2012 Volkswagen Beetle Review

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.

13 years ago, a local Volkswagen dealer tossed me the keys to one of the first New Beetles. It wasn't set to go on sale for about a month. To say I got attention would be an understatement. People raced up behind, beside and in front of me to get a look. People stopped me to talk about it. People leaned out of the windows of moving cars to snap pictures with their disposable film cameras and 1 megapixel digitals.

Every last one of them was female. From that moment on, the New Beetle and the pejorative "chick car" were inextricably linked.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle roof, spoiler and taillamp.

In re-doing the car, VW had to somehow make the car more appealing to male drivers. They were also fighting the fact that most people, including some fans, had gotten mighty bored. The New Beetle was....very, very old, with only the most superficial of freshenings in its 13-year run.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle side view.

They did it.


It was like 1998 all over again. Except, this time...the enthusiasm, the parking lot conversations, the thumbs-up in traffic, the photos snapped in moving traffic on 8-megapixel iPhones...all came from guys.

The Beetle (VW has retired the "New" from the name) has gone from feminine, frugal and flower-power (remember the bud vase next to the steering wheel?) to bad, butch and bitchin'.

Now, admittedly, our test Beetle was the Turbo, which helps considerably. But ours was white with black stripes, the polar opposite of what you see above, and we still got raves from the guys. The more aggressive lines...especially the roofline that blends seamlessly into the tail and the longer hood and more blunt nose...had them acting like they'd just found a Porsche 911 they could afford.

That. my friends, is crazy talk. But...the Beetle does look better and drive better than the car it replaces.

Base price for a Beetle is $18,995. It'll come with a 170 horsepower 2.5 liter five-cylinder and a six-speed automatic (manual transmissions come online later in the model year).

The Turbo gets you an additional 30 horsepower and 30 extra pounds per foot of torque, a DSG dual-clutch six-speed automatic...and it gets better highway mileage than the standard Beetle...and the same city mileage (22 city/30 highway). Hard to find a downside to simply stepping up to the Turbo, other than the $4,400 price difference.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle interior.

For the base price of $24,495 (the manual, when available, will go for $23,395) , the Beetle Turbo adds suspension upgrades, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, three-color ambient lighting, larger brakes with red calipers, a second glovebox above the first, sport seating surfaces, 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, foglights, alloy pedals and additional gauges.

So where does it rank in the premium compact spectrum? While in a marketing sense, this is a direct competitor to the Fiat 500, it's actually a completely different kind of car...far more sporting in character.

The Mini, then? Good question. Been years since Mini's sent anything our way other than the hyper-hot rod John Cooper Works convertible last year. Couldn't make a comparison. Yes, BMW, that's a hint. You have our phone number. I will say this, though...Mini drivers were among those giving us thumbs up in traffic.

The great irony in all of this is that the Beetle, the car that broke the cycle of "Longer! Lower! Wider!" in new car design in the U.S. 50 years ago, has saved itself by being all three of those things...and more.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo

Base price: $24,495.

As tested: $24,495.

Likes: Styling, performance, fuel economy.

Dislikes: Lack of a manual transmission until later in the year.

EPA estimates: 22 city/30 highway.

Read More

2012 Fiat 500C Review

The 2012 Fiat 500C.

Regular TireKicker readers know I am hype-averse. The more something gets promoted, plugged, built-up, the more skeptical I am about it.

So, a dumb commercial featuring J. Lo and the Fiat 500C is a great way to turn me all the way off:

And, I'll admit...even before that started airing, I had my doubts about the Fiat 500. It looked like another super-sized re-creation (the original 500 could probably fit in the passenger space of the new one) of a cute car from 50 years ago that almost no one in North America has ever seen, much less driven. And the changes required by government regulation and consumer preferences in the intervening half-century insured that, despite a distinctive appearance, this would very likely be just another contemporary small car.

But, as Brock Yates once said about driving a Yugo for Car and Driver, "It's a car magazine. We drive the sunsabitches." So I did.

It went back to Fiat 24 hours ago after a week and 250 miles with me.

I miss it.

The 2012 Fiat 500C front and side view.

While still waiting for our time in a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, I can tell you this: The Fiat 500 is a terrific little car. The styling is a mood elevator and conversation starter. You'll make a lot of friends just getting out of the car to run into the grocery store. Its 1.4 liter four-cylinder and 6-speed automatic provide a good blend of performance and fuel economy. It cruises at 80 on the freeway without the least bit of drama and with a surprising lack of noise and vibration.  You sit upright and tall in the car, aided by the arching roof. I'm six feet even, and I had headroom to spare. And the seats might be the most comfortable chairs we've been in since TireKicker launched more than three years ago.

It is, as I thought it might be, a contemporary small car...but in the best possible way.

The charm factor was amplified by the fact that our tester was the 500C...the convertible. Or giant canvas sunroof model. Whatever. Just look at the photo at the top of this review and know that it opens to three positions...just back of the front seats, just behind the rear seats, or all the way down. And since it doesn't raise into the air or fold, you can open or close it while driving.

In the first two positions, wind noise and the feeling of a breeze through the cabin are muted. This is a convertible you can drive without mussing your hair. All the way back, and you get the sensation of the breeze circulating through the cockpit, but you still can carry on a conversation without raising your voice.

