2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI review

This 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI is possibly the most fun I've had in a Beetle ever. And I never liked these things, either. 

Our Beetle stickered in at $26,990, with most of the goodies included in the base price

It's all about torque. This diesel has a lot of it and it's a small car. You need to get into that turbo range, and I think that's why I stalled it. But once you get going, it's quick. Not, GTI quick, but quick in the mid-rev ranges, when you get up high in the tach, it loses steam. But that's diesel.

The wheel was a bit skinny for my hands. I felt like I should be driving it with two fingers. On the plus side, it is a VW, so it handles better than many of the cars out there. The shifter action was sufficient, nice and solid, with no flex and no notchiness. 

I might be the only guy who loves the Candy red interior. It gave this Beetle a little flavor. I also enjoyed the carbon-fiber print on the black seats. 

If you're a Beetle fan, this is the one to have.

ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: I remember having a fair amount of fun in a Beetle with the gas 2.0-liter turbocharged four and dual-clutch gearbox last year. I was caught a little off guard by it actually. And to be honest with you, I don't think this latest generation Beetle looks too bad. It's not as bubbly and playful as the previous car with a more defined roofline and is without the cutesy interior flower holder. It looks like a car that's trying to attract more dudes to the fold, which is precisely what Volkswagen is trying to do with it.

This generation Beetle is definitely trying to attract more guys to the mix

This was my first go around with a diesel in this incarnation of the Beetle and I was impressed with how entertaining it was. However, I don't know if I would take the diesel over the gas turbo engine, though. I'm a big fan of diesels for their torque and efficiency, but it's short on revs and isn't the type of performance I usually associate with sport compacts. The gas turbo engine fits the sport compact bill better.

However, for daily performance and normal drives in stop-and-go traffic, the diesel would be my pick. The thrust gets the Beetle of the line swiftly and rowing through the six-speed manual gearbox is fun. It's an easy shifter to operate with longish throws. 

I'll second Jake's comment about the thin-rimmed steering wheel, which definitely feels a little throwback. Steering is light and dead-on center, but tightens up with more steering angle. The suspension is a little odd with initial roll before it just plants and holds through a corner.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel lays down 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque

The only other thing I would add is more side support on the front buckets seats. 

So for a fairly fun daily driver, the Beetle TDI makes a lot of sense. If you want a sportier Beetle, the gas turbo model is the one you want.

2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI with Sunroof, Sound and Navigation

Base Price: $26,990

As-Tested Price: $26,990

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel I4; FWD, six-speed manual

Output: 140 hp @ 4,000 rpm, 236 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,073 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 28/41/32 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 30.8 mpg

Options: None 

Our observed fuel economy for the Beetle was 30.8 mpg