2003 Volkswagen Beetle Driving Impressions Review at Automotive.com
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Volkswagen
Beetle
2003

2003 Volkswagen Beetle Review: Road Test

Below is a full, detailed 2003 Volkswagen Beetle review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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2003 Volkswagen Beetle Review

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Driving Impressions
The Volkswagen Beetle is fun to drive. It feels tight. Handling and brakes are excellent. Acceleration performance varies from lethargic to brisk, depending on model.

Beetle rides well on bumpy pavement. It's smoother than a Mini Cooper and more refined than a PT Cruiser. The Beetle feels quite stable at speed and in high-speed sweeping turns. The Beetle feels stable at speed. It leans in corners when driven hard, but tires and suspension give it good grip and keep the car firmly in contact with the road. The steering is quick and accurate. Handling among the different Beetle models is quite similar as the suspension is tuned to provide the same driving characteristics.

Beetle is smooth and stable under hard braking. It can stop in a shorter distance than a Chrysler PT Cruiser, according to published reports, but it doesn't stop as quickly as the Golf or Mini.

The 2.0-liter engine that comes on GL and GLS 2.0 models is smooth, quiet, and refined. It's very tractable around town with good, usable power at low rpm. That means you don't have to do a lot of shifting. Put it in second or third gear and leave it there. It's quite pleasant at 20 mph in third. You can even take off from a stop sign in second gear without any lurching. It cruises well at high speeds. Torque from the 2.0-liter engine comes at relatively low revs and makes the car feel sprightly around town. It wouldn't be our first choice for drag racing, though. In terms of acceleration performance, the 115-horsepower Beetle is among the slowest cars sold today. It takes about 10.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, according to Volkswagen. That's lethargic performance by anyone's stopwatch. Convertibles are even slower due to their added weight (0 to 60 in 11.4). It's clean performance, though. Volkswagen revised the 2.0-liter engine for 2003 for reduced emissions, qualifying the Beetle as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) in all 50 states.

We recommend the manual gearbox, which was used for the numbers above. It shifts smoothly and adds enjoyment to driving the Beetle. The automatic works well, but offers sluggish acceleration performance, dropping 0 to 60 times to 11.5 seconds with the 2.0-liter engine. The convertible, however, offers a six-speed automatic with Porsche's Tiptronic system that is nearly as quick as a manual gearbox (0 to 60 mph in 11.8 seconds). It's expensive, but also allows semi-manual shifting.

Volkswagen builds some of the best small diesel engines in the world and the available 1.9-liter TDI engine is smooth, quiet and clean. It gets an EPA-estimated 44 mpg on the highway, compared with 31 mpg for the 2.0-liter gas engine. The 1.9-liter four-cylinder diesel engine produces only 90 horsepower, but generates 149 pounds-feet of torque and runs brilliantly. It is slightly rougher in texture than the standard gas engine, which some people like because they say it reminds them a bit of the original Bug. But it doesn't clatter like old Mercedes diesels. It's suited very well for everyday driving.

Driving enthusiasts will prefer the 1.8 T turbocharged engine. It lacks response at the bottom of the rpm range, but provides good acceleration performance once the revs are up. Step on the gas and the car begins to build momentum, then there's a whoosh of power. The Beetle 1.8T can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.2 seconds. Again, the manual gearbox is best. We have not been completely happy when pairing the 1.8 T with an automatic because the turbo seems to confuse the transmission.

Turbo S quickens the pace, accelerating from 0 to 60 in a very respectable 7.4 seconds. Coupled with a less-restrictive exhaust system, the new Turbo S engine delivers betters the horsepower of the 1.8 T by 20 percent and adds more torque. This shows up when launching off the line and in passing maneuvers. The long and flat torque curve of the Turbo S engine makes it very enjoyable to drive. There's no lengthy turbo lag.

The Turbo's six-speed manual slides through gears. Middle gears are designed for improved acceleration performance, while fifth and sixth help with fuel economy. Upgraded brakes help the Turbo scrub off speed. Special Turbo S suspension tuning and 17-inch wheels and tires keep it glued to the road.

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2003 Volkswagen Beetle