A loaner is better than a test drive or a rental. Test drives are too short and rentals cost actual money. Since the Clubby is under warranty, this one’s on MINI’s dime. Having spent a few days with the vee-dub, I’m passing along my notes.
With only a few grand on the odometer, this is indeed a 2010 VW "New" Beetle. The wear is minimal, although I swear the last guy who borrowed it loved his cigars. The equipment is basic and includes synthetic leather as well as a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic® control. The exterior is candy white, also known as feminine ivory.
The Good
The engine is pretty smooth and has ample power at speed. On the freeway, the little dub did fine in the left lane. The car feels heavier than its small shape would indicate, but as a result it feels planted most of the time. The turning radius is quite tight and, except for body roll that makes fast cornering less than thrilling, I get the sense the diminutive wheels would do quite well on skinny roads or metropolitan cities.
The dash is attractive and the controls, including the radio, are sensibly laid out and symmetrical. When darkness falls and the headlights come on, the dash lights up in a pleasing blue with really good contrast and a nice vibe. Psychologically, I liked the car more at night than during the day for this reason.
The Not-So-Good
While I didn’t have anything that I outright hated, there was much that was underwhelming in the New Beetle. The environmental controls seem to have been done hastily by someone very, very tall. The air vents didn’t ever point downward; it was either at my neck or over my head. This, combined with the overzealous fan speeds, meant that I spent a great deal of time turning the fan on and off while fiddling with the vent directions. I much prefer climate control that required less intervention.
The engine is underpowered. Although not the most gutless thing I’ve driven, it was definitely rental-class. At low speeds, especially in coast-and-go environments like a parking lot, the Beetle just doesn’t have grunt. The result is that moving at 5-10 miles per hour is jerky. Turn on the a/c and the power disappears entirely. In addition, while cruising speeds and normal acceleration are smooth, passing isn’t impressive. At 65, flooring the throttle results in around a one-second lag before the transmission ungracefully drops into 4th and spins the rpm’s up high enough that the torque curve is over.
Another puzzling dichotomy is the round-box thing. This car is round on the outside; really, really round. It’s hard to ignore, especially when looking at the interior roof. However, everything else about the interior seems built like a cube. The dash is flat. The doors are flat. And the seats? Flat, flat, flat. This makes the car look wider than it actually is, but in reality makes the front seat a little short and the back seat quite cramped. In this case, the difference is enough to make the feel more obvious than the appearance.
The Verdict
The vee-dub really isn't a bad car, but it's not anywhere close to exciting. Women overwhelming liked it while a good friend's 15-year-old said he wouldn't be caught dead driving one. And thus my epiphany: if you want to keep your 16-year-old boy away from the wheel, get him a 2010 New Beetle in candy white. It will spend all its time in the driveway.
