First Drive Review
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Whimsy wagon: A folding fabric roof? How very quaint.
No matter that we’d rather drive Golfs, there’s no question that America loves its Beetles. The Beetle coupe introduced a year ago has contributed 24,000 units year-to-date to the U.S. sales juggernaut that is VW, now concluding its best sales year since 1973. The Beetle’s contribution was incremental relative to the sales of Jetta and Passat, but this new folding-top edition should add 25 to 30 percent. Beetle convertibles are now shipping from the Puebla, Mexico, factory, going on sale just in time to stick a red bow on top and call it a gift. We sampled all the variations—three engines, three transmissions—in brief drives around Santa Monica and Malibu, the day before the official unveiling at the Los Angeles auto show, where the focus was on three special editions celebrating the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
Fortunately, More than a Nostalgia-Fest
Once we got past the caricature of its shape, thankfully less Pixaresque than the one they gave us 10 years ago, the Beetle convertible makes a pleasant top-down cruiser. Credit hardware shared with VW’s more involving driver’s cars, plus clever engineering of the convertible’s elements. Models, trims, and equipment offerings parallel those of the Beetle coupe at prices roughly $3500 to $5000 higher.
Enthusiasts will focus on the Turbo with the 200-hp, 207-lb-ft 2.0-liter FSI turbocharged direct-injection four. More newsworthy is that this is the first convertible sold in America in distant glowing memory to offer a diesel. It’s the same 2.0-liter found in the Jetta TDI, good for 140 hp and a stout 263 lb-ft of torque, coupled to either a six-speed manual or VW’s six-speed DSG automatic. It’s EPA-rated at 29 city/41 highway with the manual and we saw a 44-mpg average on the dashboard for the short run from Malibu to Santa Monica. It isn’t available as one of the cutesy, decade-badged special editions—guess you can’t get nostalgic about what’s never happened before.
A thing that has happened before is that the base drivetrain is VW’s 170-hp 2.5-liter five-cylinder, offered only with a six-speed automatic, not the dual-clutch DSG, at a starting price of $25,790. Stuff like navigation, the Fender premium sound system, and bigger 18-inch wheels can bump the top 2.5 model’s price over $29,000. The Turbo convertible starts at $28,590 and the TDI ragtop at $28,690, both with a six-speed manual. With premium sound and navigation, the MSRP goes to $29,290 for the 2.5, $29,990 for the TDI, and $32,990 for the Turbo (which also includes some extras like leather trim and sport seats). Add $1100 for the six-speed DSG automatic transmission in the Turbo or TDI models.
Performance will suffer a tenth or two compared to the coupe, primarily due to weight gain. For the fixed-roof cars we tested, the 2.5-liter/six-speed automatic got to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, the TDI/six-speed manual took 8.1 seconds, and the Turbo/six-speed DSG charged through at 6.3.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door convertible
BASE PRICE: 2.5, $25,790; Turbo, $28,590; TDI diesel, $28,690
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve diesel 2.0-liter inline-4, 140 hp, 236 lb-ft; DOHC 20-valve 2.5-liter inline-5, 170 hp, 177 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 200 hp, 207 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 100.0 in
Length: 168.4 in
Width: 71.2 in Height: 58.0 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3300–3450 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.5–8.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.2–16.4 sec
Top speed: 113–124 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 21–28/27–41 mpg
Continued…