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VW New Beetle (Pricing & Information)
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I knew eventually it would happen.
Can't wait to see it!
I've been shopping for awhile and have found dealers very laid back, like maybe the niche hasn't yet played itself out here. Seems like they think if you want a NB, price isn't important - or maybe because I haven't bought a new car in years, things have just changed in dealerships.
Anyone have info on their experiences in Texas, especially Houston?
Thanks all. . .
I rushed into the buying process because I blew my car up(an 89 Dodge omni with 150,000) -- well, cracked the cylinders anyway. I had started doing serious new car research in the fall of 2000 because I knew the end was near for the poor thing.
The beetle was at the top of my list, so after the old car blew, I started shopping. The salesman I talked to at my nearest dealership (Dover VW in Delaware) was a total jerk. I told him I would be purchasing within a week and wanted to take a "long" test drive. His response "no way am I letting you take it on the highway! I'll let you take the standard test drive, but that's it."
I took my business elsewhere. Smith VW (in wilmington Delaware) was more than happy to let me take the tester out for as long as I wanted; and so I took at long 40 mile drive down the highway (take THAT, dover VW!).
I was pressured into buying before the end of the month. I test drove the car on Tuesday, May 29 and the salesman let me know that the special 6.9 APR financing would expire on May 31, so of course, I should buy right away.
The realist in me realized that, given the current economy, VW would probably extend special financing. However, I needed a car, so i went ahead with the deal the next day, just in case.
I sat down with the salesman on Wednesday (after having a panic attack when I pulled into the lot) and he said "I'm not going to haggle with you. How much do you want to pay." I said 16,100 (100 or so dollars less than Edmund's true market value). he said ok.
They had the car for me the very next day (they had to get it from some dealership in NJ).
So far, no problems, and the car is great. I've never owned a decent used car, let alone a NEW car, so its taken some getting used to. AND, I'm finding myself parking in the "paranoid new car owners" parking at the mall etc.
In three weeks, I've put almost 2000 miles on the car, with no real problems. Gas mileage is averaging a disappointing 28 mpg, with mostly highway driving (albeit at 75-80 mph). So far, the problems noted are that the vent symbols don't light up (they did in the tester I drove) and i think the washer fluid jets are mis-aimed a bit (most of the washer sprays over the top of the car).
Best thing about the car: the ability to make children punch eachother by simply driving by.
2nd best thing: I can always find it in the parking lot. :}
I'm disappointed that beetle owners seem to not wave at eachother. I've passed two tother green beetles so far and we've waved. Other beetles, nada. What's the deal with that?
-susan
Pocahontas
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Hatchbacks/Station Wagons Message Board
The goal is to have maximum performance with affordable maintainance. From what I understand, you spend $600 annually on a gas engine for tune-ups and such. What would the annual fee be on a TDI and on a gas (2.0L 115hsp)?
My concerns on the TDI:
1. the life span of the turbo....when it goes it costs about $4000 with labor How long should the turbo last?
2. Someone has mentioned the injection pump, the heart of the engine. What is its average life span?
3. Someone else above had a TDI for only a year and the relay killed the glow plugs. Is this common or is this a fluke car?
4. What is your fuel system service fee annually?
But I know the TDI has excellent mileage and diesel engines are in long lasting work vehicles. And I enjoyed the ride.
Which one overall will have higher maintenance, the GLS TDI automatic or the GLS (2.0L) automatic? Which one will be the greater investment?
I know the TDI has an injection pump, which is about $1600, whereas the gas GLS has a regular fuel pump. The TDI also has a turbo, which is very expensive to replace, but the service men (who work for the dealers) tell me that if you keep up with everything, that you should be fine. Can you confirm this?
Please give guidance. Thank you.
I haven't heard whether a hybrid engine is planned for the beetle or not, but you might be interested to know that the beetle was originally designed to be a hybrid or electric vehicle. The car was designed in a beetle body so that it would be "familiar".
I also believe that VW is testing a vehicle in Europe that gets 70+ mpg; so I think they have the technology.
There is some action in congress currently that will raise fuel economy standards; mostly for light trucks, but it may have some impact on passenger cars as well. I'd love to see a hybrid VW. And, for the record, I would buy one in a second. (Are you listening, VW of America?)
