The attention. Build quality,Has great looks and fun to drive,VERY roomy interior. Smooth ride. Also when i bought my NB i entered a family sorta. I joined clubs and made friends with other NB owners and now im going cross country to Roswell NM to R2K2001 now thats dedication! i LOVE my bug. Everything on it is great

There are no weak qualities nothing but fun in this car. The only weakness is dealing with the Honda owners who think there cars are wonderful when really they are rice burners!

I have owned Felix my green new beetle since Septmeber 9th 1999. There have been no problems with him. The car is wonderful and it performs great. I love all the neat things you can buy for the New Beetles. I can ashure you my next car will be a New Beetle. I just love VW for bringing back the NB a car i have wanted since i saw the Concept 1. VW did a great job. It is well built and holds together nicley and is VERY quick. the year 1998 bugs yes had problems. But i mean it was a first year. In 1999 they improved but in 2000 that was the year for the best NB and they have gotten better since then and always will so if you want a awsome good prices car go for a NB!

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NOTHING compares to a New Beetle. Well except a spaceship or a TT. And both of those are pritty cool.

looks, handels well, good mileage, fun to drive.

warranty, dealership, quality

I have not had all of the problems, but now the so called warranty is over, the car is going tomorrow. I'm scared to keep it. She uses 1 to 2 qts of oil per 5000 miles, clutch dose not feel right and their's all the squeaks and rattles, but they go away if you turn up the radio, not too loud, you will blow the cheap speakers. The window (diver side) did break the first day I had the car. Had to drive 2 hours to the closes dealer, they fixed the window, but when I got home and went to get gas the remote fuel door would not open. I got home on fumes and pulled the door panel off and found the service tech did not plug the remote fuel or the trunk into the switches. the inter pannel had about 20 bolts that were never tightened, some were in the bottom of the door. I called the dealer and asked what the labor rate was, he said $58 an hour, I told him what happen and he owed me $58 for my time going behined his guys. He said I would get a check in the mail. Never did. I had to go back for the power mirror switch and asked where my check was, they would get back to me after they repair the switch. I thought to myself they would say the mirror switch would not be covered and it would be $58 to repair...and that is exactly what happened. I argued for a few minutes and just left mad with the service manager following me out to the car. I told him to just forget about it and I'll probably have to fix what they worked on when I got home anyway. He said go ahead and try everything, I tried the fuel door, and the switch fell into the door, I looked at him and just shook my head. He took the car and fixed it and promised a free oil change and my $58 when I returned for the other pending repair parts came in (fog lights). Never heard anything to this day (10 months). If i get to Dover, De I'll stop in, mabey my check and fog lights got lost in the mail. The trunk remote still won't work, come to think, either dose the power mirrors. I am trading it, I could not sell this car to someone I know. That is the last time I let my wife pick out a car. Come tomorrow I'll have a new ranger xlt x-cab joining my '97 f-150 4x4 x-cab in the driveway. I'll never stray form Ford again. It was allright car till the novelty and warranty was gone.

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nothing like this car, I'm a truck person

Great style, room, adequate engine.

Both windows have broken. Massive o2 airflow sensor replaced. Low fuel light/sound does not work. Rock guards replaced. Towed to shop yesterday-stopped shifting? Engine guard cowling too low-rubbed and fell off. Impossible to replace tail lights myself. I have spent so much time in the shop before and after waranty, I can't stand it anymore. Proud to have first year new beetle but I can't wait to get rid of it. Lemon!

I am sorry I bought this car. I was elated driving it out of the lot, brought it back the next day to begin repairs.

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Five other VW vehicles.

I love the personality of the car. I enjoy driving my car where before I didn't. It's always a pleasure to look out my door and see my beautiful bug smiling at me.

I don't like the dealership I bought my car from not informative at all!!! I bring car in for service and tell them it's making a clicking sound by the steering wheel and they tell me it's low on oil(even though I check my oil regularly.) I get my car back and the problem continues but in the whole scheem of things the cars not had any major flaws (knock on wood.)

I would definitely recommend getting the extra 5 year warranty just as a piece of mind. I really enjoy my car and I can't seem to spend enough time in it since I use a lot of public transportation for my commute work. It is definitely my pride and joy, that is until I have any major problems.

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When I was in the market to buy a car it was between a Honda Civic, which everyone owns or a VW Golf and I choose the VW beetle because of the style and I really enjoyed the way it drove compared to the Civic. Plus I thought the interior of the Honda Civic was cheesy!!

As a 6'5" driver, this is the most comfortable car I've ever driven (and I've test sat most American and Imports out there). Engine and pickup are a blast. Drives like it's on rails. Dealer has been responsive and timely when I have had routine maintainance done.

In winter (when temps drop below 20 deg f. I go down to about 24-27 mpg combined driving (summer is 31-29 combined).

I've test sat tons of cars looking for ones that fit a tall driver. While some cars on paper have more legroom, the lack of a center drop-down console in the Beetle makes it a very comfortable car for tall drivers who like to spread out. (Actually, the Golf is also very comfortable for tall people, but it's a little more confined seating position). Also, after making a few six hour drives, I've found the car's seats hold up well. As for the rear seats, I knew they would be tight for tall people, but since I rarely carry passengers, I could care less. I have had to haul some people around and have found, though, that average size people and shorter, as well as kids, fit just fine in there (as long as they're not behind me:)

Stock car rips. Engine performance is a blast....responsive and strong in acceleration. Nice unassuming car for eating kids in souped up rice grinders.

