2006 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible

Sooner or later, every convertible buyer finds himself at the same intersection. There, at the corner of head and heart, one tries to cut a compromise that will make both sides happy. Convertibles are about senses—the ability to pop the top at a moment's notice to soak up some sun, or feel a cool breeze on a warm summer evening. But, convertibles are also cars, and cars are about transportation, too. Unless you're lucky enough to be able to have a sporty second car, what you drive has to be suitable for where and how you live, everyday.

Styling

The senses/sensibility debate is generally about things like size and space. Every prospective purchase is run through a mental gauntlet of questions: How big of a car do I need? How many seats? How much trunk? In Snow Belt states, another layer of questions is added for ragtops: Can this car be driven in snow or must it hibernate? What about traction, visibility, top insulation? In reviewing the 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible, we've done the heavy lifting for you. We've driven the Beetle ragtop everywhere from sunny South Beach, to wintry, upstate New York. Left or right brain, we've got you covered.


Convertible discussions usually start at the top—literally. The New Beetle's convertible lid is a 3-layer affair, with heated glass backlight. A manual top is standard; a semi-automatic power version is available as part of option package #1, which also includes a removable wind blocker, a premium sound system, heated seats and windshield washer nozzles. The trip from up to down with the powered roof takes about 13 seconds. When up, the cabin is snug and weather tight, comfortable even in single-digit cold. When lowered, the top folds into a stack that sits behind the rear seats, as in Beetles of yore. A slip-on boot fashions the pile into something approaching a soft-touch whale tail. Wind-averse drivers will appreciate the fact that you can make the cabin largely free of gusts (even at highway speeds) by rolling up the tall side window glass and deploying the pop-up wind blocker. Top up, there's enough headroom to withstand a big hair revival, but rear and side vision is partially impeded by the wide c-pillar, a common, convertible complaint. Top down, the straight back view is limited somewhat by the tall, top stack.

Interior

Inside, driver and front passenger are removed from the windshield by a vast expanse of a flat dash top. Aside from being popular with cats for driveway sunning, the distance between you and your windshield gives the Beetle a big car feel for such a small car. For 2006, the New Beetle's cabin got some freshening, including a new single-bezel instrument cluster with chrome accents, and a redesigned center console with upgraded cup holders. Trunk room is, at five cubic feet of cargo space, sports car small, with an also small opening. However, the space that's available is well shaped, and a center pass-through allows long items to be carried along. The Convertible's back seat qualifies as plus-2 size, rather than full-size. Shoulder room takes a hit because the rear area was narrowed to accommodate the top mechanism. With average-size folks up front, pets, parcels and the occasional small child will fit in back. However, if the people up front are long of leg, there's little legroom left behind them. That said, we personally witnessed a tall mom and her average-height teenage daughter reaching a rear seating accommodation that allowed both to make the trip to dinner and back without crisis.


Volkswagen has simplified the New Beetle Convertible's powertrain possibilities. Gone are the standard 2.0-liter four and the optional 1.8T. The loss of the latter will be more lamented than the loss of the former. The 2.0 was frugal, yet anemic and the 1.8 Turbo is arguably VW's best, all-around engine. In their place is a new, 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder motor, linked to a 5-speed manual or optional 6-speed automatic transmission. The 2.5 5-speed is rated at 150 hp @ 5,000 rpm, and 170 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3,750 rpm. EPA says an automatic-equipped 2.5 is good for 22 mpg city, 30 highway. The 2.5 is a compromise between the former standard and optional engines. It is far snappier than the 2.0 (0-60 time is estimated at 9.4 seconds, compared to the 2.0's 11.8), and just a wee bit better on mileage. However, it isn't as smooth or as quiet as the 1.8T. As with the 2.0, and counter to most small engines, the 6-speed automatic may be a better choice than the manual gearbox. Spreading the power over six cogs results in smoother, less stressed performance.