Interior of the 2012 Fiat 500C.

Our tester was the top-of-the-line Fiat 500C Lounge. Base price of $23,500, bringing with it leather seats, the six-speed automatic, a full batch of airbags and reactive head restraints, along with a driver's side knee airbag. There's also electronic stability control, hill start assist, rear park assist (a good idea, since the rear window is smallish with the top up and with it folded, the resulting stack blocks some of your rearward view), four wheel antilock disc brakes, speed control, power door locks, a security alarm, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring, intermittent wipers, automatic climate control with micron filter, driver seat memory, power windows, a Bose premium AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3 audio system with USB and auxilary jacks, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, tilt steering column, and a vehicle information center.

Options? Our car had two...Customer Preferred Package 22J, the Luxury Leather Package...leather-trimmed heated front bucket seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror for $1,250...and $300 to upgrade the 15-inch aluminum wheels. With destination charge of $500, the bottom line is $25,550.

No, that's not cheap for a small car...but the Fiat 500C isn't meant to be cheap (although you can buy a base hardtop with a manual transmission for $15,500 and a less lavishly-equipped convertible, the Fiat 500C Pop, for $19,500). It's a premium small car. A Mini Cooper convertible can't be had for less than $25,650 base...$100 more than our 500C's as-tested price. Yes, the Fiat has 20 horsepower less than the Mini...but it weighs 100 pounds less.

So does Fiat beat the Mini? Maybe. It's been years since BMW has sent a Mini our way (save the high-performance, high-pricetage Mini John Cooper Works Convertible we reviewed a year and a half ago),  so, as with the 2012 Beetle, we can't make a direct comparison yet. But we will say this much: The Fiat is a very strong contender. Underestimate it at your own risk.


2012 Fiat 500C Lounge

Base price: $23,500.

As tested: $25,550.

Likes: Interior room, 3-position convertible top, great seats.

Dislikes: Vehicle information center confusing. The trip computer in ours either didn't work or we couldn't understand it in a week. Neither of those is a good thing.

EPA estimates: 27 mpg city/32 mpg highway.




Nationwide Vehicle Contracts offer out a wide range of car lease deals including deals on Mazda contract hire.

Read More

German Tuner Thinks Louis Vuitton-esque MINI JCW with up to 252HP Looks Kewl

We're no luxury handbag experts, but the first thought that comes to mind upon seeing CoverEFX's MINI John Cooper Works [JCW] tuning proposal is a....Louis Vuitton bag on wheels. For obvious reasons, the monogram canvas is different than the one found on the products of the famous French design house, but its styling as well as the colors and the leathery texture of the special foil wrap all point to an inspiration that come from Louis Vuitton.

Read more »

Read More

MINI Announces New JCW Sport Packages and Clubman Hampton Edition

The newly developed 2.0-liter turbo diesel we told you about in our previous post isn't the only fresh addition to MINI's lineup for 2011. The new year also brings a John Cooper Works [JCW] Pack option for the hatch and convertible models, a performance kit for the Cooper S and the Clubman Hampton special edition.

The JCW pack option for the Cooper and Cooper S Hardtop and Convertible vehicles is due to be available from the second quarter of 2011 as a factory option. It includes an aero kit with front and rear aprons, plus side skirts, as well as 17-inch weight-optimized aluminum alloy wheels.

The interior is upgraded with a new leather steering wheel with red stitching, gearshift knob with red shift pattern lettering, plus a leather handbrake boot featuring -what else- red stitching.

Read more »

Read More

Mini John Cooper Works Convertible

Cute only goes so far. Fast and cute goes a lot farther (comments posted about girls you knew in college will be deleted upon reciept).

But fast and cute will cost you money, just like that girl in college (I'm invoking one-time editor/founder privilege).

This is the story of the Mini John Cooper Works Convertible. Its base price is $10,000 and change more than a base Mini Cooper Convertible, but that ten grand buys you the difference between 118 horsepower and 208....between a top speed of 123 and a top speed of 146...while giving up only 3 miles per gallon in both city and highway fuel economy (the EPA says 25 city/33 highway).

                       

It also gets you a six-speed manual Getrag transmission, 17 inch alloy wheels with run-flat tires, and red Brembo front brake calipers. All of which covers going and stopping. And it handles like a slot car.

                      

Inside, it's six-way adjustable sport seats with height adjustment, an on-boarad computer, a leather three-spoke steering wheel and the Sport button...which produces quicker throttle and steering response....neither of which was in short supply to begin with.

This is one of those cars that will put a grin on your face that will take days to go away.

No, $34,700 for a Mini convertible isn't cheap....nor is the $38,400 as-tested price (Mini threw in a cold weahter package, premium package with alarm, automatic air conditioning and chrome interior and exterior accents), Xenon headlights, custom paint, a Bluetooth and USB/iPod adapter (frankly, Mini's got....what's the German word for cojones?...charging $500 for that piece...which most automakers are including free of charge)...and white turn signal lights ($100? Really?) .

But find another convertible with this blend of speed, handling and fuel economy...and then find one anywhere near $38,400....much less $34,700.

A truly exciting car today...and, because it's likely to sell in smallish numbers, a collector's performance machine you'll be glad you kept years from now.

Read More