Real World Reviews: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle

Let me be perfectly clear, I try to go into all these reviews with an open mind, but there are some biases that are harder to put aside than others. I don't like many small cars to begin with, and I've always looked at the Bug as a gimmick and a joke. Perhaps when the engine was in the back and the price made it accessible to the average blue-collar worker it was worthy of calling itself a "peoples' car" but with an MSRP squeaking in just under twenty thousand dollars, the VW is no longer that cheap. Now admittedly it's not priced like the Porsche it's trying to look like, but there are plenty of better cars for less. It's all about the bug life style. 

The Porsche 911 can trace its roots back to the original Beatle and it looks like VW is finally trying to catch up.The hood has been elongated and the high lamps look much more 911-ish. The rear end has been completely redesigned from the previous bug as well, with more aggressive tail lamps, a visible dual exhaust and a more streamlined bumper. Sadly the annoying VW-logo trunk-handle remains. Otherwise it's very similar to the previous bug, still clearly a Beatle. It is after all still a small grocery-getter, not a sports car. 

The driver's seat is lower, with a more aggressive position than the previous model Beetle, and the interior feels like a real car, not a toy. Most of the interior is classically VW, minimal and very German. In between the gauges you get a useful range display, saving you a bit of math if you're on fumes and guessing your mpg. The steering wheel holds the cruise control on stick on left side of wheel, and windshield wipers on the opposite stick. The dash board is highlighted by shinny plastic which while similar design looks tacky in the Fiat 500, it fits a car that is tacky in its very nature. The Beetle logo itself even looks more serious. Being a small car, VW clearly tried to make efficient use of the space inside and they've done a good job. The console folds up between the seats if needed, there's two large cup holders and storage in several places around the stick and on the dash. There are also slots in the doors, which appear to be map holders, in 2013. I suppose there may still be people who don't own a GPS or smartphone. The radio is simple but good, two-tone, nothing fancy but it has a input hidden away under the heat controls. 

Much like the previous Beetle the new model wont beat many cars at all in drag race, but once it gets going it eats up highway miles. It rides very smoothly on New England roads and long stretches of I-95 alike. As with the Dodge Charger, I drove from Rhode Island down to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ten hours round trip and I was never uncomfortable in the driver's seat. The Bug's small size and responsive throttle made city driving a breeze, as well. The turning radius is snugly tight, making U-Turns very easy. You can actually use this thing in town or take it on a road trip with out sacrificing it as a car. The Beetle even has a usable trunk, where I still insist the engine should be, but that's important for a car this small.

My drive south was in blinding, freezing rain but I never felt a loss of control while maintaining highway speeds. The car achieves this partially by being low to the ground, but all that water and ice hitting the undercarriage made for a dragging feeling. With the weather the side view mirrors also become nearly useless, frozen and covered in water, all I got from them were flicks of headlights. Speeding up to over take above 50 miles an hour is a lot like a fat baseball player trying to outrun a throw to first; there is an increase in speed, it just looks and sounds really funny. 

I took a detour on the way home, using RI's Routes 4 and 2 instead of I-95. The varying speeds with stop lights and winding paths let me test the differences between the sequential "manual" shift and the automatic transmission itself. The Automatic is a little odd, seeming to favor a higher gear than necessary. The car struggles at points, as if you're driving a manual and you should have downshifted. 

The manual override is actually quite good, and the shifts are much smoother at low speeds if you do them yourself. 

All this said, I hid my face driving this thing. I'm not a Beetle Girl, although if I do hold a small warm spot in my heart for Herbie the Love Bug. But even being most comfort in a muscle car you car hear a mile away, there's something about the Beetle, the new remodeled feel and comfortable interior, the I grudgingly admit I really like. Of the small cars with a legacy I'd have both a Fiat 500 or Mini Cooper first, and of the similarly priced VW's I rather have a Golf or Jetta, but the biggest shock driving the new Beetle may the most useful piece of information: I had fun driving it. It's a Beetle, it's suppose to be fun, and it's remembered how to do that. 

Special thanks to Derek P. for letting us photograph and ridicule his silver beetle.

2013 Volkswagen Beetle as Tested:

$21,095

170HP 

177 Torques
vw.com