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I bought a used 2002 Volkswagen Beetle GL in 2006, and give it a cautious thumbs up, as I have had some problems with it, but my overall experience has been more positive than negative. Some of the problems may have been self imposed, however, as I am not the easiest on a car.
I chose the Beetle, because I had to buy a car quickly on a limited budget. When I compared the cars in my price range, it was clear the Beetle had the most individual style of that group. Good gas mileage was also a big factor in my choice.
I really believe in the safety of this car. Not long after I bought it, I had a serious collision with a car in front of me. I came out unscathed and was grateful to my little car. The front end was smashed in, but the engine and other important parts were spared. It was fixed perfectly, but it did take a long time to get the parts.
For the next 3 years, I mostly had no issues, except the air conditioning going out and a window not rolling up. In 2010, however, I started having a recurrent problem with the car not starting, and it was in and out of the shop for weeks. They finally found out that the problem was "some burned wires causing the car not to start." At that point, I had 90,000+ miles on my car, so it could have just been inherent problems of an aging car.
Other than those issues, my car has worked fine. It drives well and looks cute. Anytime I have been stopped by a policeman, they are almost apologetic, like they think it is funny that a Beetle "Bug" could be going fast enough to get a ticket. (It actually drives well at higher speeds.)
There is plenty of room in the front seats; back seats are a little tighter. The car does seem to be a little noisy on the inside, and it can be diffult to hear a cell phone conversation and sometimes you have to crank up the stereo.
Despite any problems, at the end of the day, I am glad I have the Beetle. It is just cute and fun to drive. Also practical as you can fit into tight spaces and save on your gas bill.
If you buy a Beetle, I would suggest getting an extended warranty. I know I felt more secure knowing I had one when these various problems arose.