- hatchback 60,046
- 2,021 below average
- 8,983 good
- Tampa, FL
-
- autoshopper.com
- 2,021 below average hatchback 60,046 gasoline red
2012 volkswagen beetle review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. It does this in a big way, with a clean-sheet redesign that makes it new again. It's the new beetle, not a new beetle. the 2012 volkswagen beetle jumps like a bug on a skillet from its heritage. It's 7. 3 inches longer, 0. 5 inches lower, and 3. 3 inches wider than the 2010 new beetle, last one made. The stretch morphs it into a real car, not so much a cute little thing. It looks good with more dynamic proportions. It's still unmistakably vw beetle. the coefficient of drag, 0. 37, is surprisingly good, although not near the lower (by 2 inches) honda civic, at 0. 315, or the smaller ford fiesta at 0. 33. Interior volume has grown by 5 percent, from 81 to 85 cubic feet. The roof is lower, but because it's also longer, there's a bit more rear headroom. In the front, it gains 1. 9 inches in legroom and 2. 5 inches in shoulder room, making the 2012 beetle feel less like a capsule. the front legroom is 0. 7 inches more than that in the all-new 2012 toyota yaris, but the beetle's rear seat has just 31. 4 inches of legroom, which is 1. 9 inches less than the yaris, on a wheelbase that's 1. 1 inches longer. the trunk of the 2012 beetle is spacious at 15. 4 cubic feet. With the rear seat folded it's nearly 30 cubic feet, and the high-swinging hatchback enables giant things to fit inside, making the beetle handy for hauling. the seats and trim are neat but not fancy. The bucket seats are clean, simple, and comfortable, with excellent bolstering. instrumentation is so clean it's memorable for its rarity. In the center of the big clear speedometer there's a multi-function digital display, accessed with a flick of the driver's right thumb, scrolling a small wheel on the steering wheel. It makes for safe driving! the 2. 5-liter inline five-cylinder engine, with an iron block and double overhead cams, is carried over from the new beetle, but the horsepower increases by 20, to 170 hp. Torque increases by seven foot-pounds, to 177 foot-pounds at 4250 rpm. It's mated to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox, or optional 6-speed automatic transmission that didn't wow us. We've driven a vw golf with that 5-speed manual transmission, which is satisfying and gives the car pep from 0 to 60. We recommend the manual. acceleration in the 2. 5l is adequate, and 75 mph on the freeway is smooth and mostly effortless. The 6-speed manual automatic transmission isn't as much fun as the manual, especially with this engine. The automatic's side-to-side semi-manual shifting using the lever at the floor was better than nothing, but not very racy. a 2. 0-liter turbo model is also available that comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and a different rear suspension. The turbocharged engine makes 207 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque at a low 1700 rpm, and it gets about the same fuel mileage although on high-test gas. It's a 2. 0-liter turbodiesel with direct injection, making 236 pound-feet of torque. The engine has been used successfully for some time in the golf and jetta tdi. the chassis is rigid and the body solid, with subframes front and rear, supporting the suspension. The rear uses a torsion beam, although the beetle turbo uses a more sophisticated multi-link, for the higher threshold of cornering. The freeway ride in the beetle doesn't suffer for the torsion beam. It's comfortable and consistent. Potholes don't hurt, but rough pavement can make the rear end of the car want to dance. lineupthere is a stripped-down beetle 18,995), but good luck finding one. It uses the 170-horsepower 2. 5-liter inline 5-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual transmission. It comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear disc brakes, power windows, cruise control, leather steering wheel, cloth seats, 50/50 split folding rear seat, trip computer, and 8-speaker sound system. the 2012 beetle 2. 5l 19,795) adds body-colored mirrors, v-tex leatherette seating, 6-way manual seats with lumbar, heated front seats, a second glovebox, bluetooth and mdi (media device interface). A 6-speed automatic transmission is available 20,895). Options include heated front seats, three-color interior ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, and fender audio system. the beetle is available as a panoramic sunroof model with added features such as keyless entry and touch-screen radio. It's available with manual 22,295) or automatic 23,395). The 6-speed dsg dual-clutch automatic-manual transmission 24,495) is available. The beetle turbo comes standard with bluetooth, ipod connectivity, three-color ambient lighting, larger brakes with red calipers, second glovebox, sport seating surfaces, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, foglights, three additional gauges, and alloy pedals. It makes 140 horsepower with a fat 236 pound-feet of torque, using either the 6-speed manual or 6-speed dsg. That's how the silhouette of the beetle changes, by making it 7. 3 inches longer, 3. 3 inches wider, and 0. 5 inches lower. The new shape is more dynamic and muscular; gone is the cuteness, although not the identity. Its coefficient of drag is 0. 37, a good number that still lags behind some competitors, and reveals the legacy of a round bug. The sleek 2012 honda civic, for example, comes in at 0. 315. looking head-on at the new beetle, it's wide and chubby enough that the lines are actually horizontal. A narrow black mouth under the bumper spans the face like a pinched grin, under perky headlamps like eyes, and a hood seam that seems to define a wide nose, having one chrome nostril with vw in it. at profile, the good-looking roofline is like a stylish tight arc, with roadster lines tracing to a 2005 concept car called the ragster, that had the look of a chopped-top hot rod. the wheel cutouts are perfect semi-circles dropping down toward the pavement. In contrast to the smooth curves of sheetmetal everywhere else, the fender flares have squared edges, offering contrasting definition to the shape. the beetle might be called a hatchback. The rear gate is massive. No compromises to the car's shape, for the utility of cargo loading. It's like the old bug, in a welcome way. there's a decent amount of room inside the 2012 beetle, 85 cubic feet. Rear headroom, and front legroom and shoulder room is more than that in the new beetle, so it doesn't feel so much like a capsule. But it's not so roomy in the rear, with just 31. 4 inches of legroom, which is 1. 9 inches less than in the yaris, despite the beetle being nearly 14 inches longer. However, that excess length is mostly overhang; the beetle wheelbase is only 1. 1 inches longer than the yaris. the 2012 beetle trunk has grown to a spacious 15. 4 cubic feet, a whopping increase of 27 percent over the new beetle; and with the 60/40 rear seat folded, there's a vast 29. 9 cubic feet behind the front seats. The rear trunk lid is like a hatchback or wide liftgate, so giant things can fit inside. With the dear old vw bug, there would have been no way, for even one of them. there's good visibility out the front and rear, even with the low roof and high beltline. And it's a quiet ride. For example the extra glovebox, called the kaeferfach or beetle bin. For sure the simplicity of the instrument pan. Bucket Seats✔ Power Windows✔ Cruise Control✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Bluetooth✔ Alloy Wheels
8,983 Tampa, FLTampa, FL at autoshopper.com