My wife really likes the New Beetle and I just read that there would be an engine upgrade<br>in 99 to a 1.8 turbo 150hp/155 engine. How would this compare with the A4??<br>Pros/Cons....... any opinons you may have would be great!<p>Thanks in advance!!

But the New Beetle shares so little in common with the A4, I don't understand the comparison. Maybe you and your wife should decide what it is you both want in a car first.<p>If you're looking for all wheel drive, comfort worthy of long trips, the practicality of 4 doors and a big trunk, and your budget is around 30k, the A4 would be a good choice.<p>If you want stand-out uniqueness in a decent car and your budget is under 20k, then the New Beetle might be for you.<p>If a vase is important, you absolutely have to go with the Beetle.<br>

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Since Audi is owned by the same parent corporation as VW and we already know the shared blood lines of the A4 and Passat, it stands to reason that Beetles might share some of the fine engineering qualities exemplified by the A4 as well. And despite their extremely different body stylings, there are some subtle similarities in the design details of the new TT coupe and the Beetle. I think the point is: Could a VW Beetle owner be benefitting from some of the same engineering that goes into Audi's? And if it is true that the Audi 1.8T engine will be available in in some variant of future Beetles, just as it is in the Passat, could one expect similar performance qualities? The question doesn't seem as far fetched as one might suppose... in fact, the Beetle might be viewed as a modest cousin of the TT coupe!<p>And if your worried about being laughed at by your A4 brothers by purchasing a not so overtly sporty car... you may find some consolation in the numerous design awards the Beetle has won. I certainly enjoy its stand out looks. Remember: Variety is the spice of life.

...and you're really comparing apples to oranges. The Bug is cute, moderately (surprisingly) fun to drive, but is in another class entirely. If it's your wife's car, she should drive both; mine chose the Bug - but she's in it for the "cute" factor.<p>One other thing - we've only had the Bug a couple of weeks, but I have some doubts about it as an only car. Not terribly practical, especially if she's planning on hauling stuff and/or people. That works for us, as we kept the Blazer.<p>BTW, I see that you're interested in the 1.8T, but what the heck: right now you can get a 2.0 Bug for dirt cheap (at least in Boston). We paid less than 1% over invoice and had the car in less than a day.<p>--Greg<p>98.5 A4 2.8QM<br>99 Bug 2.0, purple plastic flower in budvase.<br>

The new beetle may be inspired by a 60+ year old design but its interpretation of that design is brilliant and, IMHO, represents a pretty radical, progressive and refreshing approach to car design. This could be said for the new TT coupe as well.