A few weeks back, Paul posed the question, “Which Car Would You Most Hate To Be Forced To Drive For A Year?” I’d like to turn that question on its head, because after 12-1/2 years and over 216,000 miles, I recently decided on a successor to my 2000 TDI New Beetle—which I plan to drive for at least the next ten years…
Now before I reveal my selection and why I made it, I have to give a little backstory. I’m a long-time Volkswagen owner nut, and got my first taste with a 1971 Type II Campmobile. The Bus was purchased the same day I proposed to my wife just over 25 years ago (that’s a whole ‘nother story right there). In fact, the very first article I wrote for CC was the story of The Mayfield Belle, which I used as a daily driver for the last four or five of the eight years I owned her.
The Belle was succeeded by a 1964 Type I Sedan, which I named Eeyore (as in “Oh no, another hill.”). I bought it from the son of the original owner who purchased it new in Atlanta, Georgia. It took a few weeks to get all 40 horses pulling together, and afterwards, Eeyore was my daily driver in Atlanta’s notorious rush-hour traffic (and summer heat) for the next six years.
At that point I decided I needed something with a/c and a few more horses under the hood (not to mention a few less hours per month of me under the hood). That’s where Herbie came into the picture. The TDI diesel was intriguing (diesels were not yet popular in the late ’90s/early ’00s), and I ended up getting a pretty good deal on mine—it had been on the dealer lot for several months and they were quite happy to move it at a reasonable discount from sticker (the internets were just starting to become really useful for car pricing research).
We ended up moving to the Middle West the next year, and as my new job included access to a vinyl sign cutter, creation of a Herbie tribute car was a natural next step. My relationship with Herbie has had its ups and downs—VW reliability was pretty abysmal from the late ’90s through early ’00s, and I experienced most of the common problems. Once I learned to avoid our local VW Service department (after they nearly bricked my engine with a shoddily-done timing belt replacement), things went pretty good. It helps that there’s a great online forum for DIY TDI owners (TDIClub.com), too.
Oh—in addition to the New Beetle, I had also picked up a 1962 Sunroof in Georgia which I had completely disassembled by the time we relocated. It’s slowly coming back together out in the workshop.
When this 1963 Sedan came up for sale near our farm, it, too, ended up following me home (on a tow rope) for the princely sum of $600. It’s being restored alongside the ’62—but neither of these will be daily drivers!
That brings us up-to-date and back to Herbie’s successor. As the wife currently drives an ’05 Town & Country, we’re well set when we need to haul people or loads of stuff on a long trip. For farm-related bulky or messy loads, I have a beater ’95 F-150 4WD which is the successor to the ’69 F-100 in which both I and my boys learned to drive.
Having those bases covered has generally left the selection of my work/daily driver fairly open to whatever I wanted, within reason from a budget, insurance and practicality standpoint (motorcycles and Corvettes are verboten, for example). Additionally, Beth and I both hit the mid-century mark recently, and Sons Number One and Two are nearing the point of marrying and moving out to start their own families, so we’re not far from the “empty nest” season of life, and I’m looking forward to doing a bit more traveling with Beth at that point.
As I began thinking about a replacement, I briefly toyed with the idea of a Mini, smart or Fiat 500. However, after being used to ~45mpg fuel economy, the idea of dropping back into low-mid 30mpg territory really wasn’t that palatable, and the Fiat “Sport” I test drove last year left me somewhat cold, being tinny-feeling and sluggish compared to the torquey TDI I’m used to. The USA-spec smart is a huge disappointment compared to its European brothers, which are offered with diesels that get 50+ mpg. Besides, I was leaning a little more toward something a bit roomier and more comfortable for those weekend road trips.
At the other end of the spectrum, I also ran the numbers on a full-size pickup, which would have replaced both the New Beetle and my beater farm truck. Had I gone this route, I would have ordered a 4WD diesel with manual transmission and standard cab/longbed configuration—and only the Ram 2500/3500 could be optioned out that way, to the tune of a bit over $42,000. No thanks…
I had, of course, considered another VW or even an Audi, and looked pretty closely at the TDI Jetta Sportwagen as well as the Audi A3 (not available with TDI/manual, tho). But again, neither was really “speaking to me.”
