2006 Volkswagen New Beetle Review

Specifications

VWs Classic Cabrio Continues to Age Gracefully

I sucked it up in the name of journalism and agreed to road test a 2006 Salsa Red Beetle Convertible. Now Im not one normally ashamed of his feminine side, but displaying it before the world has never been a desire of mine; fortunately the right hat and a pair of dark sunglasses can do a lot toward risk management. Pay attention because I am only going to say this once - what a cute car! There, its out; but may never be repeated.

The whole concept behind the retro-theme Beetle is “fun.” Stripping the modern bug of its tin roof in favor of a semi-powered fabric soft-top propels its fun factor into another dimension of space and time (to steal a line from a TV space sci-fi). And when it comes to space the New Beetle Convertible (NBC) can seat four with its roof up or down, but realistically the two rear seat occupants wont be in for the long haul, so to speak, if the drive comes during the winter months. Low roofline aside, these rear seats are also very narrow, upright and cramped. Theyre of the sort that will do in a pinch, but shouldnt be relied upon as adequate adult or even family seating.

Those seated up front will enjoy the plentiful legroom offered by the NBCs cozy, but slender cabin. The drivers seat is height adjustable and fairly supportive, although bereft of lumbar adjustment; a feature back-pain-sufferers appreciate. A further seat-related lament goes to the impracticality of the wheel apparatus used to set the degree of recline; its just too difficult to use for anything other than minor adjustments. But the final word on seating goes to the tremendous heat imparted by the optional, 5-level heated leather front seats; they are a back-pain-sufferers delight.

The Beetles cabin is well constructed, and in keeping with the retro concept, thin on gadgetry and hoopla. A couple of aspects struck me as unusual, mind you. First of all, theres a football field of unused space between the instrument panel and base of the windshield, the same as the New Beetle coupe, contributing to a sense that one is seated further back than normal. Secondly, the extensive headroom beneath the fabric roof and the cars abnormally tall side windows give this compact-class convertible an airiness not normally found in this segment when the roof is in place. Together these peculiarities add to the fun-factor (or bizarre factor; Ed.) in driving the NBC, roof up or roof down. I jokingly likened the sensation to that of driving a bathtub - and I mean that in the kindest of ways.

But bathtubs arent normally motivated by a 150-horsepower, 2.5-liter (152 cu-in) inline 5-cylinder engine, (although the popular annual Nanaimo to Vancouver, Canada World Championship bathtub race could bring that into question). This spry powerplant is tucked beneath the front hood of the NBC rather than in the more traditional VW hindquarter. Naturally its frontal mounting lends well to front-wheel drive, something the original beetle never knew. Those venerable machines also never knew the thrust of the 170 foot-pounds of torque that propels todays Beetle convertible.  This is the same arrangement available on the base Jettas, by the way. It delivers strong performance with decent refinement but can be a little noisy when doing so. Although VW pins a tepid 0 to 60 mph time of about 9.0 seconds on the automatic Beetle, its performance about town would suggest better. Only folks looking for true sports car acceleration would feel unfulfilled with the potency of the 2006 NBCs beetle juice. 

Its 150 horses are roped to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or an optional 6-speed automatic with manual mode, the latter of which came fitted to my tester. It did a fine job of smoothly mixing cogs while providing the opportunity for greater input through VWs Tiptronic shift-it-yourself feature.

Some advanced electronics such as VWs Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) traction control program and Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) technology are in place as standard Beetle equipment - something Volkswagen should be commended for. Also included in the list of standard equipment are four-wheel antilock disc brakes. They felt strong and predictable in all situations, requiring a little more pedal pressure than other VW products I have tested, but that simply added to the pleasure of their use.

Adding to the pleasure of driving the modern Beetle soft-top is a nicely controlled smooth ride. An interesting four-wheel independent suspension setup places MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar at the front and a track-correcting torsion beam axle with an integrated stabilizer bar at the rear. This somewhat unique arrangement is fastened to a very rigid body structure allowing the NBC to feel composed and self-assured in corners while adequately filtering out surface decay, potholes and the like. The solidity of VWs open-air Beetle and its enjoyable handling characteristics combine to make this a very pleasant buggy to drive al fresco.

Unlike many drop-top sports cars, the seating elevation in the Beetle is fairly high, which means much of ones upper body extends above the vehicles beltline. This enhances the sense of openness that should come with dropping the top. I have been in convertibles in which the cockpit is so low slung, and the beltline so high that at best, only the drivers head extends above top of the door. The Beetles seat height also aids in making ingress and egress easy and contortion-free.

Interestingly, the openness of the Beetles cabin doesnt cause excessive wind buffeting or noise. In fact I was quite surprised by just how peaceful the ride was at highway speeds. I was also surprised at just how easy and agreeable the happy little car is to drive. It has a very tight turning radius and is wonderfully nimble; but alas not all is perfect under a clear blue sky.

Rearward visibility is marginal due to the VWs stowable lid. When the roof is up, a huge blind spot is created between the rear side window and the smallish rear window; which at least is glass and fitted with a defogger. This wide expanse of canvas can make lane changing and reversing difficult. Open the Beetle up to the sun, or in my case clouds, and the stowed top again impinges on rearward sight lines. Oh well, somethings gotta give in a world of compromise - unless, of course, the compromise pertains to occupant protection.

Volkswagen has gone the extra step to protect occupants in their open-air Beetle with the installation of dual front impact airbags, dual seat-mounted side impact airbags and driver and front passenger side airbag head extensions. VW also adds retractable, integrated roll-over protection to every lidless Beetle. Now if theyd only add decent cupholders to keep our lattes safe on long trips, theyd be onto something.

The molded plastic wannabe cupholders in the center console grasp a cup of the burning elixir about as securely as a toddler. And while resolving the cupholder deficiency, how about making the tiny radio buttons a molecule or two larger? Remember, this is the peoples vehicle and some of those people are clumsy and near sighted.

These somewhat petty platitudes aside, I really enjoyed motoring in VWs happiest little car. They say a smile is infectious. For 2006, Volkswagen has freshened the Beetles styling and plastered an even more infectious smile on its front face, and Ive caught the virus. Ah what the heck; hat and glasses be gone. The cute 2006 Beetle soft-top puts me in my happy place and Im no longer ashamed to be seen behind its wheel, although a flower in its dash-mounted vase remains a challenge not yet overcome.