-Susan
Thanks,
Keith
Tom
The first thing that struck me was the obvious build quality of the vehicles. They're solid - not plasticky like Honda, and better designed than Toyota vehicles. The second thing that really impressed me was the driveability, and the fact that driving a Jetta or a Golf was a heck of a lot of fun - any model - from the TDI to the 1.8T was just a blast!!!! These vehicles just felt right!
I was sold on the Jetta - I ordered a TDI. The day it came in, the salesman told me I had to check out this Beetle TDI. I had always kind of laughed at these cars in the past, thinking they we're cute, but never entertaining the thought of buying one. I decided what the heck... I went for a test drive. WOW! The Beetle was definitely the most fun to drive of the bunch, with great handling and responsive feel. It felt like a sports car... Really... Like a fine sports car, but it didn't beat you up like one. The suspension was perfectly tuned to strike a balance between comfort and "feel". Sitting in the Beetle was like sitting in a spaceship. Unlike anything I had ever driven before. I loved all the cool appointments, the ease of getting in and out of the back seat, the enormous head and leg room... What was not to like about this car? It was fun to drive, felt quicker and sportier than the Jetta and Golf, got great gas mileage, etc.. etc.. etc.. I fell in love!!!!
That day, I drove home with the Beetle, still not believing what I had done. I loved it. To this day, I absolutely love the car. People laugh and joke about it.. but simply put, it's got to be the best car I've ever owned. I love the "Torquey" TDI engine. I average 47MPG pure city driving, and I have a blast getting to and from work, shifting through the gears, cruising down the road.... Nothing compares to the experience of driving and owning the Beetle.
Sometimes when I get home from work, I'll sit out in the car for 15-20 minutes just jamming to tunes and enjoying life. Sometimes, I go for a drive to the store and end up cruising around for over an hour just listening to tunes and ....going with the flow, totally forgetting to go to the store. Why? I don't know. But something about the VW Beetle just makes life a little better... Know what I'm saying?
You just can't put a price tag on that!!!
In 7k miles, the only problems were a squeaky driver's seat and a door warning buzzer that went out - all quickly fixed by the friendly dealer, who stays open 'till midnight, and even washed my car for me! So far, I'm impressed with the whole ownership experience.
J.R.
Pocahontas
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Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
Incidently, since you mentioned Toyota, you should read my post in the Toyota Sienna forum about my nightmare experience with my brand new 2001 Sienna. As I type this, it is yet again in the shop - day 4 of this round - and I don't expect to see it back until next week sometime. It's been in the shop much of it's life already, and there's only 2000 miles on it. I've been a loyal Toyota owner forever, and my 2000 Tundra is flawless. But my Sienna - "the most reliable van you can buy" - has had an extreme amount of problems for a new vehicle, and I have many design complaints as well.
Regarding the Tacoma, I personally really like the design of the PreRunner with the TRD Offroad package. This really strikes a good balance between a capable offroad vehicle, and a realistic vehicle for my area (Dallas) where you don't need an offroad vehicle. The problem is.... have you see the crash test results for the Tacoma? I'd be scared to ride in one. The Tundra on the other hand is the safest full-size truck on the market. Incidently, when I was pricing out a PreRunner (I almost bought one), I discovered that my Tundra would be less than $3,000 more expensive, and it had a V8 engine. The decision was easy.
If you read many of the posts at www.tdiclub.com, you'll find that the VW TDI is a rock-solid engine. Some people have 200,000 miles on them with just normal maintenance. I hope my Beetle will be reliable long-term... only time will tell. Based on what I've heard, VW has made great improvements over the last two years on reliability. So far, so good.
Good luck with your Toyota! Let me know what you get.
Consumer Reports sux. They won't give a good rating to anything, unless its a honda. Forget them ever recommending a new model car until its proven itself for at least 5 years. There are a lot of great cars out there, VWs too, that get a bad rap because people only talk about the negatives. When was the last time you saw a post on Edmunds that just said "my car is great. I haven't had any problems blah blah." ? For every person posting about problems here, there are probably 100 people with the same car who have had no trouble.
-s
Does anyone besides me feel that $295.00 for splash guards is nearly stealing? The splash guards were on a Blue GLS and they were listed as "color coordinated splash guards" and they were black. Is this color coordination?
The Beetle also had a carbon fiber dash kit installed which was listed at $599.00.
What do you think?