My 2008 beetle died so I asked the dealership to give me any other beetle they had. They gave me a red basic trim beetle year 2014. I really like the car (though I wish it was a more expensive beetle with navigation, turbo and sunroof but it is not). I am 5’2 and it fits me perfectly! I am always complimented on it, people ask me what year it is and I do decorate the car for the holidays and people seem to enjoy seeing my big, it makes people smile. I find the car kinda classy looking and a little exotic looking, I don’t see many other 2014 beetles driving around my city either. It stands out too, especially red. It gets ok gas, but I wouldn’t be the best judge because i Don’t drive much and this is my only car. My issue is people always feel the need to pass me while driving! It seems like people think beetles are slow even if I’m going over the speed limit. The basic beetle doesn’t have turbo but it has an S mode that seems to make it faster but honestly, it does seem to have slow acceleration and seems to go pretty slow up hill! But once it starts, I find it goes pretty fast. When I turn on the ignition I’m please to find a very strong sounding engine, it’s not v6 or v8 but it’s nice enough. The only issue I’m finding mechanically is that the windshield wiper fluid is constantly needing to be refilled! It is good in snow BUT one issue in winter is that sometimes the windows freeze shut! The windows are frameless so they drop down to open the door and sometimes ice or whatever gets in the windows and will not come down when you go to open it and could cause the battery to short out then you have to reprogram the windows. Just a little annoying. I’ve learned to just cover the car with a tarp so ice can’t get on it since it parks outside as it’s only a problem early mornings. I’d recommend a turbo beetle. Would not recommend the diesel beetle as it drives like a little truck, not sporty at all. Also wish the basic came with automatic power seats.
When you're battery dies. It's will give you every warning in the book. Key not in range. Key defective. Brake error. Parking break. When you're battery finally fails (no indication other than the key) it basically does what a normal car does. Doesn't start. Bit goes though this weird every error thing. I REPLACED THE BATTERY IN MY FOR. it was a stupid dead battery. I wasn't stupid enough to pay the reprogramming fee to discover this (99$) thank God. I needed a jump and a new battery. The car didn't indicate that at all. Runs great now.
Terrific to drive, a true driver's car. I'm 6'4" and I fit in nicely. Excellent gas mileage, 30mpg on daily driving! Premium gas only.... The fit and finish is EL CHEAPO. Flimsy upholstery and lots of hard plastic. Rear seats are "pretend", it should be classified as a 2+2...Interior components fail, having seat railings and the seatbelt changed under warranty. Also, several issues with engine oil leaks were fixed under warranty, and I am a rather gentle driver, so reliability is not all that good at all. It looks beautiful, it's designed to accommodate all drivers, even very tall ones. It's great on gas and, with the GTI engine, it's a BLAST!
I've always been a Beetle fanatic since they came out with the second generation in 1998 when I was 8 years old! This 2014 Beetle was my 3rd Beetle since obtaining a license at 17 years old in 2007. I was obsessed with the car! It was a great color and loved the acceleration compared to my 2005 Beetle with only 115HP. I have driven so much in the last 2.5 years of owning it! I have racked up 70,000 miles in just 2.5 years! Yes thats a lot and I haven't had any major repairs yet! Although i'm getting nervous for the water pump/ timing belt replacement that comes between 80-100k miles and the dealerships charge about $1k. Besides that I only take my car to my local VW dealerships for oil changes. The only problem I've had with my car are the breaks. Even when I had my car for a few months they started to squeak when I would slow down. Especially during cold temperatures! Sometimes it gets very loud and my passengers are like wow you need new breaks already? I did take it into the dealership and they said they would have to send a request for them to replace it for free since it was still under the warranty. weeks went by and i never received a phone call. and summer rolled around so it made less noise and it didn't bother me. Before I knew it I was over the mileage for the warranty. Hopefully when i replace my brakes sometime this year the noise will stop. Another problem is my passenger seat sucks! I'm assuming it broke somehow. When someone wants to get in the back seat i pull the seat forward but when i push it back, it goes ALL the way back and the upper part of the seat does not come forward like it should. I have to aggressively pull the seat back with all my force and my passengers are again shocked! Another interesting tidbit is i am a 215 lb male and i noticed either of the front seats if you are heavy, and tend to move or when you make a turn, the seats will squeak! Its' kinda embarrasing if my friends are in the car. Also, I think my speakers really suck! I mean i know i don't expect the base speakers to sound like Fender, but I was in my friends 2011 Jetta and his speakers sounded way better than miles. I was surprised considering mines a 2014. The Beetle that I got happened to be one of the last 2.5L 5-cyl engines made.. a few months later they rolled out with the 1.8L's. Like I said I haven't had any major repairs or been stranded. I know I am getting close to 100k miles and i just get very nervous thinking about what i may need to replace. and since i am a student and work part time in California, money plays a factor. One thing i also don't like are the seats, they are in a way uncomfortable especially on road trips. I am 6'2" and i will get back pain. It feels like i am sitting on top of something. I don't really like it. The gas mileage is not too bad and not too good. I feel like this car shouldn't be your everyday car. But its mine. Its definitely fun to drive. I really wanted the turbo 2.0L r-line but i can't afford the higher gas grade or any major repairs in the future especially since its a turbo. One thing i did notice is that since 2010ish, VW has downgraded their interior quality by using cheap materials which makes it sad. One thing about the newer Beetle is that we all know its retro design, but when you're actually driving and holding onto the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 marks it really does feel like you're almost driving the older ones. not sure how to explain it but it may have to do with the steering wheel design/structure.
For the price and condition this was a fantastic purchase. My first car forty- six years ago was a Beetle Bug and although the air-cooled engine is no longer, the reliability and technology are very much in the product. My wife and I have no regrets. We have a loaded SUV and she claimed the Bug as hers before we returned home from the purchase. It was also a wonderful purchase experience as we were already qualified for credit and knew what we wanted having done extensive on-line research.
One year later - March, 2017
My wife and I are still very satisfied with the Beetle and could not be happier. It is a second vehicle that we garage for about six months of the year as we go north to Maine with our SUV. That being said, we put 3,000+ mph on it and are more than pleased. It is a very good product which has protected its reliability. It is true that my first was German made and this was manufactured in Mexico, but VW has certainly maintained the integrity of the Bug!!!