I have loved the Volkswagen Beetle since they came out mainly because they're so cute. From the moment I saw them I wanted one and I when I was out on the market to buy a new car I had contemplated buying one but settled for a Suzuki Aerio SX, a decision I don't regret. I loved Beetles but until recently I hadn't actually ever been in one so this is based on my recent experience in my friend's car. When I wanted to buy a new car I didn't even take the chance to look at the Beetles only because I knew they were kind of expensive, and were smaller than the kind of car I wanted but when my friend got hers I was immediately excited when she offered to drive my friend and I to class.

On the way to class I rode in the front seat and I must say, I was impressed by how much legroom there was in the front. I was able to stretch my legs and it was rather nice. Legroom was nice but my shoulders were kind of cramped, something not extremely terrible but I'm not sure I could be in that car on a road trip and stay comfortable. Although I was comfortable in the front seat the backseat was an adventure all in its own. On the way to class, the backseat passenger kept complaining that she was hitting her head everytime she'd turn to look outside the window, and until I sat back there I thought she was stupid. Once it was my turn to experience that form of punishment I knew exactly what she meant. Keep in mind I'm only about 5'5", but right by where the back passenger would normally have their head, the plastic roof bulges out making it nearly impossible not to hit your head. I was sitting back there with someone else and we were both very crowded. Between the lack of leg room, shoulder room, and head room, it's easy to say that the dome shape of the car has some negatives. While the dome shape does allow for lots of head room in the front seat it has the opposite effect for those sitting in the back. Overall the seating was decent but the head room and shoulder room was less than adequate.

The dashboard is also freakishly long which gives an odd exterior view reminding me of a minivan, however despite how long the dashboard is, the instrument pannel is very cluttered. I wasn't too fond of it, but that's only a matter of taste. Another thing I didn't like was the fact that the car doesn't come with a CD player but a tape player. In an era in which even CD players are starting to become outdated due to the introduction of MP3 players, I was amazed that a car such as the Beetle which is so desperate to be modern, is still using a tape player. The speedometer was kind of cute glowing bright blue which matched the car but it was a little too difficult to see. Overall the interior is decent but nothing to brag about.

In terms of exterior, we've all seen the New Beetle. They're highly noticeable with their dome shaped roofs, and bright colors. Some find these cars ugly, and up till I rode in one, I thought they were really cute. It all really depends on what you're attracted to. Despite the odd shape of the car, the dome shape is supposed to help in the case that the car turns over, I wasn't fortunate enough to experience that so I guess we'll just have to take the manufacturers word that it works. I do find it impressive though that the car is built so that the front and rear areas will crumble so that they absorb the crash impact, but I wouldn't buy the car on the basis of that alone

Performance wise, the car was alright. It didn't drive extremely smooth, but it was fairly quiet. What I found quite disappointing was the gas mileage on the car. I live in Southern California where the lowest you'll find gas is $2.40 for the gallon, and this little car only gets 23/29 mpg. It's not horrible but for being such a small car I thought it could do better.

Overall the ride in this car was an adventure. I found a slight disappointment in just about every aspect of the car. The weird shape makes the car a little different to drive, there is hardly any room in the car and it isn't really worth the price compared to what you're getting in return. I think that if you're looking for an economy car with a little more room, you should look at cars more like the Scion xA, it's a little roomier, much better on gas mileage, and quite a bit friendlier on your wallet.
Amount Paid (US$): 18,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: Turbo Sattelite Blue, Automatic