2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: $51,995 And Up
Owning a high-performance sports car can be a true joy, even if you're not the type to take it to a... Read More
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Unofficial fuel economy ratings: 22/29 mpg (base automatic); 22/30 mpg (turbo DSG); 29/40 mpg (turbodiesel DSG)
Volkswagen's claiming that the DSG-equipped Turbo cars will get 22/30 mpg city/ highway. For a sporty car, that's great. Oddly, the 2.5-liter gets only 22/29, though of course it costs less.
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EPA
Unofficial fuel economy ratings: 22/29 mpg (base automatic); 22/30 mpg (turbo DSG); 29/40 mpg (turbodiesel DSG)
Volkswagen
Volkswagen's claiming that the DSG-equipped Turbo cars will get 22/30 mpg city/ highway. For a sporty car, that's great. Oddly, the 2.5-liter gets only 22/29, though of course it costs less.
Motor Trend
The base 2013 Beetle uses Volkswagen's familiar 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine, and scores 22/31 mpg city/highway with the five-speed manual transmission. Base Beetle Convertibles are only available with an automatic, and score a less impressive 21/27 mpg.
Beetle Turbos use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and Convertibles score 21/30 mpg in manual and 21/29 mpg in DSG dual-clutch guise. Turbo Coupes rate an EPA-estimated 21/30 mpg in manual and 22/30 mpg in dual-clutch form.
The best mileage is found not with gas, but diesel, in the Beetle TDI. Rating 28/41 mpg in manual trim, or 29/39 mpg with the dual-clutch, for coupe models, and an identical 28/41 mpg for the Convertible TDI (only available with a manual), the estimated figures put it in range of some of the compact/sporty hybrids on the market. In real-world use, many Volkswagen TDI owners have been able to consistently beat the EPA figures.
Conclusion
At 41 mpg highway, the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI is a good mileage bet--but the rest of the range is just middling.
