Skip to main content

Pros and Cons of the VW Beetle

Designs don’t tend to last long in the world of cars, so models with staying power deserve credit. People think of the Mustang and 911 as timeless designs, but the original people’s car predates both. Sure, it took a little hiatus, but the car-buying public has responded well to the new Beetle in general.

images%2foriginal%2f7645-2018beetlecoupe3

The 2018 model brings a new version of the classic bubble-top design that is still recognizably a bug, but with modern accouterments and even some sporting flair. So how is the VW community responding to these changes? Let’s take a look at some reactions and find out.

Cons

Even though the updated Beetle receives a new powerplant in the form of the 2.0-liter TSI four-cylinder currently offered in the Tiguan, the new engine doesn’t come with a partner transmission. Volkswagen has chosen to continue using the 9G automatic transmission from the previous generation, instead of the available updated automatic or DSG.

In the words of Ripdubski “The 09G transmission needs to go to pasture. Its fine for farting around town, but that’s [it].”

User Yogibearal added “I totally agree. Although in the Passat it actually shifts pretty decent. Some not so initiated folks thought it was a DSG. If anything they need to make it handle more torque to match the Turbo engines. Its pretty lame to have to detune the engine to get a little more life out of the transmission. Even the Alltrack uses DSG with the 1.8T.”

beetlecoast2_o

As you probably ascertained, the 9G cannot handle all of the torque that the new 2.0 is capable of producing, so Beetle drivers will have to make do with reduced output. Volkswagen has a transmission available that could unlock the engine’s full potential, so what gives?

VW’s approach to the interior of the Beetle is typical to keep things simple and functional. However, user cites issues with the electronic seats in his new car saying, “I love most everything on my new 2017 Dune but hate the seat controls. What a pain every time the old lady climbs out of the car I have almost climb in the car to get the seat pushed back to get in. What’s even worse is trying to recline the seat, what happened to a simple lever to lean the seat back, it takes 5 minutes of painful twisting on that know to move the seat to a napping position. “

Pros

A 2018 Beetle is better than no Beetle at all, though.

Road and Track reported that Volkswagen is planning to do away with the model after this year, and user plug_it started a thread to discover whether this is fake news. In it, fiftysomething writes, “A similar rumor surfaced about a year ago and it turned out to be false. However, that was before we were aware of “Dieselgate,” and with the inevitable fines/lawsuits VW will have to pay for, it’s very possible this time around. Sales of the Beetle are horrid and have been since the Golf VII came into the picture.”

Volkswagen is actually fairing quite well considering how much money the company lost after Dieselgate, but company execs could still seek to kill off the bug.

vw-beetle-dune-2

Many VWV users are eagerly awaiting a higher-performance variant of the bug due to the decrease in power compared to 2017. They should be pleased with the new R-Line car, which features an uprated 210 hp turbo four and a six-speed dual clutch.

New cars also get updated infotainment that features Apple Carplay and Android Auto, routed through a 6.3-inch touchscreen. There’s an available Fender audio system if you really like to get your groove on.

The popular Dune trim level sticks around for 2018, so the question is: Will this car become a collector’s item as the last-ever rendition of a classic? Order now if you think so.

The post Pros and Cons of the VW Beetle appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2yu2cVy
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...
Post a Comment
Read more

T-Prime Makes World Premiere at Beijing

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The SUV segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the world and Volkswagen is showing the world how to do it. With the new T-Prime Concept GTE that was revealed today, the company is showing off all of the technology you can look for in its coming models. The T-Prime is a full-size hybrid SUV that can go up to 31 miles on a charge and gets 87 mpg. The hybrid power station is good for 375 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque and puts the power down with 4MOTION all wheel drive. It’ll get you up to 60 in six seconds. The concept’s real party piece, though, is its interior, which features exclusively touch, gesture, and voice controls. Everything from the infotainment, to the display, and even the gears are controlled by touch-screen. The T-Prime Concept GTE is bigger than the Touareg, and design elements are likely to find their way into all of their SUVs, of which there will be many. Volkswagen is also announcing that they expect to make an S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Watch: The Transport Does a Whole Hell of a lot More than Transport

Petrolicious doesn’t only feature million-dollar classics, it also features the more generally neat, like this 1996 T4 Transporter that became Instagram famous and started and is starting an empire. Callum Creaser’s T4 started life as a panel van, but over the years it has become a homebrew camper van that has gone on adventures around the world. After posting about his adventures to Instagram, the diesel van gained a following and launched The Rolling Home, a series about other people’s small spaces and homey cars. Based on a 1.4-liter diesel with no ECU, Callum says his T4 is easy as pie to work on since information is widely available from sources like ours. The post Watch: The Transport Does a Whole Hell of a lot More than Transport appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2KR01Sv via IFTTT
Post a Comment
Read more