Kids and their first cars: Part Two and the "New" VW Beetle

[Dueller]

I posted a while back on kids and their first cars and received some well reasoned replies. In a nutshell I'm looking at a pair of cars for my soon to be 16 y.o. twin stepdaughters. We're basically looking at a $6-7K max budget per car.

I'm fortunate enough to have a client that has access to wholesale auctions and I've been seeing some 98---2000 VW Beetles coming across the block in the 5500-6000 range. Most with automatics and the 4 banger and mileage between 50-90K. Obviously a timing belt would be in the works at that mileage.

Anybody have any experience with these cars as far as safety/reliability, etc?

Any other suggestions?

[bivenator]

Beetles had problems in the first model years. the advantage in your situation is that it is hard to put more than two in the car at any one time. good for teen safety

[widebody911]

Originally posted by bivenator
Beetles had problems in the first model years.

Yes; the 46 and 47 model years had problems with rough running in cold weather, so they went to a thermostatic cooling system. The early cranks had frequent breakage problems, so avoid those unless they've been rebuilt already.

Oh, you were talking about the golf-with-a-chic-body - my bad!

[Dueller]

LOL...yeah the back seat issue is a real question for me. 'thought I solved it with a pair of really cute Miata's but mom nixxed that...even when I explained I'd put a restrictor plate on the anemic little 1.6 litre .

So now I just sit in the living room in boxer shorts while cleaning a shotgun and tell the little horn dogs picking them up "Yeah... I been to prison. Twice. And I don't mind going back."

As you can see, I have cause for concern.

[jrdavid68]

Thinking of getting a New Beetle for our soon to be 16 yr old too. The recommendation from the New Beetle board on vwvortex.com is to stay away from the '98-2000 models and get an '01 or newer.

[Dueller]

Thx, jrDavid...got a specific forum link? Couldn't find the discussion forum dealing with the issue. This may explain hy the 01's and newer Beetles command a premium. Was a displacemnt increase is 2001? Like 1.8 to 2.0?

[scottmandue]

I have a lady friend who owns one and we took it for a weekend up the coast where I did all the driving. It's a nice little driver, nothing spectacular but adequate. AFAIK she hasn't had any major problems with it.

And hers is a convertible so not only is the back seat tiny but the trunk is about the size of a carry on bag.

[pmajka]

Daydreams of a 1974 VW 411 Squareback wagon....
Some day..till then, i will just have to drive the 911.

[jrdavid68]

Originally posted by Dueller
Thx, jrDavid...got a specific forum link? Couldn't find the discussion forum dealing with the issue. This may explain hy the 01's and newer Beetles command a premium. Was a displacemnt increase is 2001? Like 1.8 to 2.0?

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2748278

[onewhippedpuppy]

VWs seem to be somewhat problematic when they get higher miles, essentially the reason why I'm not driving a Jetta or Passat. If you're looking newer/lower miles it should be fine.

Other suggestions? The usual suspects in the economy class maybe? Civic, Accord, Camry, Corolla, Sentra, Protege? Eternally reliable, just what a worried dad wants. My Protege5 is actually pretty fun with a stick, gets great MPG, and a great rep for reliability.

[jhelgesen]

Originally posted by pmajka
Daydreams of a 1974 VW 411 Squareback wagon....
Some day..till then, i will just have to drive the 911.

Had one you could have had for free, parked at a buddies house, straight body, clean interior. Had tranny issues that parked it. If you get to Pinehurst NC, I can tell you where it is/was.....

[sammyg2]

My daughter will be 13 this month and has her heart set on a boxster when she gets old enough, by then the price of a decent one will prolly be under $10k. If she stays on the honor role she's going to get what she wants.

No experience with the new beetle so cna't offer anything there.

[gaijindabe]

Originally posted by Dueller
LOL...

As you can see, I have cause for concern.

Anything less than a 12ga and they might be willing to take a few pellets....

[jyl]

Originally posted by Dueller
So now I just sit in the living room in boxer shorts while cleaning a shotgun and tell the little horn dogs picking them up "Yeah... I been to prison. Twice. And I don't mind going back."

As you can see, I have cause for concern.

SO, your forum name suggests a solution.

[widebody911]

I'd risk buckshot for that

Originally posted by Dueller
As you can see, I have cause for concern.

[creaturecat]

Wife had a 2000 - terrible car, terrible dealerships.
The car seemed wore out at approx 50000 miles. In the shop on numerous occasions - approx $8000.00 worth of repairs - while under warranty. $800.00 "brake job" at 12000 mi. - not covered by warranty.
The only good thing - relatively safe w/r to crash worthiness.

[Danskman]

My wife had a 2000 with the 1.8t. Car was awesome. She loved driving it, and it required only normal service for the years she had it. Now let's talk about safety... My 19 y.o. son was driving home on the freeway last Feb and fell asleep. Freeway gradually turned left, my son went straight - through a freeway fence pole and into a tree on a frontage road.




When my wife and I arrived on the scence, my son was standing there without a scratch on him. CHP said he'd seen fatalities in incidents with smaller trees. Thank you, VW.

Her replacement;

[Dueller]

OK..the saga continues. This weekend I picked up a 2000 new Beetle from a friend that bought it at auction...pristine one owner car, silver, perfect mechanically and cosmetically, 67K miles, even smells new. He says try it out as long as you like...no obligation...if you want it I have 6200$ in it.

We drive it and take the girls on a road trip to their HS volleyball tournament. Drives perfect..30+ MPG. Wife likes it and even considers that she might like to have it for herself.

Twins reaction: "Oh mom...please don't get a a Beetle." "No...we don't want one because all the girls in our school have them...we want something "sleeker" and more sporty. Like an Altima or Maxima."

hmmmmmm....we're leaving a restaraunt and they point out a late model Altima they like. I point out its out of their budget. Then they say what about something like that silver car over there?

I say you'd like that over a new Beetle? Oh yeah, they reply, we really like that. The car they point out is a nice, clean..........


1998 DODGE NEON

Just proves the point: Teenagers are idiots.



On a more positive note, one of them would like to drive my 76 911 beater....yeah, RIGHT!!!

[Schrup]

Buy them Neons, chances are they'll (the cars) be trashed within a year. Teenage girls are horrible drivers & are proned to run into stuff. My daughter managed to trash her first car within weeks & total her second within 3 months.

[Dueller]

Yup...the Neon was an interesting choice. Plus, thru my wholesale contacts, clean 2000 models can be had for $2500 or so. Sorta like the disposable lighters of the automotive world.