Technical
Even if our tester came equipped with Volkswagen's now nearly legendary 1.8L turbocharged inline 4, standing starts and all out accelerations were not very impressive: 0 to 100 km/h times were barely under 10 seconds and highway passing was adequate. It's not surprising considering this version of the engine generates only 150 hp and 162 lb/ft of torque to motivate a 1 436 kg car when a 2004 Jetta GLS, for example, benefits from an output of 180 hp and 173 lb/ft of torque from the same engine to haul around 1 349 kg. The automatic transmission, a 6 speed only available on the New Beetle, affects the engine very little as the gear ratios are close and shifts are swift. When shifting from Park to Reverse, for example, the driver must be patient because these changes are quite slow.
On the road
With all 4 wheels pushed out to the corners, there is very little overhang in the front and back and a fairly low center of gravity, this car can easily be tossed into corners with aplomb. It demonstrates a little body-roll in tighter bends but it never loses its composure. Even if the New Beetle has inspiring road manners, the front independent and rear semi-independent suspension are capable of lots of wheel travel. This permits a comfortable and compliant ride that is never harsh, yet it has low-profile tires.
Steering is fairly precise, direct and transmits to the driver all the necessary road information. Brake pedal response is good but not as strong as the other Volkswagens: they lack some initial bite. That is not to say that braking distances are long or that the car won't stop quickly, they actually perform rather well once the pads begin to grip the discs.
Safety
The Volkswagen New Beetle was one of the first compact cars to be awarded a "best pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and got 4 out of 5 stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) frontal crash tests. Standard equipment includes ABS brakes, second-generation front and side air bags, a retractable integrated rollover protection system in the rear headrests and optional stability control on the GLS, standard on the tested GLX. Even if the chassis is now a 7-year-old design, it remains quite obvious that the VW engineers did their homework because it still feels very refined, even when compared to the more recent highly praised Mazda 3.
Even if our tester came equipped with Volkswagen's now nearly legendary 1.8L turbocharged inline 4, standing starts and all out accelerations were not very impressive: 0 to 100 km/h times were barely under 10 seconds and highway passing was adequate. It's not surprising considering this version of the engine generates only 150 hp and 162 lb/ft of torque to motivate a 1 436 kg car when a 2004 Jetta GLS, for example, benefits from an output of 180 hp and 173 lb/ft of torque from the same engine to haul around 1 349 kg. The automatic transmission, a 6 speed only available on the New Beetle, affects the engine very little as the gear ratios are close and shifts are swift. When shifting from Park to Reverse, for example, the driver must be patient because these changes are quite slow.On the road
With all 4 wheels pushed out to the corners, there is very little overhang in the front and back and a fairly low center of gravity, this car can easily be tossed into corners with aplomb. It demonstrates a little body-roll in tighter bends but it never loses its composure. Even if the New Beetle has inspiring road manners, the front independent and rear semi-independent suspension are capable of lots of wheel travel. This permits a comfortable and compliant ride that is never harsh, yet it has low-profile tires.Steering is fairly precise, direct and transmits to the driver all the necessary road information. Brake pedal response is good but not as strong as the other Volkswagens: they lack some initial bite. That is not to say that braking distances are long or that the car won't stop quickly, they actually perform rather well once the pads begin to grip the discs.
Safety
The Volkswagen New Beetle was one of the first compact cars to be awarded a "best pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and got 4 out of 5 stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) frontal crash tests. Standard equipment includes ABS brakes, second-generation front and side air bags, a retractable integrated rollover protection system in the rear headrests and optional stability control on the GLS, standard on the tested GLX. Even if the chassis is now a 7-year-old design, it remains quite obvious that the VW engineers did their homework because it still feels very refined, even when compared to the more recent highly praised Mazda 3.