This review
first appeared in the July 2018 edition of the Northern & Central
California Cruisin’ News published
out of Folsom, California – mg
Sacramento, California – A handful of motor vehicle models
span generations, enabling young folks and seniors to debate the charms of
their particular rides.
Arguably, the prototype vehicle for such
discussions is the Volkswagen Beetle, which came to the United States in
1949. Since then, numerous Beetle
variations have hit the roadways.
For 2018, a new Coast model is part of the
long gray line of Beetles, and this Coast is decidedly California-forward.
VW hypes the new model as "ready for
seaside adventures," all but screaming at Golden State motorists:
"Buy me."
The tested 2018 Volkswagen Beetle
Convertible 2.0T Coast did indeed stack up as the ultimate beach vehicle,
complete with a "Deep Sea Teal Metallic" paint and a
"surfboard-look dashpad."
Oh, to be a young surfer dude on California's
coast with this ride. But be advised
that today's Beetle is just a touch more pricey than Beetles past: $27,690 on
bottom line of the tested model.
I ran this sticker number by long-ago Beetle
owners who paid less than $1,000 for their Beetles, and they just shook their
heads.
Well, the price of progress is not cheap.
Happily, the tested Coast was loaded with
contemporary goodies to justify the price.
That included halogen headlights, heated/power/folding exterior mirrors
with built-in turn signals, rain-sensing windshield wipers, blind spot monitors
and a long list of state-of-the-art safety/entertainment features.
The Coast retains the classic Beetle look,
adding a spoiler on the rear and riding on 17-inch alloy wheels. The power soft-top is a snap to operate, as a
single push drops the roof out of harm's way; ditto bringing it back up into the
closed position.
The best part of my week in the Coast was
its peppy performance. The 2-liter,
turbo-4 engine is advertised at 174 horsepower, but that moved the relatively
lightweight Coast off the line with authority.
Accelerations from a standing start
were robust, and the Coast was a quick-footed rabbit in traffic. It dug into hill climbs with little asking
from my right foot. It stuck well in
speedy slalom runs.
For all that oomph, fuel mileage is an
impressive 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.
I had numerous folks say to me that they
wished this Beetle was available to them when they were carefree youngsters,
and yes, I'm sure VW had this in mind when it styled the vehicle.
Want to recapture some of your California
past? You might want to get this Coast
and take a trip along the coast.
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