Used 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle Diesel Consumer Reviews
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fun driving car but parts don't last long
jbdonkey, 07/11/2014
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
47 of 48 people found this review helpful
I owned two beetle tdi (2003 and 2005 model). I always bought them used and over 100000 miles on meters. They drive smoothly but the interiors are horrible. The door panels are never good. I have look at least twenty beetles from craigslist posts and the plastic or leather parts are bad. Their sale price is way lower compared to Japanese. Since I drive 200 mile every day in commuting and i really care about the gas millage. so I can live with that. If VW try to earn the market, they should know how to improve this. By the way, the parts are not cheap in this car.
Surprise! I love this car!
Diane, 01/09/2008
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
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.
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle for sale near you
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- GLS 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $3,995156 mi away
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A Return to Basics
magicxtian, 12/03/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
After ten years in the world of trucks, I returned to VW, choosing the Beetle, 20+ years from my first such vehicle. This car is incredibly well built and solid considering its' compact size. Its Interior features are on the high end, making the modern day drive quite easy. The gas mileage on the TDI is over two-and-a-half times improved over my guzzling trucks of yore. It handles great in wintery conditions, accelerates like a charm, and is a real pleasure to drive, even for 6+ hour hauls. If you live in cold climates, I'd recommend the cold weather package as heated seats make a world of difference. Summertime begs for the sun/moon roof, a standard on my model.
Owing a bio bug
David in Colorado, 03/13/2010
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I purchased this car used for the diesel engine as I was commuting 720 mile per week in my job. The car handled very well in all kinds of weather like snow and ice. Mileage was right at 40 mpg on the highway. I started mixing my own bio fuel 50/50 oil and diesel and was surprised at how well the car ran. about 10-15% loss in power but for the fuel savings I gained it was well worth it. The TDI engine coupled with the Automatic 6- speed gearbox is like new at 116000 miles. I have owned many newe cars in my lifetime and was a Honda owner before this but Volkswagon TDI performance along with durability and realibality really impressed me.
45 miles to the gallon
Gilbug, 02/13/2008
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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.
Yes, it is fun to drive but not comfy.
buggy tag, 09/19/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought the car for the fuel economy and the looks. I have a large SUV and wanted something else to run around in to save gas when I am not hauling tons of kids. I get around 29 mpg both highway 60% and city 40%. I can't get the fuel economy that is stated. I am not a lead foot either. Check this before you buy one. This car is really meant for no more then two people in terms of comfort. I would hate to take a trip in this. The seats are not comfortable at all. They need to build them like domestic seats are built here. Teens hate the back seat. Up to 13 years is O.K. but isn't comfy. Also my dash and handles are peeling the top layer already, I'm not hard on vehicles.
WOW
Paul, 01/23/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This is our third Volkswagen, and our second new Beetle. We decided to go with the TDI on this sunflower yellow purchase. Overall the interior and exterior are pretty much the same as our 2002 turbo GLX Beetle, with the exception of the diesel engine. So far the Beetle has lived up to everything that Volkswagen has promised from it. The fit and finish are excellent. For a diesel it is amazingly quiet and is responsive to acceleration. It has surpassed our expectations on mile to the gallon. My fun meter is always pegged whenever I drive either Beetle. I can't say enough good things about the new beetle. Suspension, handling, economy, acceleration, features, fun, it is peerless in its class.
2005 TDI New Beetle
DaveG, 01/29/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This was a must have for my wife. At first I wasn't sure if we needed this car with its reputation for questionable reliability, but after owning it now for a few months and 4,000 miles or so, I like it. Especially the 42 mpg highway 38 mpg overall. There seems to be very little middle ground with the New Bettles, if you like it enough to buy it, then you most likely love your Beetle. We asked all the Beetle owners we could find prior to purchasing ours, even those who had quite a few tedious under warranty repair issues, and they still loved their New Beetle and were looking a the newer models to replace their 4 or 5 year old Beetles. So far ours has been excellent and trouble free.
buy it
JBo, 03/07/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Awesome car! Fuel economy is a plus, although the potential to have fun and drive this car aggressively doesn't help fuel economy. I don't miss my Audi A6 quattro one bit. In the first month I drove from Durham NC to Florida for the hoidays and felt safe sailing along I95 with big rigs, SUVs and countless bad drivers. I got waves, smiles and only stopped for diesel once on the way down - about 500 miles into the trip. I wouldn't want to sit in the back seat for too long, but I had plenty of room for all my xmas presents on the way home!! Go for it, you know you want one!
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI
bigdaddy, 02/15/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I'd seen the first Concept One in 1994. After exhaustive research and MANY test drives, I purshased a 2005 New Beetle TDI on 1/12/2005 (or VW NB GLS TDI with ESP and XM(radio). The fuel mileage is GREAT - over 400 miles on a fill up with 99% city driving- I look forward to a very long relationship.
Love it!
Beth A, 06/29/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I was really nervous plunking down $22,000 cash for this car, but so far I'm thrilled with it. It's so comfortable -- tons of room inside. The engine has lots of power and it's getting more than 40MPG. I debated between a hybrid and this, and I'm so glad I got this -- it's so much more fun to drive compared to the relatively blah hybrids. The back seat is really, really tight -- not a problem for me since I have no kids, but if you need to use the back seat for anything more than storing stuff, you probably shoudl think twice. But I really have no complaints at all.
New Bug
BugN, 08/30/2005
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
It is a fun drive, and I fit at 6' 2", the TDI smoked a little at first, but after it was broken in, and using Biodiesel it now does great. Going from a Land Rover to a VW TDI is very nice on the pocket. Only thing that bugs me a little is the outside mirrors defrost is in the center position of the mirror adjustment switch, this is taking some getting use to, hope I don't burn them out before I figure it out, a light would be nice.
Good Car
Aaron, 09/14/2006
2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI 2dr Hatchback (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
My 2005 VW Beetle is a very good car. We have had it 1.5 years and have put 75,000 miles on it. It has had no problems and we get 45 MPG highway. It is one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned. We got 60,000 miles on the factory tires. The dealership was impressive also, they provide good customer service. I will buy one again.