2007 Volkswagen New Beetle Review

The Volkswagen New Beetle Has Changed Little Over 10 Years

_{By:Todd Jensen, Autotropolis Editor}

The 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle is a two-door, four-passenger compact coupe available in two trims, the 2.5L and the 2.5L PZEV (Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle). A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2007 New Beetle underwent a minor redesign for 2007, including retouched head and taillights.

The 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle is available as a convertible, but the popular diesel-powered TDI has been discontinued for the 2007 model year due to government emission standards.

Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle to much fanfare in 1998. The retro-inspired New Beetle drew record crowds to auto shows across North America as thousands of potential buyers lined up to get a glimpse of the car. The success of the New Beetle kicked off a retro design binge that is still going strong to this day, however the New Beetle has met with mixed success outside of North America.

One of the appeals of the unique New Beetle has been its funky color choices. At one point, Reflex Yellow and Vapor Blue were special edition colors only offered to online buyers. The experiment was a mixed success, and today all available color options are sold on dealer lots. Available colors include Gecko Green, Reflex Silver, Salsa Red, Shadow Blue, Sunflower Yellow, Black, Platinum Gray, Laser Blue, and Harvest Moon.

The 2007 New Beetle is covered by a 4-year/50,000 mile basic warranty with a 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, and a 12-year/unlimited mile corrosion perforation warranty.

Safety Features

The 2007 New Beetle with side airbags scored 4-stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) driver and passenger frontal crash testing, 5-stars in front seat side crash testing, and 4-stars in rollover testing. The weak spot in safety testing has been in the rear seat side impact area, where the ’07 New Beetle scored only 3-stars. The IIHS rated the 2007 New Beetle “G” or “Good” in frontal offset crash testing.

Standard safety equipment includes daytime running lights, dual front airbags, dual front side impact airbags, occupant sensors, side impact bars, traction control, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake wear service light, and stability control.

Trim Options

The 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle 2.5L has a starting MSRP of $17,180. The standard engine is the 2.5-liter 20-valve inline 5-cylinder that produces 150-hp and achieves 23-mpg city and 31 highway. Standard equipment includes 16” wheels, delayed power retention system, front power outlets, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, vehicle stability control, brake wear service light, cruise control, overhead console, courtesy lighting, halogen headlights, air conditioning, rear window defroster, tinted glass, and more.

The 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle 2.5L PZEV has a starting MSRP of $17,180. The standard engine is the 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder that produces 150-hp and achieves 23-mpg city and 31 highway. The PZEV New Beetle meets California Air Resources Board (CARB) Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) standards. Other than PZEV compliance, the 2.5L PZEV features identical equipment to the non-PZEV variant, the New Beetle 2.5L.

Two major optional packages are available for the 2007 New Beetle in addition to a handful of individual options. Individual options include a 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic®, 17” Exor alloy wheels, SIRIUS™ Satellite Radio, 6-disc CD audio, rear spoiler, and rubber floor mats. Package #1 provides power glass sunroof, premium sound system, cold weather package, heatable front seats, and heated front windshield washer nozzles. Package #2 includes all items in Package #1, plus leather shift knob, 3-spoke padded leather wrapped steering wheel, halogen fog lights, automatic wiper rain sensor, self-dimming rearview mirror, and HomeLink®.