Used 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle Consumer Reviews
Used New Beetle for sale
A nice Bug
Ally, 05/26/2006
2003 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 2dr Convertible (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
The pros: Fun with top down, people love to look at it, reliable, zippy power, vinyl no dead cows to sit on, windsheild is not in your face, lots of head room. Some things that disapoint me: The stupidly short sun visor that doesnt even cover 1/4 of the window to block the sun from the side. I had to get one of those kids sun shades that suctions to the giant side window. The seats are not made for long rides or if you have any kind of back trouble. The pedals are high so if you are tall, its hard to get comfortable. I still have trouble adjusting to the seat, doesn't go back far enough. The back seat is for kids only, it has no comfort. I like the car overall but the comfort is poor. Not it is not for old people.
Not a Satisfied Customer
Margarita06, 05/18/2004
2003 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 1.8T 2dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I purchased a 2003 new beetle in Dec. of 2002.I rated this car so low because there was a malfunction in my vehicle that caused it to "melt down"&almost caught on fire.This happened after a year of driving my car.After taking it to the dealership, they said that because the"melt down"is considered a fire, it voided the manufacture warranty.My insurance co.determined that the cause of the incident was due to a manufacture's defect.After reporting this to Volkswagon America,I was told that there was nothing that could be done.I was not satisfied with the reliability of the vehicle and there is a chance that this can happen to other customers.
2003 Volkswagen New Beetle for sale near you
Showing 3 of 23 listings
- GLS ConvertibleMSRP: $6,888197 mi away
- GL 1.8T 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,990306 mi away
- GLS TDI Diesel 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,500573 mi away
See all 23 listings
I bought it for the color and never regretted it!
Scott, 02/25/2020
2003 Volkswagen New Beetle GL TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 4A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
OK, the end of the road is not that far away for "Lil Burpie" as New England salt and potholes are taking their toll, even though it only has 155,000 miles but I love this car. Always started no matter how cold, great defroster and heater in winter and A/C in the summertime...and the sundown orange color was the best VW beetle color ever! I've loved every day of commuting with this car. My biggest gripe? Replacing headlight bulbs is a real pain in the arse and 4.6 inches of road clearance might be OK on the Autobahn, but not on Massachusetts back roads (the oil pan is, I believe, the lowest point on the car....at least based on how badly I tore it up when I hit unseen debris at night!). I've owned a diesel Jetta and Golf as well, both good cars, but this car has personality!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Best Little Mouse that roared...
nicastepper, 11/03/2002
2003 Volkswagen New Beetle Turbo S 2dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Ok, first my bias. I have loved these things ever since Herbie hit the screen well, way back when... That said, when I purchased this car, I was looking for two things: a car that would handle well and have some power without too much cost in mileage estimates and a car that would be extremely comfortable for someone that has a hard time finding that in any car. The Beetle met both of my requirements and continues to do so after 5000 miles of 100 mile per day driving. I have seen several stories of people having quality problems with this vehicle but I have yet to see that in mine.
Poor build quality and transmission lets it down
ricochet65, 02/23/2011
2003 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
2003 Convertible, lightly driven with 43000 miles. Transmission failed, due to what now appears to be a known problem with the "valve body". VW support extremely poor. This car looks nice but has been nothing but trouble: windows do not work correctly, have been fixed twice, roof gets stuck and VW fitter wanted $1500 to repair (it took me 10 minutes to snap the loose clip back on and cost nothing - so much for service. Everything is a hassle to repair - battery is over $200, bulbs cannot be replaced easily, airbag light cost $250 to temporarily repair. If you want the beetle style spend the money on a restored air cooled one, from when VW knew how to make serviceable vehicles!