Volkswagen Beetle Hatchback (1999 - 2010) 2.0 3d (00) (2001/Y) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Two things. You are image concsious and you have loads of money to keep fuelling the thing up.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

It looks cool and really surprised it costs so much.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Absolutely no way. We've only had it 6 months and have just traded it in for a new Citroen C1. I can buy a brand new car for less than its costing me to run this thing.

What are you likely to buy next?

Just traded it in. Please make sure you do your homework before buying one of these.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£5,000

When did you buy the car?

October 2007

Did you get a good deal and why?

I think we had a good deal at the time but really should have done more work on the running costs.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Thought it looked cool but got a nasty surprise later on...

What was the dealer like?

Not good. They lost paperwork and failed to service the car before we bought.

What's it like to drive?

Ok up to about 50 mph and it gets there fast but after that it all gets too noisy due to that abysmal gearbox. You have the entertainment value though in watching the fuel guage go down. Best we've had is 30 mpg driving it like a vicar on the motorway which is just not good enough.

What's it like to park?

Ok behind but big bonnet makes front visibility poor.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Nothing mechanically but, this thing eats a huge amount of fuel. The gearing is all wrong. At 60 mph its doing 3000 revs. I can't believe that VW would make such a basic mistake.

What's most practical about your car?

It does look cool, particulaly in the Techno Blue colour.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Love the flower pot.