1998 Volkswagen Beetle GLS review from North America

Actually nothing has happened to the car that has required dealer attention.

One of my headlight bulbs is burnt out, and the headlight housing unit is loose and will come out if I slam on the brakes hard enough, but that is it. The headlights commonly burn out on the new beetle, not because they are crap, but because they are running whenever the car is running. The only way to turn them off is to put on the handbrake. I also have seen many other beetles with the headlight housing unit problem. I think it is because of the odd shape of the headlights.

The car actually has well exceeded my expectations. I have had less problems with it then my mother has had with her 2006 Mazda 6.

It performs much better then the 115 hp engine suggests, and it is very in-touch with the road while you're driving it.

It has a firm comfort feel to it, the seats are not that soft, but you still feel supported and comfortable.

Although the suspension is rather firm, no bumps are too harsh or uncomfortable.

The check engine light comes on occasionally, but always corrects itself within a few days, and has never stayed on more than one week.

The dash lights are my favorite at night. They really set this car apart from all of the others. Whenever friends ride in my car at night, I always get compliments on how neat the interior looks when it is lit up.

The exterior is just as nice. Everyone thinks that my car has to be at least 2002, thanks to the fully galvanized steel body frame which is not prone to rust, and the excellent paint job.

Also, I noticed that for such a small car it is very safe. It sits you in the middle of its bubble shaped boyd and the plastic on the exterior absorbs energy in a crash very well. It also has dual front and side airbags, which came on no other car in this price range in 1998.

Volkswagen has really improved their line of vehicles. The 1994-1998 Jetta was not very crashworthy, yet the next two generations have had excellent crash test results. How do I know that the Beetle is a very excellent car to be involved in a crash in? I was hit by a drunk driver going 40 and had flipped my car on the driver side. I walked out of the car with nothing wrong, and all that was wrong with the Beetle was it needed a new hood, and radiator. The drunk drivers car was totalled.

Except for a few electrical kinks, my new Beetle has been an amazing car for the 4500.00 I paid for it. It has not so much as threatened to break down or give me any trouble. I always put premium gas in it though. Maybe that has prevented a few problems.