The Beetle's Back.
Well, not precisely. Volkswagen officials take great pains to point out that this is the "New Beetle," far more than just an update of the car that helped define an American generation.
The New Beetle is based on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf. As a result, it's far roomier than the original. The engine is up front powering the front wheels, not the rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration of the old Bug. Two new engines are available, both water-cooled, not air-cooled.
But some traits remain: Just as with the original, Volkswagen put a premium on reliability. But definitions have changed over the years: The original Beetle would seemingly run forever-if you didn't mind getting your fingernails dirty fixing a loose wire or adjusting the valves. Today's buyers expect a bulletproof Beetle that starts every time they turn the key; no one, it seems, has time to carry around a tool kit any more.
Purists will lament all the changes. Yet even they are likely to be won over by the roominess, ride and creature comforts of the New Beetle. At least that's the way it's been shaping up. Next Page