1971 Volkswagen Beetle Standard review from North America
"Not perfect, but fun to drive, and tough as nails!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Well considering that the car is 31 years old very few things have gone wrong with it. But here they are:
Set of points $6.00.
New exhaust seals $15.00.
Generator had one laying around, so.
That's about it!
General comments?
I don't if I'm the right person to write a review because I am a dedicated VW enthusiast, and I live, eat sleep and breathe aircooled VWs.
A lot of people have complaints about Beetles, I love this car. I drive it every day and she (her name is June) rarely fails to start. When something is wrong I usually fix it in 10min. It's so simple. I know what every part on the engine is and how it works.
The more I drive it the more I love it. The heater will burn you up, although the defroster isn't very good. You have to open a vent window.It's not that small on the inside and I don't think it's that uncomfortable. It's no BMW though. The ride is choppy, but it is because it has one of the most durable suspensions ever built. It's at home on any terrain. Oh, and did I mention the traction? Excellent traction.
It only takes 2 1/2 quarts of oil, and you never have to add antifreeze cause there's no radiator!And gets 29-31 mpg.
It's no Porsche, but the dual port 1600 has plenty of power to get out of it's own way and will cruise at 75mph nicely. It's noisy, yes, but it's a Bug it's supposed to be. Plus I love that aircooled sound. In today's terms it's not the safest car on the road, but I've seen some new cars (Geo Metro) that didn't hold up as well as some Bugs did.
Over all, a fun little car to drive and maintain. You gotta love 'em though. It's a piece of history you can drive every day.
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| 1970 - Beetle Wunderbug 4 cylinder. Why did they stop making these? |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1971 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6L flat 4 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 129000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 141100 miles |
| Date of Entry | 27th October, 2002 |