how safe are volkswagen beetles?

Question 1
how safe are volkswagen beetles?...  everyone says VW bugs are not very safe cars... is that true?

if you have seen Bring it on: All or Nothing... I am talking about a car that looks just like Hayden's ... :)

Are those safe?

Thanks sooooo much in advance!!!
I know obviously that if I have a wreck in one, that would be bad but like...uggh idk.... ummm the air bags... are there side ones or like just the ones in the front or what? I know they are soooo much better than the old ones, but HOW MUCH safer?
Does that make sense? :) sorry :)

Answers
1)   And how does one answer that question?

That's like asking how safe your house is.

It's perfectly safe, unless there's an accident. If there's an accident, there's no way to know.

Let's say it rolls down an embankment. Gets hit by an 18-wheeler, Gets crushed by a falling tree. Skids into a river. Etc and so forth.

All 100% possible. And you'll die everytime.

On the other hand, if a bird hits it, you'll be fine.

And there's an infinite number of variables in between. - Vipassana

2)   no they are not safe i saw a lady get in an axidant the other day! - Najla

3)   Yes, they're safe. They have air bags, and crumple zones, and all the modern safety devices.

The older models from the 70's are deathtraps. - Peenut

4)   They are pretty safe unless you have a wreck. - Ken E

5)   The New Beetle is a thoroughly safe and reliable car.
I know because we owned one for 5 years. The car just never let us down!
The New Beetle has 8 airbags. So you are proteceted front, side and in the rear passenger area.
In Germany, where the car was engineered, they have unlimited speeds on the Autobahns. They designed the N.B. to have outstanding crash ratings. In fact, the passenger area is a protective steel shell/compartment .
The New Beetle also has ESP [Electronic Stability Programming] which greatly enhances safety by accident avoidance. Also the N.B. has standard ABS brakes with 4-wheel discs.
There are so many features for safety that I cannot list them all.
We sold our N.B. because we needed a 4 door car with a larger trunk. We got a VW Jetta, also a great car.
But we still miss our New Beetle! - fenton


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Question 2
Used 2008 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition with 38,000 miles. Good idea or a bad idea?...  I'm unsure of reliability issues, as I've heard bad things about Jettas. VW certified.
If good or bad idea, why?

Answers
1)   Good idea - Juan Galvan!

2)   Out of warranty? I believe so. Crapshoot at best on whether or not this is a money pit waiting to happen. Chance it if you wish. - alfredb1979

3)   If it is certified it is a very good idea... go on VW.com, they outline what "certified" is. - djaca70

4)   Reliability is not an issue.
Our 2005 Jetta has 80,000 super-durable miles on it.
My son's 2008 Rabbit [virtually same as Jetta, except its a hatchback] continues to be a champ.
I drive a 2006 VW GTI turbo that has given me 50,000 enjoyable, like a rock solidity.
The only $$ we have spent on these cars is oil/filter changes!
We bought them at our local dealership and they still treat us like kings even after the sale.
No hearsay, just the facts..... - fenton

5)   Depending on when in the 2008 model year they bought it, that sounds like it may be a lot of miles. I'd offer a bit less for it than the average 2008 Jetta Wolfsburg is going for.

In my opinion, with Jettas, the important stuff lasts forever, but the little stuff likes to break. I have a 1999.5 Jetta TDI with 209k miles. I'm the original owner. Here's everything I've ever replaced on it:
* Fluids, filters, belts, battery, brakes, tires, etc. as you would expect
* MAF sensor, twice (on a Jetta, this should be considered scheduled maint, but isn't)
* Clutch, once, at 150k (quite pleased it lasted that long)
* Two vacuum switches
* Plastic clip that holds the end of the shifter cable onto the transmission, twice (2003 and 2007/8). $10 or so.
* glove box door and lock
* cupholder
* vacuum valve attached to turbo
* windshield washer fluid reservoir (cracked once on very cold night)
* a bit of body work, and windshield, and plastic radiator fan, due to wreck
* plastic cover on underside of engine, because I hit a racoon at 70mph, and the Jettas are really low to the ground :(
* Jettas of that era had problems with door latches, trunk latch, and diesels had electrical problems with glow plugs. I've heard that newer Jettas don't have these problems anymore.
* Windshield wiper motor and transmission (i.e. the assembly that turns the round-and-round of the wiper motor into the back-and-forth of the wiper arms)
* 1 rubber hose
* The plastic tube the dipstick rests in
* Cheapo plastic part that sits on top of the block, looks like a hockey puck, don't remember name

That may sound like a lot, but honestly, most of that was pretty minor. Only a handful of those made the car unusable until the repair was performed. Except for the clutch and bodywork, everything was under US$120 each for parts. - Jon


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Question 3
Are Volkswagen Rabbit's good on gas?...  I really like them, but i want a car that doesn't use too much gas!

