First off, I'm 45 years old and made it thru my early career years driving Beetles I bought for $500. So when the New Beetle was announced in 1998, I was in line.

Mexico is not putting these together as well as a Toyota or Nissan, so Consumer Reports gives it a low reliability rating. My 1999 with 45,000 miles has lost it's ceiling storage latch, passenger side window switch, rear view defog switch, silver button on brake lever, and battery cover latch. What is it with the small plastic pieces in this car? On the exterior the passenger door handle fell off and the antennae bent over with wind fatigue.

But those are my only petty complaints. The car is expansive inside. I am 6-foot-2 and my head still has 3 inches of space to the ceiling with the seats pumped all the way up. Short people will love this feature in VW's and Audi's. When my wife got in the car for the first time she thought she was in a minivan. I guess it's the way the dash and front window is so far away. We've taken our family of five with pillows and lawnchairs to drive in movies and had a blast.

The non-TDI gas engine starts and runs well. The handling is responsive and quick. The 5-speed is comparable to any Japanese import. Chirp the tires if you wish. I've gotten 3 speed tickets in this car.

If you buy a Beetle you better have a personality. People will talk to you about your car. You must put flowers in the bud vase. You should come up with a clever license plate. You will begin to appreciate everywhere you drive. People will ask you to take them somewhere. You will take pictures of American landscape with your car in the foreground. You will be labeled affectionately as a Beetle owner. You will begin to make memories.
Condition: New
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: 1999 GL 5 speed