I'll come out of "lurk mode" for a moment...
I purchased a 2015 Toffee Brown Convertible "buy-back" this past April, and have put over 10k miles on it so far.
Have previously owned several TDIs and a New Beetle Convertible (a 2006 2.5l non-TDI).
The vert was a ton of fun with no major top problems, so a year after turning in my beloved 2010 Golf, I decided to combine both of my faves into one vehicle.
Found a 2015 CPO buy-back in DC with 6M, Sound and Nav, and drove it back to Utah.
So far it has been great! I have a 60+ mile round trip daily commute, with the top down as much as weather allows.
When topless, there is an occasional whiff of treated diesel exhaust fumes while the engine is warming up, but no more than you'd notice if your windows were rolled down in a non-convertible. Once the engine is warm and in full treatment mode it really isn't noticeable at all.
For VCDS mods, the BCM/ECU seem most related to the MK6 Jetta. I was able to enable the DRL "wink" mode using MK6 Jetta info from the Ross-Tech website.
I just did the 30k oil change-- not too bad overall. The underside Oil filter is a little fussy, but it is in about the same place as the 2.5l New Beetle, so I'm used to it. One Question: Do all TDI Beetles (2013+) have an aluminum skid plate? I was somewhat surprised to see this after all of the plastic ones on previously owned VWs.
I'll try to provide updates, if I run into any issues-- so far the only scare was when the top wouldn't open on command... turns out it was closed during a pop-up thunderstorm and the wet seals between the top and windshield dried and sort-of glued themselves together. After a little gentle persuasion all is good again.
This is
my primary vehicle, but it gets garaged when home, and I have a '99 Ford Superduty PSD if things get real bad, but I drove the 06 vert occasionally during Salt Lake winters and it did great in the snow-- the biggest problem was the windows freezing to the top making it difficult to open the doors, oh, and the ground clearance.
I agree with Oilhammer-- VW knows how to make great convertibles (all the way back to the Karmann days). I'll add that the chassis is also really well braced and has a solid feel (the 2015 even more so than the 2006), but there are a lot of little moving parts making that top go up and down-- I almost wish there was a less complicated non-powered version available, but for now I'll cross my fingers and say a little prayer when opening or closing the top, hoping the VW engineering will come through again and provide me with the sun or covering that I desire.
I know this section of the forum is pretty quiet-- most of my TDI related ??s are usually answered in the MK6 Jetta, Passat or MK7 Golf forums, but I'll try to answer if any specific Beetle/Beetle Convertible questions arise.