Review of the 2011 Volkswagen Beetle

For fans of the popular Volkswagen Beetle, 2011 promises to be a big year. With a redesigned model coming out later in the year, which will be known as the 2012 Beetle, excitement is high. However, those looking for changes in the car prior to this will be disappointed, as the 2011 New Beetle has been discontinued prior to the release of the 2012 model(1).

Many dealers still have new 2010 New Beetles on their lots, so for those that can't wait until the redesigned model comes out, a new Beetle is still available. These 2010 New Beetles have the look that has become associated with this car, namely the bubble-topped, round-nosed, sloping trunk look that the car has been styled with since its reintroduction back in 1998.

It is still a four-passenger vehicle with the only two versions being a hatchback or convertible. It comes with a 150-horsepower, 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder engine that gets 28 miles per gallon highway and 20 per gallon city. It comes standard with heated seats and heated steering wheel and offers an optional sunroof and 17-inch wheels.

Driving this car shows it to be a seriously sporty vehicle, as the finely-tuned suspension and handling prowess keep it tight against the road even on sharp turns. The automatic transmission is responsive to firm pressure on the accelerator, downshifting with verve to keep acceleration constant. The manual version, which is available only the base model, is even more sensitive and provides substantial power even in higher gears. Even on bumpy roads the car kept a firm grip and handled turns with nimbleness.

The interior is what Beetle users have come to expect in this car, namely plenty of room for a driver and one passenger but cramped quarters in the back seat. If children are riding in the back this might not be too big of an issue, but trying to fit four full-sized adults in this car is no fun. The dash is a bit ungainly, being extremely deep and featuring an enormous speedometer that leaves little room for other gauges. The tachometer, in particular, is not easy to see, and some of the buttons on the dash are quite small.

For safety, the New Beetle is a mixed bag. It offers front-passenger air bags and did okay in front impact crash tests but was markedly poor in side-impact crash tests(2). For a vehicle of this size that starts at $18,690, it seems like Volkswagen could have engineered a little better crash safety.

Overall, this is a very average vehicle with nothing to really set it out from other cars aside from it's better-than-average handling and retro looks. VW vans looking for a New Beetle would probably be advised to hold off and wait to see what the redesigned 2012 Beetle has in store.

Sources:
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2011-volkswagen-new-beetle.htmhttp://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Volkswagen_New-Beetle/Safety/