Four Choices: New Beetle Engines

Over the past few years, I have owned and/or extensively driven all four engines that Volkswagen has offered for the New Beetle in the US. Your options are the 2.0 litre gas engine (2.0L), the 2.5 litre gas engine (2.5L), the 1.8 litre turbo gas engine (1.8t), and the 1.9 litre turbo direct injection diesel engine (1.9 TDI).

The two litre gas engine offers two things, impressive gas mileage (I got an average of 30 miles per gallon with a hardtop and a five speed manual transmission) and basic power. I had to get on the gas a bit to accelerate to 60 miles per hour to get on the freeway, but it was certainly enough power to manage both city and freeway driving without problem. This is Volkswagen's cheapest engine option.

The 2.5 litre gas engine replaced the 2.0L option in 2006, offering the power of the 1.8t in a naturally aspirated engine. While the power is similar to the 1.8t, the gas mileage is significantly less. I averaged 24 MPG in an automatic and 25 in a manual hardtop. Personally, I preferred the 1.8t to the 2.5L, as the 2.5L could not produce the hard acceleration I enjoyed from my turbo engine.

The 1.8 litre turbo gas engine offered substantially more power but took a blow in the gas mileage department (I got an average of 25.5 miles per gallon with an automatic transmission). This engine requires premium fuel, so be sure to remember that when considering it. Even with an automatic transmission, this engine offered the pep I missed with the 2.0 litre engine. Acceleration was enough to break the tires loose in an impressive front-wheel burnout, and the gas mileage was perfectly affordable for the power I was getting. The 1.8 litre turbo engine is priced a little higher than it's cheaper, naturally-aspirated sister.

I sold my 1.8 litre turbo New Beetle for the 1.9 litre TDI diesel. The power was comparable to the 2.0litre gas engine but the gas mileage was amazing (I averaged 40 miles per gallon with an automatic transmission). The acceleration was less than exciting, which is to be expected with a teeny tiny turbo, but my savings at the pump made up for it tenfold. The diesel engine is equipped to handle biodiesel right off the lot (be warned, it may void your warranty), but if you plan on running bio for a significant amount of time, I would recommend talking to your diesel mechanic about switching fuel lines, an inexpensive measure to protect your car. The diesel engine is similar or more expensive than the turbo gas engine, but seems to hold it's value longer and is well known for its long engine life (I have personally seen this engine go 425,000 miles and still drive like new, most of my personal friends with diesels average 300,000 miles to the lifetime of this engine).

From my experiences with the four engines, I can say that I preferred the TDI diesel engine overall, mostly because I drive about five thousand miles a month and thus reap the money-saving benefits of a fuel-sipping engine. For an enthusiast with a short commute and a thirst for a peppy engine, I recommend the 1.8 litre turbo engine or perhaps the 2.5 litre gasser. For someone who wants a cheaper overall cost and doesn't mind the loss of power, a used 2.0 litre gas New Beetle is the perfect choice. Be sure to test drive at least one car with each engine before you make your choice. The New Beetle is a safe, fun car with a huge following of happy drivers and is sure to please you regardless of what you choose to power it with!