2002 Volkswagen Cabrio Review
Fuel Economy
23 - 24 mpg
Summary
What Edmunds.com says
A fun-in-the-sun ride. If it's good enough for Gidget, it's good enough for you.
Pros
Germanic ride and handling, standard side airbags and ABS, glass rear window, exceptional warranty.
Cons
Sluggish off-the-line power, dated styling, limited storage space.
What's New for 2002
Reflex Silver with a gray top and Flannel Gray interior will be added to the spectrum, and Marlin Blue will replace Batik Blue. An on/off switch will allow you to govern the electrochromic mirror. For the 2002 model year, all-new Volkswagen vehicles will come standard with an improved four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, up from two years/24,000 miles. In addition, Volkswagen offers a fully transferable limited powertrain warranty that covers five years or 60,000 miles.
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
VW Never again
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 4 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 3 |
| Comfort: | 4 | Interior Design: | 5 | Reliability: | 3 |
| Fuel Economy: | 7 | Exterior Design: | 6 | ||
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Review
My wife always said she loved her VW. It was cute and the test drive was fun but the honeymoon was short lived. There were many problems with it over the years. Included were electrical issues, power Windows, chronic check engine light, air conditioner, on & on. Every time we got it back from the shop we were lucky if it would go 2 weeks before something else was needed. We had to keep a list so we could remember what to tell the service writer. VW dealer was to expensive for parts & labor and everything had to be done at the dealer. Last VW in our family if I have anything to say about it.
Favorite Features
Once in a while we put the top down and went for a ride.
Suggested Improvements
Work on design and reliability. I have had less expensive autos that were far more reliable.
CabrioDog
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 6 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 3 |
| Comfort: | 5 | Interior Design: | 4 | Reliability: | 1 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 6 | ||
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Review
It truly is a dog. And VW service is atrocious. What has gone wrong: catalytic converter; exhast hangers broke; driver's wind failed THREE TIMES; one tire (wheel) goes flat for no reason (even after replacing the tire). One of the more recent events was a violent shaking upon acceleration. The dealer replaced mass air flow sensor and some other electronic components. Got back on the road and he problem was still there. That is pure incompetence.
Favorite Features
That it is a cute convertible;e that gets good mileage when it is not in the shop.
Suggested Improvements
VW should hire some good engineers from Tokyo, Seoul, or Detroit and train their service people better. We don't bring our cars in for your mechanics to guess on our nickle. No more VWs for me or my family. And I have owned a bunch of them over a 41 year period.
I LOVE THIS CAR!!!
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 10 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I bought a used 2002 VW Cabrio GLX and have had it for five years - this car is awesome. I have only had it serviced at the dealer and have had no major issues with the car. I even bought the extended VW warranty - kind of feel it was a waste of money since I still haven't used it. If you buy a used one just make sure you get the service records - some VW's have no issues and some have a lot - beware of someone who hides service records - they are hiding problems. If you take care of your VW It will love you for years to come!
Favorite Features
Power top, fun to drive, fits 4 people, great gas mileage, easy to park - super cute!
Suggested Improvements
Sadly they don't make these great cars anymore - my only complaints are I wish I didn't have to put the boot cover on when the top is down and the biggest complaint is the lack of a real cup holder in the front- thank goodness they have one for the backseat I reach over and use the one in the middle.
So much for German Engineering!
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 5 | Fun-to-Drive: | 7 | Build Quality: | 4 |
| Comfort: | 5 | Interior Design: | 5 | Reliability: | 2 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 5 | ||
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Cabrio GLS 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Review
My wife purchased this car a few months before we met. It's been a fun little car to tool about town in. Handles well, gets excellent gas mileage (32 mpg in mixed city driving), and the convertible top is simple to operate. Unfortunately, the car is poorly built: Power windows don't operate properly, interior bits are falling apart, and the final straw: Total transmission failure at under 55,000 miles (5 speed manual.) Google "Self Machining Syndrome" to find out more about how some very important pieces of the drivetrain are held together with rivets! This goes for Golfs and Jettas too.
Favorite Features
Gas mileage, handling
Suggested Improvements
One of the last ones
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Review
I have had very few problems since the initial 6 months when I had a problem with wheel sensors. It has run so well my wife wanted it. It is a real fun car. It will be hard to replace.
Favorite Features
The roof goes down. Then the hot seats.
Suggested Improvements
Door handles peeled. Should have used real leather.
1 out 1 people found this review helpful
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