A BETTER BEETLE
VW delivers a bug even will guys like
S P E C I A L S E C T I O N S . S U N T I ME S . C O M
It was hard not to appreciate the new version of the Beetle that Volkswagen reintroduced to the world in 1998. The only problem: The new Beetle quickly acquired a reputation as something no self-respecting male should ever buy.
If you’re judging by looks only, the 2012 Beetle appears to solve that problem. The new interpretation of the Beetle — longer, lower, wider — is markedly more macho. Maybe even mean, with its hunkered-down ride height, fender-filling wheels and melted-down roofline that looks more Porsche 911 than Barbie-mobile.
The previous Beetle’s domed-roof look is really toned down for the 2012 Beetle, and that’s the biggest reason this car no longer looks like a caricature. Its wheelbase is an inch longer and the car is 7.3 inches longer overall. Combined with a significant 3.3-inch outward shove in width, the 2012 Beetle now looks purposeful, proportioned and more acceptably low.
Despite the less-bulbous roofline, there’s
John Stein jstein@suntimes.com more headroom in the rear than before. Longer length and longer wheelbase means there’s almost 2 inches more front legroom. Rear-seat room is adequate, too. Two somewhat limber couples would find the 2012 Beetle tolerable for a night of dinner and theater as long as the trip home wasn’t too long.
The more serious and mature theme also is at work inside: Gone is the previous Beetle’s silly bud vase and somewhat goofy dash layout. The 2012 Beetle’s interior is all business. In the place of the bud vase, the interior’s retro play now is handled by the the secondary glove box in the upper dash that mimics that available in the original Beetle.
The kaeferfach is optional according to trim level, so you won’t find it on every 2012 Beetle. Volkswagen seems quite tickled by this feature, though we didn’t see the reason for the fuss. Moreover, the upward-swinging door was covered with cheap-feeling vinyl stuff in some of the lower-trim models we tested during a day of running through the entire 2012 Beetle lineup. Other than some instances of the titanium-hard plastic the industry adores, most of the 2012 Beetle’s interior materials looked Jennifer Burklow John Lemein and felt substantial. And we think the Beetle’s large, single gauge pod directly in front of the driver is a superb design.
The 2012 Beetle is a satisfying enough car to drive — it steers with accuracy and rides firmly and authoritatively (particularly for a compact car), attributes Volkswagen drivers have come to appreciate — but if any VW enthusiast closed his eyes, he would figure he was driving another Jetta or Golf. That’s not a bad thing; it’s just that there’s nothing particularly different about the way the 2012 Beetle goes down the road or around a corner.
The standard 2.5-liter five-cylinder is VW’S workhorse these days. The 170 horsepower you get from the five-cylinder is enough for the 2012 Beetle to get out of its own way, though plenty of four-cylinder compact cars seem more accelerative. A six-speed automatic transmission costs $1,100 extra, so you’ll do 1 mile per gallon more on the highway than with the manual transmission.
Spend about $4,500 more and move up to the Beetle Turbo with its 200-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder and standard sixspeed manual. The Turbo’s optional six-speed
Terry Boyle automatic transmission is VW’S more sophisticated dual-clutch design that also delivers a couple mpg better fuel economy despite this engine’s clearly superior performance.
Pricing for the 2012 Beetle starts at a quite obtainable $18,995, though that’s a fivespeed manual transmission car we doubt many would want. We figure the Beetle 2.5 with sunroof package and automatic transmission is the configuration many would choose, which comes in palatably less than $25,000. And yes, guys, Volkswagen says your money’s good, too.