Faults:

Runs a little sloppy when it is first fired up for the day. But it is a 30 year old car, so what do you expect?

General Comments:

I've only had this car about 3 weeks. Gets a lot of attention and is a "heck" of a lot of fun to drive.

From what I have seen by looking, it seems to be a pretty basic car to work on. I have been looking online for parts for this car and they are relatively easy to find and get ahold of.

GREAT gas mileage; I think about 25-30MPG is what I have figured out.

Great car. I encourage anyone thinking about getting one to do so.

Great first car!

Faults:

I bought this car with the idea that it would be a reliable and economical winter car. It was neither.

This was the 4th VW that I owned, and it was destined to be the last. The worst things about the car was the heater basically didn't work. The heat exchangers would rust out every few years, making replacement a necessity if you wanted heat. The engine was woefully underpowered, making any passing situation a real adrenaline rush. The car had several annoying minor problems. But the topper was the this: while driving down the NYS thru-way, the engine blew. Just going the speed limit and not doing anything crazy, a valve broke which basically destroyed the motor...

General Comments:

Strictly a warm weather car. These things do not fare well in cold weather.

Although replacement parts were cheap at the time, be ready to make regular trips to the parts store.

Mileage was reasonable, but nothing to write home about. There are much more economical cars that have better performance.

Faults:

The gas gage never worked.

Wind-shield wipers didn't work.

Brake drums made a growly sound when I lightly hit the brake.

Engine overheated and cracked, and I had to install a new one.

Had to slow down to zero to re-engage first gear.

Very VERY noisy.

Door jambed.

Very small and delicate components.

Couldn't go up hills at all.

Difficult to start if it had been running in the freeway.

Choke valve would occasionally stick.

General Comments:

Yes, lots of things have gone wrong, and yes I gave it poor ratings in all categories, but it is still one of the best cars I've ever owned!

My dad and I replaced a busted engine by ourselves in two days... and all with tools in our garage.

It is very simplified and practical. When it breaks down, I know exactly where to go to fix it in a few minutes.

I recommend you buy a book called "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive." Very fun to read and makes anyone into a mechanic.

Its best to have a second car, if possible, to drive you around when the beetle breaks down. You don't want any negative vibes to come between you and your bug.

If my car ever breaks down in the desert in the middle of nowhere, I just hope it's a bug.

Don't drive with the oil light on!!