Vw beetle (new shape)
Author
Discussion

Nattyboy888

Original Poster:

260 posts

187 months

Sunday 7th August 2011
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Miss us is adamant she wants one (convertible) any owners care to share experiences good or bad. I'm guessing 1.8t is the engine to go for for local driving?

attym3

7,259 posts

198 months

Sunday 7th August 2011
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HTH

hehe

Mark

jamiebae

6,245 posts

241 months

Sunday 7th August 2011
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Mum has one, it's horrid. Rubbish to drive, heavy, wobbly, slow (1.6) and badly built. The Mini cabrio is a massively better car in every way other than back seat and boot space.

She does love that car though, but then again it did replace an orange C3 Pluriel which was even worse...

vit4

3,507 posts

200 months

Sunday 7th August 2011
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For some God unknown reason these seem to be the current "it" girls' car of choice recently (17-18 year old middle class parents who've bought it for them) around here. Went from off-white MINI's, to white Fiat 500's, and now off-white convertible Beetles. Madness, a pretty old design now if I'm correct (mk4 Golf maybe?).

johnpeat

5,329 posts

295 months

Sunday 7th August 2011
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We had a New Beetle (hardtop) from 2000-2002 and I thought it was great - her indoors (who chose it) absolutely loved it and it certainly turned heads (I was stopped and asked about it everywhere I went, tho they were rarer back then ofc.).

Ours was a 2.0 petrol which struggled to see 30mpg in general use - I'd suggest digging around for a diesel unless you're feeling a bit rockefeller in that dept (I doubt the 1.6 will be any better).

It's basically a Golf in ride/handling/driving terms - someone once told me it's basically a MK3 GTi in chassis/suspension terms but I took that with a pinch of salt.

Interior space is 'lavish' in the front and decent in the back (and it's a LOT easier to get in and out of than a MINI) but that's where 'practical' ends. The boot is a joke - 4 carrier bags of shopping fills it...

Nothing went wrong or fell-off ours (well, the fuel filler jammed once, early ones don't fit flush and people tend to push them in, thinking you've left them unlocked, and it jams them shut!!).

They didn't change much in the facelift that I could see - mostly cosmetics like indicators in the mirrors etc.

Never liked the convertible myself - I borrowed one once and DEFINATELY preferred ours. You lose the 'bubble' shape and the extra noise etc. isn't fun (I didn't look but I imagine it just eats ALL the boot space too??)

Edited by johnpeat on Sunday 7th August 01:33