1999 Volkswagen Cabrio from North America

Summary:

Loved every minute, but maintaining it is just too expensive

Faults:

I have had this car for just over a year, and in that time, we have had to replace the muffler, struts, brakes and brake pads, and our newest addition to the list is the window regulator, which I am currently having serviced.

This car was my first, and I have loved driving it. I learned how to drive standard in this car, and I wish I did not have to part with it. Unfortunately, due to the fact that it costs anywhere from $300-$600 to replace each part, it has to be done. As much as I hate to admit it, this car is a money pit. Not one of their better models, but like I said, I loved every minute in this car, besides the cost of maintaining it. I figure, it's better to get out before I need to replace a clutch, or something even more costly.

I don't regret buying this car, as it was a great first car, despite all the issues we had. It is fun, it's adorable, it suited me perfectly, and it has a GREAT turning circle, which helps me a lot :)

Overall, I would perhaps purchase this car again, and just have it as a summer ride.

General Comments:

I will for sure miss my Edith, but it will definitely save us a lot of money. If you have the time and $$, I highly recommend this car, either for a daily drive, a project car, or just a summer car. It took me a long time to admit that I would be better off giving this car up.

It's wonderful on gas. I couldn't have asked for a better, more fun, first car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th August, 2012

16th Aug 2012, 08:31

Edith????? Can someone please explain why people give these cars human names?

This is the second VW Cabrio review in a week where the car was given a human name.

24th Jun 2014, 06:04

Mine is Heidi.

4th Jul 2014, 18:33

The closest I came to "naming" a car was with my 1970 VW Beetle that always smelled like gasoline (at least until I replaced ALL of the fuel lines as well as the gas tank itself). I ofter referred to it as "The HindenBug" as I figured it was bound to burst into flames someday. ;)

31st Oct 2014, 12:12

My car is Patsy.

14th Nov 2014, 02:24

Mine's Barbie.

17th Nov 2014, 18:46

But why the human names? You do know that a car is not human, right???

22nd Oct 2019, 13:39

We name all the cars we are fond of: Bailey the green Z3, Medford the blue Z3, Cimimi the 330, and Black Baby Boxster! So there!

22nd Oct 2019, 13:56

Au contraire mon fere. Just like motorcycles, and guitars, they each have their own je ne sais quoi. They have their own personality and quirk, up to a form of possession in some rare cases. Try to take Willie Nelson or Eric Clapton's favorite guitar from them!

1999 Volkswagen Cabrio from North America

Summary:

Do not buy

Faults:

I bought this car used, so I knew to expect problems, but didn't realize how serious they would be (I should have come here first and read the reviews!).

The battery wouldn't stay charged, and nobody could figure out why. I had to buy three new batteries for this car, and they weren't cheap either. The last battery lasted about two weeks (and I had a battery warranty), so I took it back to the dealer for a new battery. Do you know what they did? They actually jumped me off, smiled, and walked away. I was so frustrated that I actually drove the car to a new car dealership and traded it in. Best thing I have ever done.

Plenty of electrical issues. Various warning lights on, off, and then on again, and at times it looked like Christmas tree lights. I had no confidence in this car.

The power for the convertible top never worked, but could still be raised and lowered manually.

The drivers side tail light would become unfastened from the housing, so I ended up actually having to super glue it back together.

These cars are money pits, so buyer beware. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Volkswagens in general, but this particular model was a disaster. If you buy a VW, make sure that the model you are getting was actually made in Germany, and NOT in Mexico. The German built Volkswagens tend to have fewer problems.

General Comments:

Despite all of the above problems, this car was comfortable to sit in, and handled well. I never had any problems with the engine or transmission.

The top was ragged and needed to be replaced, but it never leaked. Pretty good gas mileage too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th September, 2011

22nd Oct 2019, 14:19

Dude, you had a lemon! Too bad no manufacturer will bail you out in these cases. Not Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, or EVEN Porsche! All of which I have personal experience with.

I've had seven excellent Camrys, one had an electronic problem that took over six months and four shops, including the dealership who was a useless waste of time and money.

I must agree that when considering German cars, expect a higher percentage of electrical problems. In order from worst to best: Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes; and least number by a lot, Porsche. But I'm old enough to remember the English cars of the 60s-80s, now those were terrible!