated trips to the selling dealer-- Interior: a niggtmare- plastic casings at seatbelt housing, temp gauge... have roken repeatedly after normal use

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  Horrible Car - Stay Away From This One!! - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By MJEPilot - June 6 - 10:00 am

  HORRIBLE CAR!!! Poor ride and handling (shakes violently above 50mph), annoying click-click-click sound when stopped, embarrassing pick-up speed, horendous gas mileage. Main reason to not buy this car is Volkswagon Credit. Sent in payment every month, every month they would cash my payment check and then call me to tell me I never paid. I would have to pay my bank to send me a copy of the check to fax to VW Credit to prove it to them. You say "simple mistake by VW, probobaly only happened once or twice" - try eight times and others have told me of similar experiences. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR - poorly designed by poor people.

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  Ughhh so disappointed - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By iloveu21 - June 4 - 4:18 pm

  i 1st bought my car from a used dealership..i loved my buggy and was so excited...BUT the 1st week i bought my car my gadge for my gas was not telling me the proper amount of gas in my car since my car still had a warranty the dealer fixed it. 4 months after that my check engine light came on,and ever since then my car never has been the same...check engine light comes on sometimes for no reason, my cars alternator broke, my engine system broke, and i have gotten to a small car accident which just broke my radiator which just cost me $150...but still it was ridiculous and now after having it for just a year my transmission is DONE and now all that money wasted on fixing my car is nothing now

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  In Love with the Beetle - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Beetle Bill - May 31 - 10:46 am

  I bought this car back in 1999 drove it until our daughter turned 16 and gave it to her. She took it to college and her first job. I took it back when it had water pump problem at 100,000 miles. Otherwise the engine runs like a Swiss watch. A couple of buttons have broken but I figure that to be expected after 10 years. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

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  The VW Bug has the whole package. - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By plumandthegreenthumb - May 26 - 3:23 pm

  Im a stay at home mom of a 3 yr old and have always driven a suburban, and we needed another car since gas prices keep rising, so we purchased a VW convertible last year and just completely love it. Its a perfect car for our family, when we just want to whip in somewhere fast and get out. Especially now that parking spaces are not striped large enough these days. The gas mileage is FANTASTIC, and its fun to drive too!! Thanks, The Morgan Family of Texas

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  Bad Decision - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Amy - May 24 - 2:36 pm

  Bought this car used with only 26,000 miles on it. It has always been very fun to drive and the handling is great (except in the snow). But the reliability is the worst of any car I have ever owned, and I have had some bad ones! The list of problems includes the permanantly on check engine light, replaced fan control unit at 65,000 miles, air bag problems, broken fuel latch and trunk latch, knob for mirrors fell off, broken arm rest latch, steering rack replaced twice, air conditioner went out at 68,000 miles, broken knobs on the stero, some dash lights are burnt out, etc. I could go on and on forever. And NOTHING on the car is inexpensive to fix. It even requires premium gas because of the turbo. Dont make the same bad decision I made.

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  Happy 2nd birthday to my Turbo S - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By RRRRRED - May 22 - 12:20 am

  Had the Turbo S for 2 years and havent gotten a speeding ticket yet. The mpg was what I expected, but the appointments came as a surprise. What a thrill to drive. (Wife hasnt driven it yet). The Monsoon w/ cd changer is an exceptional sound system. Quiet, stable and a real zoomer. The heated seats are great in the winter, and the AC blasts you out in the summer. The best VW Ive owned.

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  I wanted to love it! - 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By patriciagilson - May 21 - 2:37 pm

  I bought this car and it was my dream car. I was really sad when teh leather seats started to rip, when I am a gentle driver and dont weigh a lot or do anything to wear them down. The headlights die, no joke, every six months and are expensive and a pain in the booty to fix yourself. The airbag light is on, the gas cap light goes on and off for no reason while I drive. I am at 100k miles and my check engine light came on. I took it to an auto part store to diagnose it and it ran FIFTEEN codes. my o2 senor and lots of misfires and leaks and when I chenged my oil it came out lumpy, even though i change it on time EVERY time. To be fair it has never broke down on me, but parts are expensive.

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  VW Beetle-Air Conditioning problem - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By R. Ehret - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the car 10/01 and in 6/02 discovered the air conditioning didnt work. Neither the dealership nor VOA would do anything about it. There were 2 major leaks-one in the AC Compressor and one in the Evaporator Core. Cost to fix $1800+. The warranty was only for 2 yrs. or 24,000 miles and I was told I was JUST out of warranty.