Somehow I kept returning to the recently redesigned Beetle each time I rejected a contender (surprised?), but the spy photos that had been floating around in late 2011 had always left me cold—the proportions looked all wrong and the car just looked ‘frumpy.’ But when actual Beetles started showing up at our local dealer, I began to change my mind—they looked much better in production form and especially in person. By mid-2012, I was really starting to settle in on a TDI Beetle coupe as my choice.
I started researching pricing and options, and was prepared to start the negotiation process when I happened to read a rumor that VW would be offering the upcoming 2013 Beetle Convertible with the TDI—apparently the first diesel convertible ever offered in the USA (or at least not in a very long time). Within a couple months, the rumors had been confirmed by Volkswagen itself, and I then knew for sure what my next car would be.
I spent about a month negotiating prices with several dealers and came to agreement with Sierra Motors in Ottowa, IL right before Christmas, when I placed the order for the car. It took three months for it to arrive, and we went to pick it up in late March, 2013. This car will also be called Eeyore, in honor of my ’64.
We’ve only had a few days warm enough to enjoy top-down motoring so far, but things will warm up soon enough. The car is pleasant to drive and rides like a much larger car than my New Beetle (which handles like it’s on rails in comparison). Mileage is a bit lower at around 41mpg (based on two tanks of fuel to date).
So in making my decision, I traded a good bit of utility and luggage space for the convertible feature, but my thinking is (having always wanted a convertible) that this decade of my life is probably the last time it will “make sense,” so why not? It will make a great road trip car and get exceptional fuel economy, while keeping my ~26-year run of driving Volkswagens (18 in Beetles) unbroken.
In the end, choosing my daily driver for the next ten years involved balancing different desires, tradeoffs and constraints. I’m super happy with my selection, and am looking forward to new stories yet to be written behind Eeyore’s steering wheel.
So that’s the choice that was right for me… what would you choose to drive for the next decade?
(note that you are not limited to selecting a new car…)
I, for one, love my 2012 W-Body Impala LTZ. I desired one of these in this style since they came out in 2005. A bit late to the party, but I still like it.
Will I keep this as long as my 2004 Impala, 8 years? I cannot honestly say, as I want one of the new ones!
However, as wifey’s 2002 CR-V is showing signs of age and rust, soon she’ll want something, so I may have to keep my Imp forever. It sure is comfy, though, so I’ll suffer in a good way…
Funny, we do LOVE the new Beetle convertible!
Ed, that’s a nice looking Beetle TDI and I wish you the best of luck with her. Being a TDI, it will be a long run in ownership. I love what VW did with the retro wheels and find it interesting that it is a wheel not offered across the Beetle line up. In changing down to a smaller wheel and tire were any changes required to your odometer or engine calibration required? Any differences worth noting in your new 2.0 TDI versus the old 1.9?
Well, I guess I’m driving a future CC, my 2000 New Beetle TDI GLS 5 speed. After reading Brock Yate’s glowing review of the 98 New Beetle in Car and Driver and taken by the retro looks of the car, I bought a new TDI and have never looked back. Like Just Passing Thru, I enjoy the history and characters behind a car or a company. IMO, the New Beetle saved VW in America. Think back, prior to the New Beetle, VW was in bad shape with low sales and little showroom traffic. In Germany, Ferdinand Piech wanted an updated, modern version of the car. Tasked with the design were Freeman Thomas and J Mays, 2 great designers who went on to later successes with Ford and Chrysler and Audi. The New Beetle was THE car that started the entire Retro craze in automotive design, from the return of the Mini Cooper to the new/old 1969/2013 Ford Mustang.
