1999 Volkswagen Beetle review from North America

I have had a few problems, but nothing major. Brought it in for an oil change, and had to sign a...apparently I had NO oil in my engine at all. I couldn't tell.

The plastic parts need to be handled with care. The side mirrors control switch broke right off, and I have yet to figure out why.

First gear is EXTREMELY SMALL. I can't get through a whole intersection without having to shift, and I'm already in shifting into fourth at 35 mph.

CD changer occasionally doesn't work, especially when it's cold.

The A bars (four corners of the cab) are in the worst positions possible. I can't see blind spots, traffic around curves, or the cars pulling out in front of me in parking lots.

All my previous cars have been 6 cylinders, and this is my first experience with a 4 cylinder vehicle. I can't tell if it's supposed to sound that loud, or if I'm being obnoxious.

Overall, the heated seats are a life-saver! The car warms up quickly, the drive train is solid, and the gas mileage is great. The stock sound system is very very good, the dash is the size of my coffee table.

You cannot, however, put anyone over about 5'5 in the back seat, the way its constructed, the back roof slopes down too much. But it's got a TON of leg room.