Long-Term Road Test
Being a woman at a predominantly men's magazine, I am weary of hearing that Volkswagen's adorable New Beetle is a "chick car." Okay, so you notice I just called it "adorable." Well, it does have a flower vase on the dash (the contents of which are relegated to the glove box any time one of the guys drives it), and it is as cute as, well, a bug.
But let's get beyond the chick business and look at the numbers. Does it have any redeeming enthusiast values? Doesn't its styling in some way resemble the Audi TT's, a manly man's car if ever there were one?
What about its going from 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds? The Acura Integra GS-R, a perennial favorite of the he-man set, gets to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds with 170 horsepower versus the New Beetle's 150 turbocharged horses. Roadholding? 0.81 g for the GS-R and the New Beetle. Chrysler's PT Cruiser is mighty cute. Is that a chick car, too? Please note that the PT is slower, hitting 60 mph in 8.5 seconds with its 150-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Car and Driver TV editor Jim Scoutten hosted the New Beetle in Tennessee for several months, and he wrote in the logbook, "When we first got two New Beetles to test for TV, they were fun because people went 'nutz.' Now this one just seems dumb, like the owner is trying to be someone from the '60s. Never yet seen any guy driving one but me."
Well, let's look at the history of 21 months with the C/D staff and then judge who might enjoy driving this car. Regular readers are aware that we put 40,000 miles on our long-term test cars. With some cars, those 40,000 miles are achieved in less than a year; with other cars, it can take longer. Most of the time, our long-term fleet includes a sports car, a sport-utility, a four-wheel-driver, a minivan, and a sedan or three. When most of us plan a long weekend, we generally take along friends and gear and, in my case, a dog. So lots of those weekend miles are best accumulated in a vehicle with four or more doors and lots of cargo space.
Obviously, sports cars and coupes are not ideal for long trips that involve multiple people and pieces of luggage. The New Beetle has a back seat that is roomy enough for two, and there's 12 cubic feet of luggage space. Figure 15 or 16 cubes for a sedan and 50-plus in a sport-utility or minivan, and you can see why the New Beetle was not a popular choice for far-flung cruising.
Our '99 New Beetle 1.8T, which arrived here in March 1999, had a few surprises in store for us as the miles and months rolled by. Routine maintenance, primarily changing the engine oil and filter and rotating the tires, was required at 5000 miles, 10,000 miles, and then every 10,000 miles thereafter. Comprehensive inspections of all systems were performed at 20,000-mile intervals. The 5000-mile service was routine and covered under warranty, as are all stops within the two-year/24,000-mile warranty period.
At about the time of the 10,000-mile service, the "check engine" light came on briefly. No faults were found, so the onboard diagnostics were reset during the oil change, and we were on our way at no charge. At about 18,500 miles, the check-engine light came back on because of a faulty fuel-pump relay; this was fixed under warranty. Just 600 miles later, the light was on again because of a faulty vacuum line. This was fixed for free during the oil-change stop along with a turn-signal/taillight housing that had come adrift. The maintenance included new air and oil filters.
Photographer Aaron Kiley traveled to Vermont for a week with his wife and son. They felt the New Beetle had ample room for their needs, but Aaron noted, "Cup holders, glove box, and sun visors are for Stuart Little." We took the New Beetle on several painting tours of northern Michigan, and with the rear seat folded, it had room for 30-by-38-inch canvases as well as watercolor and oil painting supplies.
