Considering sacrificing my manhood..

[CommonRail]

To drive a 2000 TDI Beetle with 100k I saw on eBay for a reasonable price. I'm going to miss my JSW so desperately when I turn it in, I'm actually considering turning in my man card just to keep driving a TDI without CARB forcing me to seriously nerf or turn in my car.

As Mark Wahlberg's character said in "The Other Guys" about Will Farrell's Prius: "We're basically driving around in a giant vagina."

Withdrawals will make a TDI fan do crazy things. The newer VW Beetle actually topped this list: http://www.mensmagazine.com/top-10-chick-cars-that-guys-should-never-drive/

I'll just have to keep waiting until I have some money lying around to pick up an older Mk4 Golf - but I doubt I'll see less of them in decent condition as time goes on.

**Disclaimer: some of the picks on that link are just plain dumb... and they unfairly target VW!**

 

[wilcharl]

I am man enough to say that if I saw a TDI beetle for the right price, I would grab it up and drive it and enjoy it. Nice comfortable car to drive.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I personally am not a fan of the Beetle because of the deep dash and odd sightlines, but I know a few guys who have owned them and like them. They have big doors, lots of headroom, and are the roomiest A4 car for tall/big guys. In the front seat, of course. And with the hatch they're practical. They're a little tougher to work on than the Jetta/Golf, but if you can get over the obstacle of taking the nose off for major repairs they're not bad.

Of course you could instead assert your manhood and keep your CR.

 

[pdq import repair]

In this part of the world a beetle is more manly than a Subaru, especially if diesel powered . I have a friend that put it best. He said he would really like to drive a Subaru but is not prepared to become a lesbian woman's libber.

Drive that beetle with pride and don't forget the fake flower in the vase. Daisy is my preference.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

Around here Mk IVs all seem to have like 400,000 km and lots of rust now. Not sure as I get older I'm into doing what it takes to keep one roadworthy. We already have a 2005 Passat TDI in the stable, with just shy of 300,000 km, and that's trouble enough

My TDI went away just before dieselgate, for a Mk VII Golf TSI which I very much enjoy. If VW Canada's dieselgate offering is anything like the US, then Mrs. PlaneCrazy's wagon will also likely end up being a Golf TSI wagon. I'm quite happy with the fuel efficiency of my TSI on RUG, and am smitten with its smoothness, quietness and decent low-end torque that is more and at lower RPM, than an ALH TDI. And with nearly twice the horsepower. If driven not too harshly, 42 mpg highway is within easy reach in summer.

 

[PB_NB]

I would say "Grab the Beetle", especially if it is a California car. The body would be in great condition without the harsh winters enjoyed by most others in North America. My 1999.5 looks better than most car that are a decade newer!

Then if you need, you can squeeze a ton of power out of the ALH and make some smoke too. That will clear up any manhood questions

 

[redbarron55]

A real man, confident in his sexuality can drive a pink Prius.
No problem.
The problem is with those who look on and judge.

 

[PB_NB]

Hey PlaneCrazy - Looks like you have a few other nice rides in the stable! If only Campy made cars!! Maybe an Italian VW (pedal powered of course). I wonder what that would look like?

 

[CommonRail]

A real man, confident in his sexuality can drive a pink Prius.
No problem.
The problem is with those who look on and judge.

How 'bout a Mini Cooper painted with Minnie Mouse polka dots and long eyelashes?

At some point, you'd have to wonder if a male driver was just begging to get heckled. ?

 

[CommonRail]

I would say "Grab the Beetle", especially if it is a California car. The body would be in great condition without the harsh winters enjoyed by most others in North America. My 1999.5 looks better than most car that are a decade newer!

Then if you need, you can squeeze a ton of power out of the ALH and make some smoke too. That will clear up any manhood questions

It's a Florida car, unfortunately. I'm guessing it's been consistently exposed to humidity, and if near the beach, salt spray. Looking at the pictures, the car looks to be in good shape.

It's hard for me to like the newer Beetle's body style. The old models were so much beefier. I remember driving an old manual trans mode home when I was 17, because my buddy was too drunk; we had just hit a bottle of goldschlager in the parking lot of our work site. Great fun. I ground the sh*t out of that clutch, but I made it back home.

I'm going to hold out and see if any decent 2-dr Golfs pop up in the future. I may just go with a gasser R-Line; those things are beasts!

 

[Ol'Rattler]

I wouldn't worry about it to much. I think a lot of mouth breeder types figure you lost your man card if you drive ANY Dub.

IDKFS but I think the New Beatle might weight less than a JSW so there could be a performance gain there. Use the bud vase to keep fast food joint straws and pens in.

 

[Powder Hound]

IMO, the only thing you'd need to do to a NB is get the later fenders/bumper covers. The lines at the edge of the wheel wells have that flat surface that looks better than the caricuture-esq lines of the 98-2004 Or is it 2005?).

Or you could just set it up with the right wheels and it will look fine. I put a set of Goals on my wife's 2003 and they look fabulous.

Of course the above is just my opinion. Your own taste is what it is, and there is no need to apologize for it. Just get a pair of original B&L Outdoorsman frames with very dark lenses and put a 'go <bleep> yourself' look on the rest of your face, and your manhood will not be questioned except by someone who desperately needs the crap kicked out of them, which you will not sully yourself to even consider; such adjustments being beneath you.

Cheers,

PH

 

[charley654]

This is a good thread..

It does not matter what you drive people will judge you.
Here in Texas if you don't drive a big ass pick up, you are not manly enough,
In Austin driving Tesla may over-ride that assumption.
In my opinion, it is not the car you drive that makes your manhood questionable...but rather if you a have an ear-ring of any kind.
Go for the beetle.

 

[CommonRail]

This is a good thread..

It does not matter what you drive people will judge you.
Here in Texas if you don't drive a big ass pick up, you are not manly enough,
In Austin driving Tesla may over-ride that assumption.
In my opinion, it is not the car you drive that makes your manhood questionable...but rather if you a have an ear-ring of any kind.
Go for the beetle.

I say all of this stuff tongue-in-cheek

I drove a Yaris for seven years and two Kia Rios before that. Didn't care much what others thought of it, as long as the car got me from A to B.

The hatchback Yaris was the most bulletproof car ever. 280k miles with no major maintenance required. I regularly saw or heard stories of 400k Yarii (?) with no major problems. I reckon the interior would fall apart long before the mechanical parts cave in.