(Used) Devon test drives the redesigned Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle has always been regarded as a chick car. With a large portion of its buyers being female. Now Volkswagen has decided to change up the Beetle formula. Giving it a more masculine design and a dose of sport to help shape up its new image, but has it worked? Let's find out.

Performance: There's two engines available with the Beetle. A familiar 2.5-liter five-cylinder with 170hp and a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 200hp. Pick of the bunch is the turbo engine. It's the most fun to drive form of the Beetle. There's plenty of punch and fuel economy isn't that much different than the 2.5. 

Ride & Handling: The Beetle features two different rear supsension setups. The turbo forms offer a multi-link arrangement from the GTI. In this form, body sway is well controlled and there's plenty of sideways grip. The lower trims have a more basic rear suspension set up which doesn't feel as sporty as the turbo forms. Both suspensions however offer a firm ride at low speeds and steering is quite slow to react. 

Refinement: The Beetle is generally refined, although the frameless doors generate quite a bit of wind noise. The turbo engine also generates quite a bit of induction roar. The DSG gearbox is generally smooth, but it can be jerky at low speeds. 

Behind the wheel: The Beetle's dashboard has been inspired by the original. This means its taller than in most modern cars and has a squared off front. You can go even further with the retro vibe and have the dashboard painted the same color as the car. All of the switches and controls are clearly laid out and easy to operate. 

Space & Practicality: The Beetle only has four seats. There's plenty of room in the front for people of all shapes and sizes. The back seats however are cramped. The boot is a decent size, almost as much room as you'd find in a Golf. The sloped bootlid makes it difficult to carry tall items. 

Equipment: The Beetle comes with an array of trim levels to choose from. The base trim offers cd-player, air-con, Bluetooth and electronic stability control. Turbo form offers a rear spoiler, 18 inch alloy wheels and sport cloth seats. Top of the range offers an upgraded sound system, navigation system, leather seating surfaces and a sunroof. 

Buying & Owning: The base trim of the Beetle cost a few thousand more than a two-door Golf. So its not really all that cheap to buy and discounts will be hard to comeby as the Beetle was just redesigned. Resale value is too soon rate. Fuel economy is decent which means running costs shouldn't be too bad. 

Quality and Reliability: The Beetle's interior trim feels a bit cheap in some areas. You'll find softer feeling plastics in a Golf, for example the plastics on the center console and around the front center armrest are hard and scratchy. At least most of the switches and controls feel weighty. Underneath, the Beetle shares most of its parts with the Golf, so reliability should be good. 

Safety & Security: The Beetle comes with side-curtian airbags, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes. Not to mention the reputation of Volkswagen safety. On the security front, you get an alarm, deadlocks and a visible VIN with plenty of marked parts. 

The redesigned Beetle pushes all the right buttons. The new design is much more sporty, with a more retro interior to match that of the original. However the Beetle once again chooses style over practicality. You can buy a two-door Golf for less money if you want the extra space for rear passengers and boot space. But you'll be missing the point of the Beetle. It's a retro-throw back to the original, offers a nicer interior and is more engaging to drive than the pervious form. If you desire a car that stands out and don't mind the compromised practicality, this car is well worth the look.

Devon's Pick: The Turbo form makes the most sense. It's the most exciting to drive all while being not too much more expensive than the 2.5. Running costs are decent and equipment is also decent. 

Devon M 

(Used) Devon test drives a Volkswagen Icon

The Volkswagen Beetle has always been seen as a chick car. The next generation Beetle is going to address this issue with more muscular curves, and a shape to follow more closely to the original Beetle. However, a final verdict of a Beetle must be given before the new - new Beetle arrives.

Performance: There's only one engine available for the Beetle. It's a 2.5-liter five-cylinder with 150hp. It's peppy and offers decent pace in town and on the highway. Fuel economy is decent, but the five-cylinder has a droan that is only heard when revved hard. It's not intrusive, but can make long journeys tiresome.

Ride & Handling: The Beetle's handling isn't the best, its chassis is based on the pervious generation Golf. So there really isn't distinct handling here. It's comfortable and competent, and the steering feel is merely okay.

Refinement: Wind and road noise is well supressed. You'll drive around in the Beetle with comfort and ease. The major controls have a substaintial feel to them, but the engine droan will spoil things a bit.

Behind the wheel: The curvy roof makes things a little bit weird in the interior. You'll feel like you're sitting miles away from the windscreen. Visibility is poor, and the driving position isn't great, even if the steering wheel adjusts for reach and height. You'll like the single stylish fascia and instrument pod.

Space & Practicality: In theory the Beetle is a four-seater, in reality it's only a two-seater. The roofline means the rear is only for kids. The boot is tiny, so you'll have to fold the rear seats down to carry bigger and longer items.

Equipment: All Beetles come with alloy wheels, remote central locking, power windows and a Cd-player. There aren't many options available, as most features that you'll want are already standard. Leather seats, and other goodies are optional.

Buying & Owning: The Beetle's resale value is good. You'll recoup more than 40% of the list price after three years and 36,000 miles. Servicing costs will be a bit of a worry. Fuel economy is decent and emissions are pretty good.

Quality & Reliability: The interior feels well put together. Many plastics feel sturdy and long lasting. It's no surprise that the Beetle lives up to Volkswagen standards. Although the Beetle has respectable scores in JD Power customer satisfaction surveys. Reliablity is still a worry after the warranty expires.

Safety & Security: High crash safety scores, and a long list of safety features help keep the Beetle at the top of its game. There's plenty of security back-up. An immobiliser and deadlocks are fitted as standard, as well as an alarm.

Likes: Iconic design, offers decent pace and decent fuel economy, well equipped and fun to own.
Dislikes: Style over practicality, more of a two-seater with a tiny boot, long-term reliability a bit of a worry.
The Beetle will be replaced by a newer more masculine shaped variant. There will be more power, and more appeal to a broader audience. However, the retro fitted styling and curvy chick design still remains desirable. There's not many cars out there that can age gracefully, and still have a fan base with more than 15 million cars sold worldwide. The Beetle is iconic and still worthy of a test drive, even with the newer variant coming next year.

Devon M