I've had none of the problems mentioned by other posters. Burns no oil, no rattles, really good fit and finish, smooth shifter, etc. Tape player snapped one old tape and dealer replaced it three days later.

Fold the back seat down....or better yet, remove rear bench and fold seat down and you have a cavern for hauling stuff. Have hauled a double bass (doghouse bass :), deer hunting tree stands, you name it in this little beast.

Beyond stock, check out the 1.8t and New Beetle forums at http://www.vwvortex.com and read up on the mods the engine and car are capable of.

My next car will be another VW product. Either a Beetle or a Golf. Engine will either be another 1.8t, or the tdi (50 mpg and 700 miles a tank of gas is real appealing. (If you are looking at beetles, be sure to read up on the tdi engine at http://www.tdiclub.com While the stock tdi is a torqe monster and acclerates to highway speed ok, it seems a little light in passing power in the 60-80 mph range. Many tdi owners, though, have discovered the performance mods that will give a little more hp, more torque, and more speed.

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New Beetle TDI, New Beetle 2.0L

Looks, style, good low speed torque, even from the base 2.0L.

Transmission, clutch, white cloth interior.

The VW is a fun, cute car. It has problems, probably like any other manufactured in Mexico. But the real problem in my opinion is the VW dealers. They are not helpful when you have problems. My clutch and transmission went out at 17k miles. VW will not cover it under the 10year 100k mile power-train warranty or the extended warranty. Read the posts at vwvortex.com and newbeetle.com and you will see lots of people having clutch and tranny problems, VW is not standing behind it, and most people who have dealt with the dealers are really frustrated.

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Honda Civic - VW has better torque, feels like a more substantial car. The Honda had fewer problems, engine runs like a sewing machine.

Feels more stable and safe than other cars of comparable size; drivers of all sizes feel comfortable driving this. Feels like a luxary car but not as expensive or oversized.

Dealer is too far away (1.5 hours), transmission is slow to respond when going in reverse. It drifts slightly when you stop it. Fabric interior should be avoided.

If you want the feel of a luxary car but not the sticker shock or large size, this is the car for you. It sits a little too low for snowy areas---too bad it doesn't height adjust. Despite the fact that it does look like a cute little girlie mobile, the 2.0 engine is fast and efficient. I have to keep the cruise control on to avoid tickets on the highway. It handles well, but it takes a bit to get used to the odd placement of mirrors and headrests. They hamper visibility. Go for leather seats; the cloth is too hard to keep clean. I would purchase other Volkswagons in the future; this is a pleasure to own and drive. Would be hard pressed to go back to American cars after this little German beauty.

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Geo Metro, Nissan Sentra, Chevy Nova, all of these were not so great in the snow. Also owned '73 and '74 Bugs. Also have driven a Jeep, Land Rover Discovery and Cadilliac DeVille

Design of course.

Any car is a weakness in itself.

It is exactly the type of car i dont give a damn what's inside, how it drives, what is the engine type etc, etc. We just love it like it is. Obviously it does have a lot of weaknesses but none that have really bothered us so far. We have it for 3 months now, we took the extended 5 years full coverage warranty and i guess that's what we were looking for, no hassles and peace of mind for 5 years. I recommend this type of warranty with any other car regardless the cost, it helps sleep at night believe me! What really upset me though is the tag on which its written Made in Mexico, i thought we were gonna get the german craftsmanship at its best, guess we got the engineered side at least. Seriously i have nothing about mexican people at all, i hope they are just well trained, i'll find out in few years i suppose. I'd really like someone to tell me how's that anyway, i mean are BMW or Porshes built in Mexico as well!?

Reading all previous reviews it looks like 98 models are those to avoid, but this is true with any brand new products, you just pay for the others to follow :))

Our is 2000, 2.0l 115HP, shift gear, power sunroof, leather everywhere, etc...

I wanted to take the 1.8L 150HP but my wife, geez her again :), wanted things as simple as no fancy stuff like turbo.

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A used $3k car i should have kept cause now i'm so afraid of making a single dent.

Style, Engine Performance, Nice Electronic Window and Sunroof Implimentation, Roomy Interior

Unreliable, too many rattles to count in less than 15K miles.

Un reliable car.

Too many warranty problems.

Will sell just before warranty expires at 24K.

My driving habits have not changed and yet I have had 3 tickets in 6 months. Do cops notice this car more than other "normal" drivers.

Warning!!! Read reviews from drivers who have had the car longer than 6 months. All reviewers on this page older than 6 months rate the car very low. The first few months of driving this car are fun because of how different it is.

Volkswagen designs cars to appeal to the visual senses first. If they put as much emphasis on building quality reliable cars they may earn my business again some day. Realisticly, I will never buy a VW again.

I am going back to Japanese cars!!!!

This is, to me, a very good looking car. That handles pretty darn good(even better if you buy the optional sport springs like I did).
Gas mileage is grest(about 30mpg), compared to my last vehicle.

I think dealer support is a little on the sorry side and she does drink oil(but at least you know everything is getting oiled, even the exhaust). VW's do have electrical problems and mine is not excempt from them. My glove box light and passenger side vanity light does not work and they are not burnt out. The battery cracked on me leaving me stranded(although that is the fault of battery manufacture). And the tape player quit working.

I think the problems I have had does not warrent me to say don't buy one, but instead wait about 5 to 6 years and then buy a used one. Somebody has already had most the problems and hopefully fixed them.

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1973 beetle,1969 VW Squreback,1966 VW Fastback and two 1972 Super Beetles and the comparrison is that they all have problems but you don,t mind working on the the cars your not making payments on.