[Don Plumley]

There's another thread on fixing an old bug for a teenage daughter. This got me thinking about bugs again.

My little girl turns 16 in a couple of weeks. She (like her brother) has saved up her money so we can buy the car as partners. I want her in something that is safe (bags, brakes and a reasonable amount of sheet metal), nimble and reliable. She wants something that is cute, preferably purple.

I'm thinking $5K-$8K. She'd like a new beetle, but I've heard bad stories about build quality, trannys that can't be fixed, etc.

For those in the know - what say you about beetles? Any better/worse years? Any good BBS for beetles? I'm partial to a Golf/Rabbit; probably think a Honda is a best choice. Maybe a 318ti?

Thanks in advance,

Don