Volkswagen New Beetle Turbo S
The mouse that roars |
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By Richard J. Newman
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NITS: The six-speed manual transmission sounds cool but is one more gear than necessary. It requires too much downshifting when you need power.
G FORCES: This bug accelerates like a hare. Cornering is tight, and 17-inch tires, an inch larger than on the standard Beetle, provide the grab of a much larger car.
GIZMOLOGY: Instrumentation is simple yet sophisticated, enhanced by the warm red glow of the dashboard at night. In a gadget world, VW still manages to show cleverness. The spoiler above the rear windshield pops out when the car's speed hits 45 miles per hour, and it retracts when the car slows to 12 mph. There's a neat fade feature on the Monsoon stereo system when you switch radio stations.
KID MARKS: Ha! Technically speaking, children will fit in the rear seat. But even they won't be comfortable. You'll be lucky if you can fit a diaper bag in the "trunk."
HOT OR NOT? Hot. The standard Beetle is cute. The turbo Beetle is a cutie wearing leopard-print underwear.
MILEAGE: A surprisingly low 20 mpg, in combined city and highway driving. Chalk it up to a heavy foot.
PRICE POINTS: Base prices range from $16,450 for the entry-level Beetle to $23,950 for the turbo. Price as tested: $23,950. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.vw.com/newbeetle/index.htm
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Model year tested: 2002
It was late. I was eager to get home. Up ahead, a limousine began to mosey into my lane. Then the driver saw me coming and let me pass. A moment later, an SUV had the same impulse and began to drift in front of me. Suddenly he, too, quickly darted out of my way. I downshifted and let the turbo engine blast me forward. Within seconds the road hog was a speck in my rearview mirror. I laughed out loud.
I had expected the Beetle to be fun. What I hadn't expected was a joyful juxtaposition of the usual rules of the road, which dictate that size rules. Something about the Beetle tells other drivers that you mean business–despite the tiny car's podlike profile. That's the feeling inside the cockpit, too. The Beetle is about driving. Period. Concerns that dominate the design of other cars–comfort, space, ease of use–are afterthoughts on the Beetle. The cup holders, for instance, are wedged under the dash, beyond the shifter, an arm-and-a-half length away. No matter. You may as well sip coffee while you're skiing or windboarding as when you're zipping through traffic in the Beetle.
The drive, however, will provide all the stimulation you need. The basic Beetle practically wears a smile on its hood. The 180-horsepower engine in the turbo Beetle adds a throaty whoop to the fun. Acceleration is vibrant. The turbocharger fills in the lower-RPM ranges so you can get a boost in any gear without downshifting. Steering is taut and even requires a little muscle. The gas pedal needs some stomping. This car does not baby you. It makes you drive it.
The interior is stimulating too. The Beetle's high top and low front produce an odd passenger compartment. There's a ton of headroom for such a small cabin, for instance, and the top of the dashboard travels a long way before it meets up with the windshield way out in front. Design touches make the most of these distinctive features. VW uses dials–rather than buttons or rocker switches–to nice effect. The sunroof, for example, opens as far as you turn the knob. You can dial up one of five settings for the heated seats. Hip neo-industrial touches on the steering wheel and elsewhere aren't really necessary, but you'll barely notice–your eyes will be glued to the road passing rapidly beneath you.
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