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2008 Volkswagen New Beetle Coupe Quality Review

November 5, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

High-quality materials predominant
Automobile

The front seats are roomy
Edmunds

Backseat legroom is limited
Cars.com

The 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle has good room and comfort for front passengers, but backseat riders have cramped quarters.

Roominess is another matter altogether, and in this respect, the 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle is all too similar to its ancestor. “The front seats are roomy,” Edmunds writes, “but the same can hardly be said of the back.” Cars.com tells us what most of us already know by looking at it: “Unfortunately, this design also infringes on rear headroom, and backseat legroom is limited.” They do note “the rear seatback folds down for additional storage space.” The backseat situation is exacerbated when the front seats are moved back: "the sloping hatch creates a nearly unusable rear seat," says Kelley Blue Book. At least “access to the back seat is easy,” thanks to a nifty set mechanism, Car and Driver observes.

“Trunk room is, at five cubic feet of cargo space, sports car small, with an also small opening,” Automedia adds.

Automobile reports little of the shaking to which convertibles are prone on the topless New Beetle. This is largely thanks to "heavily reinforced A- and B-pillars, floors, doors, steering column, and rear cross-members -- joined for rollover safety's sake by a pair of automatically deployed roll bars hidden in the rear seats' head rests." Backseat width and trunk space are even smaller in the ragtop, they add.

Conclusion

The 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle offers a reasonably comfortable ride as long as you don't expect too much. Backseat room is a major issue.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:High-quality materials predominantAutomobileThe front seats are roomyEdmundsBackseat legroom is limitedCars.com The 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle has good room and comfort for front passengers, but backseat riders have cramped quarters. Roominess is another matter altogether, and in this respect, the 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle is all too similar to its ancestor. “The front seats are roomy,” Edmunds writes, “but the same can hardly be said of the back.” Cars.com tells us what most of us already know by looking at it: “Unfortunately, this design also infringes on rear headroom, and backseat legroom is limited.” They do note “the rear seatback folds down for additional storage space.” The backseat situation is exacerbated when the front seats are moved back: "the sloping hatch creates a nearly unusable rear seat," says Kelley Blue Book. At least “access to the back seat is easy,” thanks to a nifty set mechanism, Car and Driver observes. “Trunk room is, at five cubic feet of cargo space, sports car small, with an also small opening,” Automedia adds. Automobile reports little of the shaking to which convertibles are prone on the topless New Beetle. This is largely thanks to "heavily reinforced A- and B-pillars, floors, doors, steering column, and rear cross-members -- joined for rollover safety's sake by a pair of automatically deployed roll bars hidden in the rear seats' head rests." Backseat width and trunk space are even smaller in the ragtop, they add. ConclusionThe 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle offers a reasonably comfortable ride as long as you don't expect too much. Backseat room is a major issue. 2008 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE STYLING | [7 out of 10] Automobile: "handsome, competent, and well finished" Cars.com: "a wholly appealing automobile that still draws smiles" Edmunds: "a cute alternative to more traditional compacts" The rounded, insect-like shape that endeared the ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

A few cars bring back designs from the 1960s in newly updated forms. The MINI Cooper is one--and it's a success at reinventing the MINI's charm on a larger scale. The Ford Mustang hits the right styling notes and offers convertible and V-8 editions to boot. If you're looking for an inexpensive German car with good handling and fuel economy and more room, Volkswagen's own Rabbit hatchback has a four-door version, a rich interior, up-to-date equipment, and good crash test performance.

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See the Volkswagen New Beetle Coupe in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

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