SecondHandSense: 'IF YOU sold your soul in the Sixties, here's your chance to buy it back', was one of the more memorable advertising slogans used when the Volkswagen Beetle was re-introduced back in 1999. Sadly, the car proved to be somewhat less memorable.
Unlike the new Mini (which was built from scratch while maintaining a classic essence), VW's attempt to cash in on nostalgia was little more than a cloning exercise involving the hugely successful Golf.
Apart from the instruments, almost everything else had been filched from the Golf and other cars in the VW stable. If you closed your eyes you could imagine yourself driving a five-door hatchback. The shape is clever but that design has a high cost when it comes to rear space. The back is cramped and the boot is limited, making it difficult to load into what space there is.
The interior is otherwise well finished and practical. The front seats are strong and comfortable and the general ambience agreeable. The driving is fine but the car has little of the sense of engagement you find with the Mini. Again, think Golf and you have the measure of the Beetle. It comes with a choice of engines - there is a 1.4-litre petrol, a 1.6-litre petrol, a 1.8-litre petrol and a 1.9-litre TDi diesel. The 1.4-litre and the 1.6-litre petrol versions probably make the most sense, because the car is essentially a city car rather than one for long hauls.
The Beetle has a four-star rating (out of a possible five) in the EuroNCAP crash test programme and the car is fitted with ABS, traction control and front and side airbags. The Beetle has the Golf's reliability and build quality but some 50,000 VW cars, were recalled in 2005 for problems with fuel pumps.
A 2005 convertible with the 1.6-litre petrol engine and 74,000km up is on offer with an asking price of €16,950. A 1.4-litre hardtop version from the same year and with 70,000 kilometres on the clock is on offer for €14,495, while a 2006 model with 46,000km has an asking price of €15,995.
All of these prices reflect the traditional premium price of new Volkswagens, and not necessarily the reality of today's market.
STAR RATING: 4/10