Sridhar's Car Reviews

The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle marks the beginning of the third generation of the car in its 75 year old history. There is no mistaking it for any other car. The Beetle does not even have any badging that states its name. This 2013 TDI model adds a healthy doze of efficiency to this all time classic. Enough to rival a Toyota Prius on any road trip. And I found it’s much better than the EPA sticker suggests. This third generation bug aims to be more masculine than the previous “New Beetle” in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. The lower roof and the big tail lights succeed in this mission, however the baby blue (or Denim Blue, as Volkswagen calls it) color does not win any votes from the guys. I would rather it was sporting a deep “Rising Blue” available on the Golf R. Although, the exterior design has been tweaked, any person world over will instantly recognize it from a mile away.

2013 Beetle’s profile looks a bit big and heavy, but any other angle is spot on and cute as heck. Interior is typical Volkswagen. That is to say - it’s elegant, simple, and functional. The exterior color and finish continues on the window sills and the dash. This is a nice touch and is well executed, although no very manly. You would not think so after looking at the spec sheet, but this Beetle has adequate room on the inside. The rear seat is only two person wide, but I was able to install child seat and booster back there with no problems. There is acceptable room back there for kids and even adults under six foot. If you are taller than that, you will find leg room and head room very tight. In the front row, there is still a ton of head room and the seats have plenty of adjustment. This model also has a three gauge cluster on top of dash.

There you will find temp gauge, lap timer, and turbo boost indicator. That’s right, a lap timer. Just in case you planned a day at the race track. Beetle feels quick on its feet on a twisty road. The car is well balanced and encourages you to go faster and faster into the corners. It stays nearly flat through corners and the suspension is able to soak up the bumps (it’s not too harsh). Overall, I was very impressed with the handling and the ride for a car in this price range. The steering feel is a little light and the steering wheel itself is not as thick as I would have liked. However, I imagine it’s just right for a female driver. The Beetle TDI coupe is not the best car for a family, since it has just two doors. And I would have preferred the manual. Still, I give it a Buy It! You are getting a very sophisticated DSG transmission, and efficient diesel power plant, in a usable, fun, and stylish package. 25,000. I think it represents a very good value.

The Sprinter is able to dispense with the SCR technology and addition of AdBlue used for trucks. This is particularly advantageous for vans in several respects: unlike fleets operating heavy trucks, hardly any company refuelling facilities vehicles have a supply of AdBlue. The operating profile is also very different, as more frequent refuelling is required owing to the lower operating range of vans compared to trucks and buses. Which includes areas where there is no reliable supply of AdBlue. Moreover, the weight penalty incurred with SCR technology is a particularly important factor for vans in the gross vehicle weight class around 3.5 tonnes. The low level of untreated emissions is the basis for the environmental friendliness of the new diesel engine generation. In addition to optimised combustion, this is in part due to an increased exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate. The EGR system for the new engines is water-cooled in two stages, depending on requirements: initially the exhaust gases are always pre-cooled, and depending on the operating point there is additional cooling by the main cooler.

When the engine is cold, EGR is initially used uncooled. This causes the exhaust temperature to rise more rapidly, activating the oxidising catalytic converter at an earlier stage to reduce pollutant levels even further. As a welcome side-effect the engine warms up more quickly, which reduces wear and fuel consumption. The heating system also warms up the interior sooner. Equally remarkably, and unlike many other engines, the new engine achieves a high EGR rate even under full acceleration. Accordingly the Sprinter is quite rightly regarded as clean under all operating conditions. Thanks to a new EGR valve the system can also be controlled more precisely than in the preceding unit, with a further reduction in flow losses. Naturally all the new engines also feature a particulate filter as standard. The development engineers have also newly designed the ancillary units with a view to fuel economy. The oil pump is an electrically controlled vane-type supply pump, for example - something quite new for diesel engines. This independently and adaptively controls its delivery volume, requires less power to drive and therefore lowers fuel consumption markedly. The oil pump is fully integrated into the crankcase.