Drew Dowdell

I think I'd go with the Beetle, but I'd get it in a manual instead of DSG. However, the GLI is a full $3k cheaper than this Beetle, so if money were an object, the Beetle isn't worth $3k more than the better equipped GLI. I was close. it's a $2,500 difference, so my point stands. GLI Manual - $26,445 GLI DSG - $27,545 Beetle Turbo Manual - $28,995 Beetle Turbo DSG - $30,095 The GLI has automatic climate control, bluetooth, and iPod controls for less money. Handling wise, the GLI only seems marginally better... and I think that has more to do with the Beetle's relatively tall stature on a 5 inch shorter wheel base. I really really am enjoying this car. It is fun to drive, easy to park, easy to get in and out of, more commodious than one would think, and relatively fuel efficient for a car that has a lot of scoot. So my problem? For $30,000, one has to *really* want a Beetle equipped like this... because at that price, one's mind can quickly wander to things like a Regal Turbo, which handles better (or at least more reassuringly) and is still pretty quick, and I keep thinking how much Verano $30k will get you keeping in mind the turbo version of that car will have 50 more horsepower and 50 more ft-lb of torque along with the other niceties. Edit: I just realized I screwed up on the price comparison because I compared a 6-speed manual GLI to a 6-speed DSG Beetle. Let me look up the price differential and fix it.

oh look, it's already on a flatbed...

newer technology yields smaller displacements with the same or better power. The 2.0T I am driving now has 200hp, 200 ft-lb gets 35mpg and it is the least powerful 2.0 that I've driven recently.

I used to put a red bow or a wreath on the front of my very first Toronado (it had a "classic" grill) or my Continental, but haven't done it on any car since. You kind of need an upright grill to pull it off well. I probably could have pulled it off with the CTS, but never did try.

Not my favorite year, but it is in fine condition.

Because 1) GM has lost a lot of fans 2) Because the industry is nowhere NEAR as exciting as it was even 2 years ago 3) Because forums aren't the only form of social media anymore 4) Because the insiders are gone AND MOST IMPORTANTLY 5) because there is hardly any news ever posted here.... I do know one thing; with CZ28 being bought out and GMI transitioning to their TERRIBLE new software, Cheers and Gears is better positioned for a comeback now than ever! Drew could REALLY seize the day and offer a 'home grown' board for discussion. The layout here is FANTASTIC, all the site needs is content. I think MudMonster would be pretty offended by you saying there is no news posted here anymore. Have you looked at the front page lately? I thought Newsfeeder was a auto posting feed bot. Newsfeeder was an RSS feed from other sources.

Ski season!

HEY! im from Allentown. I drove through there yesterday in the 2012 Beetle. i see you are from pitt! what are you doin on this side, the crappy side of the state? lol Just passing through, though I do have family in your area. I am in Spring Valley NY for work today and tomorrow, then off to Forty Fort on Wednesday and back to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

HEY! im from Allentown. I drove through there yesterday in the 2012 Beetle.

I felt that the CVT is what saved the Sentra from the harshness that is Nissan 4-cylinder engines by keeping the RPM low as much as possible.

According to the trip computer, I did 35.5mpg over 375 miles. That was fairly well loaded down as you'll see in the picture below.... the trip back will be just me and my luggage. I find the driving position to be very agreeable. It was absolutely fine for the 7 hours I spent behind the wheel yesterday. I find that I do sit more upright than other cars, but not in any way that is uncomfortable. There is also actual legroom in the back when the front seat is adjusted for me. It's no DTS back there, but I'm not squished in. I'm getting a rattle from the right rear of the car inside the passenger compartment. My suspicion is that the package shelf isn't securely fastened since I was monkeying with it to get all of these laptops in. I will investigate later as I have finally unloaded the car. Reactions have all been positive with lots of people giving thumbs up as the drive past. The car was able to handle 9 laptops with all of the accessories plus my luggage.

The 2012 Jetta GLI went back and we were supposed to get a Passat in its place. However, the Passat encountered some unfortunate incident in the hands of another journalist so instead Volkswagen sent us this 2012 Beetle Turbo with DSG and Navigation. So far I've done almost entirely city driving in the Beetle and while the DSG is very smooth above first, I'm finding it a little jerky in stop and go city traffic. After you get it out of crawling speed, the DSG opens the Beetle's wings and allows incredibly smooth and fast shifting in either direction. In regular drive mode and normal city speeds, the DSG does its best to keep the RPM below 2,000 at all time. Switching to sport mode raises the imaginary line to 3,000. You can rev the engine higher than that, but in normal driving, it is completely unnecessary. When prodded, the Beetle will break its front tires loose pretty easily in first and second gear. I was seeing some pretty great highway economy numbers out of the Jetta GLI with this same engine but a 6-speed manual. During my time with the Beetle, I will be driving 90% of the route that I took the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco on and again I will be loaded down with gear. Because the Beetle has a larger engine with 62 more horsepower and 52 more lb-ft of torque, I don't expect the Beetle Turbo to match the Cruze's 51mpg I saw on that trip. The Beetle Turbo is rated at 22/30 city/highway but my guess is that I'll be able to beat that number after seeing what the Jetta GLI was able to do. The looks are far more masculine than the first generation Beetle, and I'm getting a lot of stop and stare as I drive by. But now I have to get on the road. Leave your questions in the comments section for this 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo. View full article

Welcome LH lovers!

well I'm not sure how a stainless steel exhaust is critical to the safety of the car. I agree on the fuel lines though, it would make all cars most of the way to being ethanol compatible.

still not a coupe

It was only sudden if you weren't watching where it was going.

It ABSOLUTELY is a safety issue. The GM in the list of cars I mentioned was a rental. While one should certainly take the time to learn the emergency off procedure for their own car, in a rental, who is really going to take the time to read the manual for emergency off? Emergency off should be standard across the board. The government is regulating this BECAUSE the SAE (or any other manufacturer group) didn't do it on their own. They had two years to just announce that they were working on such a standard. It could have been 4 interns in a back office... but as long as someone was working on it, the Feds would have stepped back and let them work on it. All it takes is a press release to get that process started and should be enough to keep the feds out of it. Shame on them indeed. Edit: Furthermore, this should have been "sponsored" by Toyota as just a PR campaign. They could have came out and said "We're heading up an SAE task force to establish an industry standard for keyless ignition.