[nobledub]

Hello all,
As the title states my girlfriend is looking to get a beetle. She is currently driving a 2006 Nissan Sentra and it is the biggest hunk of crap. Basically the car works just fine but it has been having some starting issues. It only has 9000 miles on it and already it needs two or three turns of the starter to get going....

Not to mention that on 2 hour drives in that car my back aches like a 75 year old man. I dont know anything about those cars so I wouldnt even know where to start. IIRC it still has some sort of warranty with Carmax but we have to check into that.
She bought it for $11000ish a couple of months ago and I am guessing she wont get more than $9000 if she sold it today.
What do I have to look out for when helping her buy a beetle? I have been a VW guy for a long time so I know about the coil packs in the 1.8t and I remember there being some "cooling" issues in the newer (MkIV) 2.0 8v engines.
I hope mentioning the girlfriend thing isnt TCL suicide but oh well!
Oh and no I will not post pictures of her so dont ask.

 

[ATL_Av8r]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (nobledub)

If you love her.....no

 

[2000JettaGLXVR6]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (nobledub)

The 2.0 is pretty stout, just remember that is burns oil, so you'll want to keep an eye on that. Pics of said Girl will help.

 

[Download_Complete]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (ATL_Av8r)

You think a Sentra is a hunk of crap, yet you want her to buy a Beetle?
You guys are into S and M, aren't you?

 

[TheSpatulaOfLove]

I've been very happy with my TDI bug if buying used is an option. I had a 1.8t previously, but the gas was killing me with the high mileage I put on the car.
TDI Bugs don't command as high of a premium on the used market like a Golf/Jetta would. Take a peek at TDIClub forum classifieds for listings. Most listings are enthusiasts, so proper maintenance isn't an issue.

 

[Hajduk]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (nobledub)

The newer NBs have the 2.5 not the 2.0

 

[nobledub]

Re: (TheSpatulaOfLove)

Quote, originally posted by TheSpatulaOfLove »

I've been very happy with my TDI bug if buying used is an option. I had a 1.8t previously, but the gas was killing me with the high mileage I put on the car. TDI Bugs don't command as high of a premium on the used market like a Golf/Jetta would. Take a peek at TDIClub forum classifieds for listings. Most listings are enthusiasts, so proper maintenance isn't an issue.

IDK about the whole TDI thing. It is deffinatly an option though. Thanks! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

 

[Rattlesnake]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (nobledub)

Uh, just get the starting issue fixed. I'm sure CarMax covers it under their warranty. No need to run out and buy a new car.

 

[2000JettaGLXVR6]

Re: (nobledub)

What about a base Mini. They hold their value very well.

 

[ssaffioti]

Seems like for a new beetle, the 2.5 would be a good choice. 2.5L equipped Jettas & Rabbits have a very good reliability rating from Consumer Reports so far, and the power is much better than the 2.0

 

[TheSpatulaOfLove]

I used to do Atlanta -> Orlando regularly. My favorite part of the TDI on this trip was being able to fill up in Valdosta, get to Orlando and drive around town awhile, then head back and fill back up again in Valdosta.
Oh, I miss the cheap fuel in GA...

 

[thesteve]

Re: (TheSpatulaOfLove)

Based on the thread title, I thought you were looking to trade your Girlfriend in for a New Beetle.......which would have made my day.

 

[aquabat911sc]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (nobledub)

I am sure everyone here will tell you they are horrible and junk and she should buy an e36 M3 instead but I am going to say the opposite. My Girlfriend bought her 1.8t GLX a little over 5 years and 82000 miles ago and has had just about zero trouble with it. The couple problems with the car were more from the dealer than the car itself.
She has a whole list of mods to the car and it really is fun to drive. I like it because I am 6'2 and fit really comfortably in the car.
Don't listen to all the people who tell you the cars are junk. Most of them will have no personal experience with the car anyway. They are basically a Golf, so anything positive or negative about one holds true for the other.
If you are looking for a used beetle, I would suggest looking at a Turbo S. They do have the 6 speed and nicer seats. The horsepower isnt a big deal you can do that yourself, same goes for the suspension.

 

[ScarletSpider]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (aquabat911sc)

Quote, originally posted by aquabat911sc »

I am sure everyone here will tell you they are horrible and junk and she should buy an e36 M3 instead.... Don't listen to all the people who tell you the cars are junk. Most of them will have no personal experience with the car anyway.

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

 

[acascianelli]

My girlfriend lover her 2001 1.8T NB. No serious problem at all. We even drove it to South Carolina from Detroit and it ran great. 30mpg, with 2 people and 150 pounds of cargo.

 

[Download_Complete]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (aquabat911sc)

Quote, originally posted by aquabat911sc »

Don't listen to all the people who tell you the cars are junk. Most of them will have no personal experience with the car anyway. They are basically a Golf, so anything positive or negative about one holds true for the other.

Yeah, why would you listen to someone like me. I mean, between me and my immediate family we only owned THREE MkIV platform cars.
ALL of them were crap. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif

 

[Hufeisen]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (ScarletSpider)

Go for it... They are safe and fun to drive. It's going to be her car and if she wants it, let her. 2.0s are reliable and the 1.8Ts are fun. Not too familiar with the 2.5, but it seems to be getting good feedback.

 

[PsyberVW]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (Download_Complete)

Quote, originally posted by Download_Complete »

You think a Sentra is a hunk of crap, yet you want her to buy a Beetle? You guys are into S and M, aren't you?

Aside from a couple initial 02 sensors, my 1999 1.8T held up just fine for over 100K miles (56K in the first year alone).
As with anything, maintenance helps a lot. If she likes VWs or New Beetles in particular, I don't believe it to be a bad vehicle at all. Just be sure that if it's used, you have it chceked out VERY well before hand. Don't fall for CPO cars either, they ARE NOT any better than buying a used car from an independent dealer + aftermarket warranty.
All that said, if she isn't the kind of person to keep on the maintenance schedule well (read: 15K mile oil change intervals) then this probably isn't the best choice for her (I don't think any European car would be, except maybe the newer ones that promise 10K mile oil change intervals.. but then, you're back in the pay to play game).
On the other hand, I've seen domestic cars take a hell of a beating and look like complete crap after 10 years of neglect and abuse, and yet they didn't cost much to buy and still manage to turn over every morning.

 

[ZVdub]

Why bother, keep the sentra! It's not THAT bad of a car. A little starter trouble doesn't all of a sudden make a car a piece of junk.
You sound like one of my coworkers who calls the GTO an unreliable piece of junk because he had a small problem with the window relays.

Your 19 and seem to have all the money in the world, so go for it!

 

[Spa_driver]

Re: New Beetle, worth it for my Girlfriend? (Download_Complete)

Quote, originally posted by Download_Complete »

Yeah, why would you listen to someone like me. I mean, between me and my immediate family we only owned THREE MkIV platform cars. ALL of them were crap. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif

I would buy my girl an 03 or later NB in a second based on my experiences with VW. Plus it is a safe car(4/5-star crash rating) unlike Download Complete's 1-star death trap