Drew Dowdell

I am departing the Hudson Valley today for the small town of Forty Fort, PA. Lets see what the fuel economy of an unladen Beetle Turbo is.

I don't see it as a risk at all. GM can always turn up the boost a bit if they think that more horsepower will drive sales. I no longer think that is the case. 300hp is pretty much the extreme upper limit of what a typical family sedan shopper will ever insist on anyway. Most Camry and Accord drivers are happily cruising along with their 160 - 180hp 4-bangers. The key for the Malibu will be having great torque down low in the RPM range. If they can do that, the horsepower number won't matter so much.

It looks like it has about as much front overhang as a 1996 W-Body!

I thought the Olds' were all about the torque.

is it going to be a RAM?

Sidevalves of course.

Integra

Honda concepts tend to be pretty bang on as to what the production version will look like

I just want to point out that this is the PERFECT time to be an independent journalist. You can self publish in many ways and make good money doing so.

That is a sweet looking dash cluster!

I am not in any way a journalist... nor am I in print media, I work for a large energy firm during the day... yet here I am with press credentials.

wish granted

true.....

I'm in the highest trim Beetle you can currently buy and it does not have all of the features the GLI has.

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.