The New Beetle is a close enough copy of their design effort, the Concept 1, from the single instrument binnacle down to those aluminum rims. But for me, as much as I love the design, the TDI has just one of those all time great engines. In the early years of ownership, driving to work 120 miles round trip everyday and pulling a steady 52 mpg was an eye opener that still amazes me to this day. Great on the wallet too. While the rest of our country’s drivers fell victim to each unexplained spike in gas prices, the TDI kept on chugging away. There is an excellent web site dedicated to the TDI so a lot of shade tree repair work can be done, something to consider if possible, as service prices can be rather high. 13 Years of Ownership….145,000 miles and counting.
The side by side photo of Ed’s 2 Beetles really show how significant the changes were in the new Walter de Silva’s design. Like Ed, it has taken a long time for this new design to grow on me. I always wondered how one can redesign a “retro” design. Well, I think the answer is in and I’d say it’s a classic effort worthy of the original design.
I still have my copy of Auto magazine with the Concept 1 on the cover, and I completely agree about the NB saving (or at least reinvigorating) VWoA. Volkswagen (like a lot of other car companies) had/has been drifting away from the brand reputation built over decades, and the NB (I believe) resonated with a lot of folk’s understanding of what VW “means.”
Realistically, I could keep Herbie going another 5-10 years if I wanted to—TDIs are starting to hit in the 400-500K miles range at this point. Properly maintained, they are highly durable engines. However, I’m at a point where the finances were there and we’re personally at a point in life where I was ready for a change. Even with the higher mileage on Herbie, I should realize a pretty good return when I sell him—TDIs are fairly desirable right now.
Here’s another side-by-side that better illustrates the profile differences between the NB and nB:
Great head-to-head shot that really illustrates the differences in the update. The “new” Beetle seems to have more in common with the Classic Beetle then the NB. Must be a cool driving sensation to switch from one generational classic to the newest one!
Regarding the Concept One: One design cue that I wish made it to production were the front horn grills. A neat touch that paid homage to the early Beetles.
Oh, as far as differences between the 1.9 and 2.0, the larger engine makes 140hp vs. 90hp, and 235lb/ft vs. 155lb/ft of torque. The convertible has bottomless wells of torque, in other words…
One of the reasons I went ahead and bought this year is that I fully expect the next gen TDI to require DEF on all VW models in which it’s used (currently, the smaller models including the Beetle do not require DEF). The DPF cycle has been completely unnoticeable on the 2.0.
The Beetle convertible weighs 3,200lb vs. 2,700 for the NB, so even with the 50% hp boost, the car isn’t going to win any drag races (maybe across the intersection, but that’s torque speaking). The added weight makes the car ride like a much larger car than it is—with all the suspension mods I did to Herbie, his ride characteristics ended up being a bit harsh on our pothole-ridden Illinois farm roads, but on smooth pavement, he’s a real hoot to drive. The convertible has the IRS rear suspension from the Turbo model, which I’ve noticed does a really nice job keeping the car planted through the bumps.
It’s been odd getting back in Herbie, as the controls and instrumentation seem very basic and simple compared to Eeyore. But then, I thought the same thing when I went from the original ’64 Eeyore to Herbie! (c:
Interesting perspective on hurrying up to avoid the Urea emissions system. The Mk7 Jetta is one of the contenders for my next commuter ride precisely because it has urea.
My experience in the world of commercial vehicles the 2007-10 DPF vehicles have been much more problematic than the 2010+ Urea based systems. Refuse collection is pretty much the worst case scenario for stressing the emissions systems. At my work the 6.4 Ford F550s and 2 Pete 320s that have big DPFs have had all sorts of emissions related downtime. So far our 2 6.7 Fords as well as Crane and Pete loaders have given no trouble.
My employer manufactures diesel engines (off highway, captive and marine), so I’m somewhat familiar with emissions standards (that’s not part of my normal job, tho). IIRC, cars in the US are currently at Tier II, where the bigger stuff is now coming up on Tier 4 Final – a much more stringent standard, which has driven the use of DEF and other aftertreatment solutions in addition to a DPF. It appears to me the market has gone through the same instability that cars did in the 1970s and early ’80s when they were first saddled with emissions control systems.
