Before driving our VeeDub, photo editor Scott Jacobs was convinced it wasn't a car that men drove. He wrote, "When driving around I noticed a lot of guys pulling up next to me with a grin and peering in, and when they saw my face, they were disappointed. They had the look of 'that's the ugliest woman I've ever seen.'"

But the "chick car" derision quickly waned as Jacobs stepped on the gas. "Thinking it was a diesel, I imagined a gutless engine, not unlike old Mercedes-Benz diesels. But this wunderbar 1.9 TDI was amazing! A tiny turbo-powered engine that can get moving easily! I was shocked that I could actually squeak the tires from a stop. It was actually a lot of fun, and I found myself smiling at it frequently." Edmunds.com Workbook guru Steve Riddick was equally impressed with the Beetle's responsive engine and wonderful pick-up.

The vehicle's steering was deemed acceptable by Jacobs, though he would have liked it to be a little more nimble. Jacobs also thought the brakes were neither here nor there, just, well, brakes. The transmission, however, brought out our staffer's red pens -- Jacobs found the stick uncomfortable and "sliding from one gear to the next was not sporty in any fashion it was marginal excitement for such a fun-looking and driving car." Riddick appreciated rowing his own gears, for a short while, until the novelty wore off in L.A. traffic.

For Riddick, the other novelty that didn't last was the red and blue interior lighting. So far in our Beetle's life, most Edmunds.com drivers have had laudatory comments about it, but Riddick says to VW, "Don't use red to illuminate the entire center console for the radio/HVAC controls; it makes it very difficult to distinguish between the heat and the cool rotary controls." Jacobs was impressed with the lighting and the unusual shapes on the dash, saying they gave the car a lot of character. At first glance, however, Jacobs wasn't sure whether he should look over the dash or have a dinner party, "Upon getting into the Beetle, the first thing I noticed was the table-sized dashboard. I swear, I felt like I should get a cloth and doilies for this thing."

Jacobs was also unaccustomed to the "flat" doors. He prefers doors that are shaped a bit more so he can lean on them when driving. We told Jacobs that if he wants to take a nap, he should do that on his own time, not while evaluating a vehicle. Riddick also had some criticism for the doors; he thought the door panels looked "like a bad afterthought." He suggested that VW mix up the materials and colors in the door panels as was done in the rest of the car. He also would like to see VW improve the build quality, surprised by the amount of squeaks and rattles in such a low-mileage vehicle.

Jacobs thought the seats were comfortable, but the rotary knob to move the seat tilt up and back was "plain lame." The backseats also got kudos from Jacobs, who was surprised that, although from a distance it looks as if it would be cramped for anyone beneath the downward slope of the arch, once inside there are no headroom problems for those of shorter stature. Riddick would like to see VW add an armrest that also doubles as a small storage bin (like in the Golf) and increase the size of the "pathetically small glove box so it can actually hold more than a pair of gloves."


Total Odometer Reading: 27,957
Best Fuel Economy: 32.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 30.8 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.