2005 Volkswagen New Beetle Consumer Reviews

Fahrvergnugen

Written by: heme3 on 09/15/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Good 2 go for a second "fun" car. Purchased used from a VW dealer, everything seems to be fine. Solid ride, little 2.0 engine runs on the cheap gas, convertible works very nicely. By far the coolest convertible you can pick up nowadays for $17K. If you want to go fast, buy something else. This car is for cruising. Almost bought the turbo version, used price is about the same, but the 1.8 turbo engine only runs on 93+ octane. Actually, the 2.0 engine seemed smoother than the 1.8 turbo with the automatic trans. 1.8 turbo with manual was best, tho. New 2.5 engine with automatic is perfect, but was out of my price range.

Favorite Features

Factory sound system is excellent. VW sells a flashlight that fits into the cigarette lighter - get it, it's too cool.

Suggested Improvements

Power top sometimes doesn't want to go all the way down. Fiddle with the button for 2 seconds and it plays ball just fine.

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Worst car I have ever owned

Written by: Scott on 09/10/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Bought the car new. With only 22,000 miles we have already spent nearly $2,000 on repairs. As the other reviews stated; stuff just FALLS APART. Several sensors have gone bad - that was expensive enough, now the top is busted. More $$ down the drain. I will never buy another VW product.

Favorite Features

Top down driving.

Suggested Improvements

Learn from the Japanese: build a RELIABLE car and you might get repeat business.

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Hippie car

Written by: richard on 07/21/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Bought the car new in march of 2005. A fun car to drive, gas mileage is 24 around town and 29 on the highway. We have taken this car on three long distance trips with no problems at all. We use the back seat for luggage as the trunk is not of any use for suitcases.

Favorite Features

XM radio is fun

Suggested Improvements

Cup holders need improvement. Power steering should be improved.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Fun Car to Drive

Written by: Linda on 05/07/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 1.8T 2dr Convertible (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

I purchased this car on a whim and never regretted it! It is a fun car to drive and people are always coming up to me in parking lots and asking me how I like my convertible." I don't like it", I say, "I love it!" Every time another New Beetle convertible passes me the driver will wave and I will wave back. On the more practical side, the car gets about 26 mpg around town, and around 30 on the highway. I have been able to fit an entire JV football team defensive line in the car, and during lacrosse season the pass- through to the trunk allows for long stick defensive players' equipment. The New Beetle handles very well in snow and ice, a must for New Hampshire drivers!

Favorite Features

The convertible top is very easy to put up and down and I love the heated seats.

Suggested Improvements

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Fun in the sun, but stormy reliability.

Written by: bugawff on 04/05/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle Dark Flint Edition 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Traded in my Volvo s60 for this cute top down car. Thought German car would be better than Swedish. Have had the car in for speaker, gas lid, windows, wipers, etc. Everything seems to be falling apart. Had the driver side window fixed about 5 times, they can't seem to get it right. One day on low gas my gas tank lid wouldn't click open, good thing I was close to a dealer and they opened it for me, but couldn't fix it at the moment had to wait 2 weeks for that. Gas mileage is ok, could be better. Trunk space you can't even fit in a beach chair. AND if you are thinking of taking friends with you for a fun ride hope the ones sitting in the back are kids, small kids.

Favorite Features

Top comes down in no time. Fun to drive. LEASE it if you can, that way you get your fill of FUN and then you can turn it in for a real car =)

Suggested Improvements

Cup holder you can only fit a dixie cup in there and the placement is awkward. Fuel economy, trunk space, Better quality...

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45 miles to the gallon

Written by: Gilbug on 02/13/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)

Review

I love this car however the trunk lock does not work. The power windows go up and down as they please and the interior clock runs fast, about 5 minutes per month. Other than that a great gas car.