Answers
1)   Very good on gas! - Philip

2)   Depends how they are driven, but on the whole about average for that size of car. - Fing'

3)   Just like an old bug, yes they are. I have a '71 vw bug. It gets way above 30mpg. They do have small gas tanks, so it might seem like your filling up all the time. My tank only holds 8gallons. Your gas mileage depends on how heavy your foot is when you drive it. Bugs and Rabbits aren't meant to go above 80mph believe it or not. Mine pegs out at 75mph. Good luck they are great little cars. I love my bug. - kase

4)   if your talking about the new rabbit they are very good on gas i have one and i love it. gets about 30 hwy and 24 city - nick l

5)   My son has a 2008 Rabbit. He will brag abt. his 30+ MPG to anyone that will listen.
He and his wife have over 30,000 reliable and fun to drive miles on it. The only $$ they have spent is oil/filter changes!
Oh, BTW, the Rabbit will go to 112 MPH! Dont ask..... - fenton


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Question 4
Air-cooled: Does high outside Temperature affect the temperature of my ghia?...  This is my first air-cooled car. She is a 73 ghia. I want to know if because it is air cooled. Is it actual cooled by air out side. So if the air is hot (90+) does it run hot?

Answers
1)   oh yea it does. anytime you have an air cooled engine it will be at the mercy of the ambient air temp. just how hot it will run depends on many things such as the thermal efficiency/power output and how well the lubricating oil reduces friction/dissipates heat. the oil is the most important thing to look at really, it is literally needed to cool hot spots in the engine such as areas adjacent to the exhaust valve ports/valve stems. your manual would likely call for 30 weight rather than multi viscosity oils (like 10w-30)in warm temps. heed its advice. air cooled engines are made to tolerate quite high temps since higher temp is the only way to get rid of the heat when its warm outside, but if the oil is run out of its effective temperature range friction will increase. then the added heat of friction will raise the temp higher which will make the oil even less effective and so on. if its really hot like 90+ F you will likely want 40 or 50 weight oil but consult a VW place to find out for sure. most air cooled engines call for 50 weight above 90 F. in cold temps a multi viscosity like 10w-30 or even 5w-50 is usually a good choice but id consider synthetics if thats possible as they will stand up to higher temps almost always compared to petroleum oils. if you can opt for syn you can get away with a single type of oil for all seasons much easier. people say syn can create leaks and stuff in old seals but ive never had it happen. if you use regular cheaper oils an additive like "MOA" or "ZDDPlus" might be a good idea for the sake of the valve train.
also i did just think to say that how you drive will affect the running temp too. lugging the engine down and forcing it to run under load at low RPM will often make it run hotter than useing a higher rpm. not just cause of the cooling fan(if equipped) but more because the thermal efficiency is poor at low speeds vs high speeds. - adiabaticfire

2)   yeah - Malcom M

3)   The outside temp will have an effect with the engine temp. I've got a 72 Super Beetle with a 1915 and I installed an oil temp gauge and it definitely runs hotter in the summer than in the winter. - Charlie

4)   It does make a difference. Just make sure your oil level is always good and your cooling tins are in place along with the engine compartment gasket/seal. With everything in place, you'll be fine. - Jay S


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Question 5
Diesel Models Engin zxl? Any good?...  Ive been trying to buy this and am just worried its a big scam?? Please can somebody put my mind at ease?

Answers
1)   Sam scam scam scam scam scam scam scam scam
Buy & Sell Services delivers latest car-matching scam
BY ANDREW PENMAN ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 12:21 AM IN CAR SCAMS
More proof - not that it's needed - of why you should avoid "car-matching" firms.
These scammers cold-call if you advertise your motor for sale and say they've got buyers lined up. Then they ask for a fee, usually £79-£99.
Buy & Sell Services Ltd was typical, with a report just published by the Insolvency Service report detailing how it repeatedly misled customers and broke consumer protection laws.

In its short life it notched up 78 complaints to Consumer Direct, 62 complaints to Barnet Trading Standards in North London, and 135 customers got their money back after complaining to their banks.
This sham was run by 27-year-old Salih Eray of Winchmore Hill, East London, and 50-year-old Kezin Standen of Rochester, East Kent.
They've now been banned from being directors for 10 years. - mikethomas78

2)   Diesel Models Engin scammers!!! google car scams.
scam scam scam scam scam scam scam scam scam scam - hello-kitty

3)   defo scam! - Sparky

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