mooty

new beetle turbo. my sister has two of them. one with 30,000 and the other 25,000 miles. both bought new and both had zero maintenance issues. only thing they ever needed was oil changes. i know the look "interesting" but they do go pertty quick. of the 50,000 miles on the two cars, i did about 25,000 "spirited" abuse on them hauling my mt bike up and down windy roads. they roll a lot, but they are fun and if you get the turbo S with 180hp, you will love it even more.

billh1963

I had a 2001 VW Beetle GLX (turbo) and loved the car. It consistently got 30 mpg, was fun to drive, and was reliable. I only sold it because I need 4 doors!

steve g

Last summer, I was in the market for 2 new cars for myself and my fiancee. We test drove a few - Mini, Civic EX, Accord EX, Corolla S, Camry SE, Jetta GLS 1.8 and TDI, Beetle GLS 1.8, and Cabrio.
My wife loves her '02 Cabrio GLS 115 HP 2.0 gas and I've had good luck with my '02 Jetta GLS TDI 90 HP 1.9 diesel. Although the major consumer mag gave VW a poor rating for reliability we took our chances and have been very pleased. I believe that there have been some recall issues with distributor rotors on the 1.8 turbo gas engine but its performance is better than the 2.0 gas. The 180 HP 'Turbo S' Beetle is a sweet ride - only available with a 6 speed manual, but seriously, a Volkswagen 'Turbo S' ? Somebody in Porsche must be dying on that name sharing deal.
The last time I brought one of our cars in for service I saw a few Beetle convertibles which only had the base 115hp 2.0 gas engine. We got both our cars for about 10% off sticker and lower than market interest rates so if we had to do it again we'd get the same VW cars from the same dealer/salesman. I will be happy to email you my salesmans contact info.

dbelleperc

Go with the Mini. It is very very safe, has 10 times more room than the VW and they are sweet. Take it from me go Mini. On top of that Mini take care of all the maintenance for 3 years that includes oil changes and brakes.

rcwelch

Bob D. ...go with the 1.8 GLX Turbo Beetle. I bought one for my daughter as her first car and have had nothing but good things to say about it. We have 25000 miles on it now and it is still like brand new and STRONG! It is QUICK, handles good, has a lot of room, and is pretty good on gas mileage. I have a friend with a Mini (not an S) and when we can take my daughters car, we do (I love to drive it)

rcwelch

Bob D> ...it is also the automatic (not TIP) and a blast. Sorry I forgot to say this above.

Seljan

I'm a big fan of both cars.It would be a hard call.But being in snowcountry like we are.I would let my decision ride on the one thats more suitable for winter roads.And my guess would be the VW

Stevarino

I'd go with the Beetle Cab/Coupe'. A friend - former SAAB turbo cab owner - just purchased a Cab GLX. The auto is a tiptronic 6 speed - yes SIX speed. Plenty of power and an auto to boot. On a Golf platform, the car is reliable. I would imagine the Cab would have respectable resale as well.

Another friend just picked up a Cooper with manual transmission. Now, I love the MINI, but with any more than one in the car, it is a bit anemic - and the CVT is only available in the Cooper, not the S - please correct me if I'm wrong, guys.

Both great cars, but based upon your criteria, I guess the only question left to answer is:

What car would you most enjoy being a passenger in while your wife drives?

stedge

Get a WRX. It is zippy, very reliable, cheap, safe, and really does alot of things well. I would actually look for an '03 wagon, myself, , as I like the smaller hood scoop and don't mind the round lights, the wagon is useful, and they can be had at a very good price. Also, if looking at brand-spanking new '04s, look at the web site for Van Bortel (in NY, I think). They seem to be a no hassle place and sell routinely pretty close to invoice - even the STi. No affiliation, etc, etc.

I do not own one, but have looked at them alot, and will likely buy one when my daily driver dies or I get fed up with it.

The STi would be loads of fun, but less comfortable, ugly, etc, etc. Not what you need, I think.

Bob D.

Wow. This comment really resonated with me, Jim, thanks.

It is all to easy to swept up in the excitement of the car hunting thing (yes, even for a Beetle or Mini) and forget why you started loking in the first place. My wife liked the Mini because I did, but she *loved* the Bug. Once I got that through my thick head, the decision was an easy one.

So, I drove home last night in a new Sundown Orange Beetle Convertible GLX, six-speed (are you listening, Porsche!) Tiptronic, leather, 17" alloys and every option. She is already into major bonding with the car including giving it a nickname, so I am happy I made the right choice. I still have some concern about VW reliability issues, but was heartened to read good reports on that count from fellow rennlisters.

BTW, this car is surprisingly fun to drive (as a former 951 owner, I love hearing that old turbo "whoosh" again) and with six gears available in Tip mode it seems like you are always at the right RPM. Also can't beat a convertible in the right weather, and with the heated seats and windscreen, we can extend the season a bit. And I like the look of the Beetle next to the 993 in the garage--two second cousins with classic looks bucking the trend of constant change in car styles.

Thanks again to everybody for all the great advice, it was extremely helpful. Is this a great resource or what??

DJF1

Congrats Bob on your purchase! VW's are very well built, we had a Passat for a little while and it was a great car, tiptronic and everything...

Regarding getting exited about the Turbo "whoosh" etc, beware...its very tempting to start thinking of mods for your wifes car The 1.8T especially is developed to more than 225HP and there are a lot of mods for the bug!
Its a big trap...only beware cause the wife might catch on and its NOT your car! Ask me how I know! LOL...

mooty

congrats bob d.
sundown orange, very similar to 996's zanzibar red.
gorgeous color, pix?

DKP 97 C2 Coupe

Bob,

I perhaps have a unique perspective on your question: I believe that I am the only one who has responded to your query that has actually OWNED both of the cars you are considering. Had a '99 Bug 2 liter 5-sp. that I put 48K miles on as a daily driver. Got a '03 Cooper S last October; has 9K miles now. For me ( and the wife would agree) the Mini is a much more satisfying and interesting car from start to finish. There really is no comparison in my mind. The Bug was OK but no more whereas the Mini is always a blast on the road. It is true that the primary driver of the car is myself and not the wife...but she loves the Mini and is always wanting to take it out for herself when I'm around to do so. I won't bore the forum with specifics but I would be glad to talk to you on the phone about your decision... send me a e-mail and we can get numbers. Cheers, David

DKP 97 C2 Coupe

Bob,

Sorry, that's what I get for only skimming the other posts before responding! Didn't see that you had bought a Beetle. Congrats on your purchase and I hope that both you and your wife enjoy many years of motoring in the Bug. Cheers,

Steve 96C4S

Cool! You got the car I fell in love with at the NY Auto Show - the orange Beetle Convertible. Awesomest looking Vee Dub convertible on the planet.

Congrats,
Steve