German Efficiency

I bought this car new when I was 16, have driven across the United States three time in it, been involved in a major accident, and I am still in love with this car. When you sit down, the first thing you notice about it is the leather armchair quality of the seats. Not rock hard, but not fall-asleep plush, either. It is the first car I have driven more than 20 hours straight and not had to go see a chiropractor afterward. I stepped out of the car at the end of that day and felt like I had just slipped across town for lunch.

Everyone expects the Beetle to be the perfect around-town car, but the open highway is where this little bugger shines. Because of it's limited acceleration and surprisingly bad gas mileage (20 city/29 hwy is my best), it is kind of slow around town. Nimble, yes, but slow. The slippy-trippy automatic transmission doesn't help this situation any.

But just wait until you get it to the highway. The cruise control is holding 80 and the inside is absolutely silent. Not a squeak, not a rattle, nothing. Build quality is astounding. The ride is magic-carpet smooth with superglue handling. And this, coupled with the seat comfort, make this the ideal little car for Gran Turismo. I could hop in my bug and drive from New York to LA without a second thought.

A few quirks though, reverse slips for about three seconds before finally engaging, and A/C is so powerful and cold, that it noticeably reduces engine performance. But for cruising and traveling, there is no better car. And it's safe too. With five-star front, and four star side collision protection, you'll live to cruise another day. I had a head-on collision with a street curb at about 40mph (oops) and all I got was angry (and a lot of astronomical repair bills).

The car is as reliable as a brick. in my three years of ownership, the only thing to break on it's own free will was, get this, the HORN! It still has the original engine parts, transmission and suspension. Not a problem among them.

Finally there's that unmistakable style. It's the only car on the road that you can look at...and it smiles at you. It is a truly fun little car. People wave and smile and take pictures on the interstate. If you are shy, I suggest that you find another car.

Just for Guys: Relax, guys. No matter what the magazines say, this is not just a 'chick car.' Girls find it fascinating and cute, granted. It draws them like a magnet to iron. But that's never a bad thing, now is it?