In my case, I mainly wanted to avoid the cost (over ten years) and having to keep track of one more fluid in the car.
One more pic – of Eeyore I and Herbie together, for a comparison of the original Type I and the New Beetle…
Great choice on the VW! The new generation is a vast improvement visually, at least to me.
I’m fixing to invest in a Subaru Outback. Even getting the nav and brown leather. I’ve earned it.
Ran across a ’95 E320 convertible on Autotrader with 29k on it….I could live with that too. Very classy….
My daily driver has always been an older but desirable car. The challenge is finding a model that delights but is comfortable and reliable enough to not become bothersome. Then there is the challenge of finding the exact car, the hunt so to speak.
If you buy right you can end up with a problem though. The car can become too valuable or cherished to drive without fear or guilt.
I’ve concluded the best old car for actual driving is something a little banged up but complete and original. A mid-80s Mercedes 300SD would be perfect, I think. Relatively common/plentiful, economical, very reliable and of course a joy to drive and ride in. I could live with that for 10 years.
For a new car the Toyota/Subaru BRZ or upcoming Mazda CX5 with the turbo diesel.
Great choice, Ed! If you like Beetles and convertibles, as you do. My own life with VWs, over a dozen and counting now, began when they put the engine up front, behind a radiator. I’d already enjoyed the rear-engined thang with the rare, nimble and frisky car referenced in my screen name.
I, too, recently decided that my 10-year-old, 200,000-mile Beetle TDI was an economy I couldn’t afford. Two instances of electrical failure cost me over a year’s worth of fuel savings. I drive my cars hard, don’t do my own service work, and don’t have a spare. So I sold the stinkbug to another tdiclub enthusiast for a very nice price. Following my mechanic’s advice. I bought a low-mileage 2009 GTI with the 2.0T gas engine. Not that I’m satisfied with 30 mpg, but the GTI comes with a built-in cost advantage. It matures like a savings bond, at 100,000 miles, when I won’t have to replace the timing belt and that $1000 won’t have to leave my wallet. I’ll consider buying a TDI again when they come with a long-life timing chain, instead of a disposable belt.
Yep… the belt that came on the car was only rated for 40,000 miles. The first and second replacements were rated at 60,000, and the last for 100,000 (the increases were due both to better belt materials as well as a better idler pulley design). The 100K interval isn’t so bad – basically once every five or six years for my driving profile.
When I bought the car, I figured the payback was about five years (extra cost of the TDI vs. lower fuel bill). Last year I spent about 9¢/mile for fuel in the TDI vs. 17¢/mile for my wife’s T&C.
So was your electrical problem due to a bad Relay 109? I finally had to replace mine last fall when it intermittently started failing (which causes the engine to stop!).
Relay 109……..yes, I read about this Relay 109 and the horror stories surrounding the legend. But I however, was a Happy TDIer, for I had the one Relay 109 in the whole world that kept on relaying for over 140 thousand miles.:)
I felt immune and arrogant. Hah! Carry a spare Relay 109 in the glove box, along with a flashlight and proper sized torx screwdriver to remove the relay cover? That was for sissies, for my Relay 109 never failed and never will.
Until one hot summer day walking out of the local Shop and Bag. Ice cream and a nice steak for the grill. Get in the NB, turn the key and the engine turns over and over and over. Nothing. So you sit there like a fool for 20 minutes.. Over and over and over. Finally, it kicks off! Now, get out of here NOW. Do not stop. Do not stall. Pull into driveway and for kicks, shut her down. Start her up. No start.
A spare Relay 109 now resides in my glove box. If there is an achillies heal to the VW TDI it is that little 25 dollar relay. My opinion: it is a potentially fatal flaw for there is no warning of failure. It can happen any time or any place.
I too, am curious as to NSU’s electrical failures……..
Ha! Mine made it almost 200,000 miles! (your comment is almost worthy of its own CC, too!)
