should I buy?
crysdp
01-31-2005, 09:17 PM
looking at a 2000 new beetle turbo diesel. It only has 66,000 miles. I have heard that the new beetles are notorious for electrical problems. Everything I have heard was about the regular ones, not the turbo diesel though. I was wanting to know about the reliability of them and how many miles I could expect to get out of one. Should I buy it?
Russ G
02-06-2005, 03:34 PM
looking at a 2000 new beetle turbo diesel. It only has 66,000 miles. I have heard that the new beetles are notorious for electrical problems. Everything I have heard was about the regular ones, not the turbo diesel though. I was wanting to know about the reliability of them and how many miles I could expect to get out of one. Should I buy it?
I could answer those questions in a few ways:
#1: the question is analagous to saying "my g/f is very cute but she has been "Around the block". So should I give her a ring?"
The answer you seek there is very difficult to answer. It really depends on many variables and YOU! How tolerant you are for used car foibles? Also, it depends on whether or not it's a "Certified Used Vehicle" with many miles left on warranty. TDI (deisel) models are not much more (or less) prone to electrical problems - meaning, the VW Beetle has a bit more than the industry average of electrical problems.
Personal Aside: My g/f purchased, on my recommendation, a 2001 VW Beetle (38 k miles), and it has a minor driver's window electrical problem. Nothing that is not covered in VW's Certified Used Vehicle warranty, though.
#2: New VW Beetle turbo-diesels are some of the best, most responsive and reliable engines in the industry. Don't get one with an automatic under any cricumstances. It will shift badly (as compared with the std xmission)
Finally, why not test drive the internal-combustion version Beetle (non-diesel). It has a lot of zip if you buy it standard, and pretty fair amount if you try or buy automatic version. This version will save you about $1500 over a used 2000 VW with TDI, but has a tad less of a thrill factor (and not as many snazzy color options).
#3: How many miles you get out of any vehicle depends on: how hard you drive it, how well it was (and will be) maintained and driven before (and after) you purchase it and, frankly, how lucky you are (to avoid accidents, rust, and bad mechanics).
Diesels are simpler engines than internal-combustion engines, but when you add on a turbo, you make it a bit more complicated. As such, it is somewhat more prone to "mechanical issues", but nothing I'd lose sleep over, though. Fuel can be a bit harder to find, though, in certain areas.
Good luck and let us all know what you choose to do.
P.S. Info on cleaner (de-sulphuring) processing standards for Diesel Fuel in US:
"Diesel engines power 37% of all new cars sold in Europe (62% in France), with the share predicted to rise to 45% by 2005 -- but fewer than 1% of new American cars have diesel engines.
One reason is the poor quality of diesel fuel sold in the US. A 1998 report on fuel lubricity worldwide found that diesel fuel sold in the US and Canada is some of the poorest quality fuel in the world. Fully 50% of the US fuel was found to be below the standards recommended by equipment manufacturers.
http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/Lubricity.PDF
Big Oil has dragged it's feet in cleaning up diesel fuel in the US. Europe started producing cleaner, low-sulfur diesel fuel in 1990; the US plans to follow in 2006. And the new generation of clean diesels either can't meet the US emissions standards on the dirty US fuel, or they can't even use it. But they run just fine on biodiesel, with very low emissions."
I could answer those questions in a few ways:
#1: the question is analagous to saying "my g/f is very cute but she has been "Around the block". So should I give her a ring?"
The answer you seek there is very difficult to answer. It really depends on many variables and YOU! How tolerant you are for used car foibles? Also, it depends on whether or not it's a "Certified Used Vehicle" with many miles left on warranty. TDI (deisel) models are not much more (or less) prone to electrical problems - meaning, the VW Beetle has a bit more than the industry average of electrical problems.
Personal Aside: My g/f purchased, on my recommendation, a 2001 VW Beetle (38 k miles), and it has a minor driver's window electrical problem. Nothing that is not covered in VW's Certified Used Vehicle warranty, though.
#2: New VW Beetle turbo-diesels are some of the best, most responsive and reliable engines in the industry. Don't get one with an automatic under any cricumstances. It will shift badly (as compared with the std xmission)
Finally, why not test drive the internal-combustion version Beetle (non-diesel). It has a lot of zip if you buy it standard, and pretty fair amount if you try or buy automatic version. This version will save you about $1500 over a used 2000 VW with TDI, but has a tad less of a thrill factor (and not as many snazzy color options).
#3: How many miles you get out of any vehicle depends on: how hard you drive it, how well it was (and will be) maintained and driven before (and after) you purchase it and, frankly, how lucky you are (to avoid accidents, rust, and bad mechanics).
Diesels are simpler engines than internal-combustion engines, but when you add on a turbo, you make it a bit more complicated. As such, it is somewhat more prone to "mechanical issues", but nothing I'd lose sleep over, though. Fuel can be a bit harder to find, though, in certain areas.
Good luck and let us all know what you choose to do.
P.S. Info on cleaner (de-sulphuring) processing standards for Diesel Fuel in US:
"Diesel engines power 37% of all new cars sold in Europe (62% in France), with the share predicted to rise to 45% by 2005 -- but fewer than 1% of new American cars have diesel engines.
One reason is the poor quality of diesel fuel sold in the US. A 1998 report on fuel lubricity worldwide found that diesel fuel sold in the US and Canada is some of the poorest quality fuel in the world. Fully 50% of the US fuel was found to be below the standards recommended by equipment manufacturers.
http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/Lubricity.PDF
Big Oil has dragged it's feet in cleaning up diesel fuel in the US. Europe started producing cleaner, low-sulfur diesel fuel in 1990; the US plans to follow in 2006. And the new generation of clean diesels either can't meet the US emissions standards on the dirty US fuel, or they can't even use it. But they run just fine on biodiesel, with very low emissions."
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