Favorite Features

TDI

Suggested Improvements

Easier head lamp replacement.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Why I won't buy another VW

Written by: DrRix on 01/29/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle Dark Flint Edition 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)

Review

I have been leasing the '05 VW New Beetle Convertible, a special edition in dark flint with a red top, red wheel trim, red leather seats. I've never gotten more compliments, and never driven anything that completely feel apart on me before, even when I had an old Toyota truck with no power steering and a leaking oil tank. Parts just fall right off this car - seat headrests, the glove compartment handle, the sideview mirror adjustment knob, random plastic parts that I don't even know where they came from. German cars used to be good, but these aren't made in Germany anymore, and they are CRAP. Don't buy!!

Favorite Features

She's the cutest thing on the road - guaranteed. Also, plenty of head room.

Suggested Improvements

Better quality of materials and engineering would be nice. Also, the dash is just too deep - makes you feel like you are in a minivan. Finally, it would be great to invent some way to have more lighting options at night than the keyring light- quality thing that is on the rearview mirror.

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Surprise! I love this car!

Written by: Diane on 01/08/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)

Review

I bought this car a year ago when it was 2 years old-- never thought of buying a VW but was looking for a diesel & this was the only one available. It's so much bigger and more comfortable than it looks like it would be-- my sister says it's nicer to ride in than my BMW 3 convertible was! And I got 47 MPG on my Christmas trip to Florida this year!!! I'm buying 10 gallons of gas every 10-15 days and commuting 50 miles a day, averaging between 38 and 42 mpg (lower when the AC is on). I know the VWs have some maintenance issues, but I've had no problems so far. It's a really enjoyable car to drive.

Favorite Features

Hatch back! I leave the back seat down all the time. My sister and I packed our luggage and presents for 5 people for Christmas, and nothing got squashed! It holds a lot more than you'd think. Moon roof a close second, along with the MP3 jack.

Suggested Improvements

Can't think of a thing!

1 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Much Improvement Needed!

Written by: bucnasty on 12/19/2006

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 1.8T 2dr Convertible (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

This is my parents' car, but i drive it mostly, and have to deal with the dealership on the ongoing problem with the check engine light coming on. It comes on all the time and they keep telling us its a computer code that has to be updated, and they are waiting for it. They've been telling us that for a year now. Furthermore, the cup holders are awful you cant even fit a "pony" in them. They are poorly designed. Also, how can a car as tiny as a bug get only around 27 mpg? My grandmother had a huge Mercury Grand Marquee with a V8 and it got around 28 mpg. The engine needs to be revamped, there are so many larger cars out today that get a lot better mileage than the Beetle.

Favorite Features

It is fun to drive.

Suggested Improvements

Improve the engine. The turbo lag is pretty bad when taking off from a stop. The cup holders were improved on the '06 model, which is good I guess. Definitely improve the electronics and gas mileage!

4 out 5 people found this review helpful

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It's a Lime!

Written by: stowbound on 11/25/2006

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

If it were yellow, it would be a lemon...instead I bought my wife a lime (green) for her 40th birthday. I believed that German engineering would provide us a good quality car that we could keep for 10+ years. Instead, I have had to sue under the lemon law for our horrible experience. The transmission still not fixed, the sound system rattles, marker lights fall out and dangle from the cords, gaskets come loose and the plastic parts break with ease. It is fun to drive with the top down, but is uncomfortable, gets poor mileage (24 mph, not 30 as advertised) is noisy and just feels cheap. There is also no storage anywhere in the car. This is not a car that will last. What a disappointment!

Favorite Features

The exterior design is really cool. The automatic stick (now that it works again) is fun. The top is simple to put up and down. The car draws a lot of attention anywhere we go...especially from the ladies. This definitely is not a man's car...especially with a daisy in the vase!

Suggested Improvements

Improve interior design and comfort. Expand the trunk space. Reinforce the cheap plastic parts everywhere. Redesign the convertible mechanism to cover the closed top with a boot and secure it. Change the surface of the dashboard; the rough texture traps dirt and dust and is very difficult to clean.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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