Ed, If I were feeling smug about having one of those Relay 109’s that never fail, I can only imagine you may have been thinking kind of like how I was; “Ha, those TDI’ers with crap Relay 109’s……..what could they have been doing to abuse their relay?!?! Look at mine, like a Timex watch!”
Electrical Gremlin Classics: Relay 109 and 9 other Electrical Gremlins
that can make you twist the key and yell “Hey,
what the hell?!?!?!?!?”
200,000! Sorry to hear you went to gas after enjoying the TDI as much as you did. After paying the dealership close to 800 dollars for the timing belt changeout at 60k, at 120k I was feeling frugal and frisky. And risky for as you know, one slip the wrong way and valves meet pistons on this interference engine. So armed with my Haynes and Bentley manual, and investing in the cam and fuel pump lock down tools (about 100 some odd dollars) I was determined to do my own timing belt and water pump change out.
Keeping in mind it was something I never did before, I made sure to follow every step as outlined in the manuals. Familiarity breeds confidence and doing it that first time, I was not confident, so I was slow and sure. Bottom line: a pain in the butt. Everything is so tight. The front end must be jacked up to access the intercooler pipes from below as well as getting to the water pump. Locking the cam and fuel pump In place was not a big deal if you are careful of aligning the marks on your flywheel. Replacing the one time only torqued engine mount bolts that must come off the engine in order to remove the belt was a pain in the rear.
I did find the water pump was on it’s way to failure as a small trickle of engine coolant was weeping out the pump’s weep hole. The real white knuckle moments came when it came time to get the belt on and tension and torque the belt idler pulley. Boy, I sure barred that engine over multiple times after the belt was tensioned, partly in fear that the belt was going to walk over the pulleys (unfounded), partly due to my rookie fears and partly due to my disbelief that everything came together as the book recommended 🙂 A sigh of relief and a wipe of the brow ensued when I started the engine. Holy cow! No belt snapping, no pistons hitting valves. Just that lovely TDI clatter!
If you can get over these fears that I had, if you can stomach the laborious steps required to change a timing belt in this design, if you are somewhat mechanically inclined, YOU can do this job and save some good money in doing so. But that fear of screwing up and destroying your engine should not be taken lightly. It is not an IN and OUT one day thing for the shade tree mechanic. Figure starting on it early Friday and plan on a start up on Sunday. Take your time. And don’t forget the water pump and special VW coolant!
Would I do it again? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm! Let me get back to ya! 🙂
In my email inbox this morning I received news that the very first Chevy Cruze Diesel came off the assembly line in Lordstown on Thursday April 18, 2013.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TocYoUrDSJM
The video is the start up of the very first production car off the assembly line.
Due to refinements made during the testing of the prototypes, the MPG estimate for the highway has been raised to 46.
1992 Honda Accord EX Wagon. Best car I’ve ever owned. It just fit me in every way. 378,218 miles before God threw a tree onto it during a tornado in 2001. Never forgave him.
Well, I’m really, really late to this post, but the car I’d happily drive for the next 10 years would be a 2010-12 Mazda 6 station wagon, painted stormy blue. I had 2005 and 2008 6 wagons from new as company cars, both were very well-specced and practical, and loads of fun to drive. In 2009 I moved to another role in the company that came without a company car in 2009, so for the last 3 years I’ve been tripping around in my ’97 Nissan.
Last month though, one of the Mazda 6 company wagons, a 2010 2.0L GLX, was going to be unused for two months, so it was given to me to use (the perks of being a long-serving employee!). I’d forgotten how much fun to drive the 6 is – it’s exceptional for FWD! The seats are great (better than the ’05 or ’08 seats), the ride is fine, and everything inside is ergonomically perfect for 5′ 7″ me. The info display strip at the top of the dash with the HVAC-ICE-trip computer is perfectly placed for glancing at, the HVAC/ICE controls are simple and effective, and the steering wheels controls are perfect. It can be either an economical cruiser or a fun tiptronic sports wagon on windy back roads, so it’s my perfect (and practical) car for all moods.