Beetle Convertible 2015: The open-air Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s iconic Beetle has been a favorite for decades. It was a fixture on college campuses back in the 1970s primarily because it was so inexpensive to own and operate. The Beetle’s engine was also so easy to work on that wannabe mechanics like myself could perform easily tune-ups and other minor repairs.
Today, Beetles are more expensive and not as easy to work on, but they’re still a great value and can whip the pants off any Bugs from back in the day.
Take the 2015 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, for example. Volkswagen adds a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine to the Beetle lineup for 2015. The new 150-horsepower turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder gets 40 highway miles per gallon and can scoot around town for 30 miles on a gallon of fuel.
With either a six-speed manual transmission or a super-quick dual-clutch automatic, drivers can fill the Beetle’s 14.5-gallon tank with diesel from empty and then take it up to 580 miles on the highway before refueling.
We had a hoot rolling along River Road beside the Mississippi River in South Louisiana with the Beetle’s top down. The sun was bright and temperatures were in the mid-60s, making it perfect drop-top weather.
The standard engine in the Beetle Convertible is a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that kicks out 170 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. With the six-speed automatic, that engine is rated at 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
Next is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 with 210 horsepower and 207 lb.ft. of torque, EPA rated at 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the road with the automatic transmission. (The manual gearbox provides two more highway miles per gallon.)
Our test vehicle for the week, the 2015 Beetle Convertible R-Line with sound and navigation, was powered by the 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine. While we favor the diesel choice, our test Bug was still fun to drive, scooting around town like a waterbug running from a bass. We also noticed the Beetle has joined the list of other convertibles with significantly reduced road noises filtering through the soft top.
The profile of the new Beetle Convertible is lower than the roofline on the regular Beetle, but still offered plenty of headroom for our 6-foot 1-inch frame. The soft top is one of the easiest on the market to operate: With some convertibles you must release one or more roof latches before pushing the button. Not with this Bug: Hold a button down for 9.5 seconds and the top drops, stowing itself neatly in back. It takes 11 seconds of button holding to return the top to the closed position.
The new Beetle Convertible looks a lot like the original Beetle inside and out, right down to the dual glove boxes inside. One of the stacked glove boxes opens down and the upper “Beetle Bin” opens up. Front seats in our R-Line model were heated and comfortable. Dash instrumentation was simple and intuitive to operate.
Three round gauges were behind the wheel: Tachometer, speedometer, and fuel gauge. Rising from the top of the center dash is a three-gauge cluster including an oil temperature gauge, a sport chronometer, and a turbo boost pressure gauge. A too-small navigation screen houses audio and vehicle settings, while climate controls are below.
When it comes to safety, the Beetle Convertible has not been tested yet, but the coupe model gets five overall stars from the government. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the coupe its top “good” score in all but the small-overlap front crash test, where it received a “marginal” grade.
Finally, if there’s one thing any convertible needs, it’s a great audio system: The VW’s Fender sound system with eight speakers and sub-woofer is nothing short of sensational, even when driving with the top down. Beetle Convertible prices range from $25,345 to $35,975.