I don't think your new Beetle should be consuming any oil at all. As far as I know, no new car should do this. Is it just that you're not checking the oil level when it's fully cold?

___________
Tony Fabris

Ok, so it uses some oil (which is a shock having had the miata for 10 years and 91k miles with it *never* using a drop of oil between services)

I think I can be of some service there. Which model is it? Is it that GLX one, with the turbo-charged engine? Because if it is then I think that's what does it. My Eclipse has a turbo engine and it uses alot of oil. That's not all that bad, but having that turbo charged engine means more check-ups and oil changes. In fact, we screwed up thinking that the oil change was farther away than it was, and we voided our warranty on the thing. So that sucks.

On a side note about oil, I once had an Oldsmobile Silhouette (you know, the "Cadillac of minivans from Get Shorty). Anyway, I loved that van. It felt and drove like a car, was pretty light, and had some cool features (graphic equalizer that came out on one of those bendable poles that let me control alot of the stereo). Anyway, turns out that when my mom was driving it for a long period, she forgot to put oil in it even after the oil light came on. Well, that shot the engine and it started stalling at akward times, like in the very middle of an intersection. But naturally, that only happened when I drove it

DiGNAN
13653

> One thing that has impressed me with the beetle is how well built it is.

*cough* That's not what you said last time you took it back for repairs :-)

Rob

Seeing as I've been frightened by your driving in the miata, I think I'd just pass out if you were driving the M coupe over those mountain roads... ;)

Hugo

More the design of the build than the actual build. C'mon, it is made in mexico ;)

Hugo
(fyi: passenger window winder needs replacing & ambient temperature guage still thinks it's icy...)

Hmm, no they don't sell the turbo bug in the UK yet. 2.0 VW engines have a reputation for using oil though, at least for the first 20k miles.

But... the miata is a turbo'ed engine and *still* uses no oil (which is good, because Mobil 1 synthetic is expensive...)

Hugo

No, it even got to the stage that the oil light came on & I had to put half a litre in there. According to everyone I've spoken to who has owned a 2l 8v VW engine, this is normal.

Hugo

Hmm - is it really made in Mexico? I think only for the USA it's made there. As far as I know the Europeans get it from Germany, Wolfsburg. (That's why it is so very expensive in Europe I think)

TeeMcBee
Got my Mk2! # 080000143

Hmm - more checkups with a turbo engine? What do you say to that then:

My Peugeot has the HDI-engine. That's a diesel commonrail direct injection turbo loaded with 110 PS. And the service-intervalls are at 20.000 km (12.500 miles). OK - it's said that you have to control the oil between services. But isn't that said at any car?

TeeMcBee
Got my Mk2! # 080000143

Mobil 1 synthetic is expensive...

but it delivers what you pay for . . . .

Henno
mk2 6 nr 6

Seems to be a kind of bug in the Bugs...

Do you know this (I don't know if it works with the current models but it worked on the PoloI,II,III, GolfI,II,III, VW-Bus,...)
If you turn on the headlights, then turn on e.g. the wiper or back-window-heater or vent and then pull the control stick for the far-light(sorry - I don't know the word here) then every second time the wiper/heater/vent starts.

TeeMcBee
Got my Mk2! # 080000143

Errr... Major ommision from this list: Weight.

Drive one, and see for yourself.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

Now, now Henno - your bias is showing

(but FYI, I reckon Mobil 1 is about the best oil I have ever used - why do I only run cars which need older oil viscosities? Damn!)

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

Errr... Major ommision from this list: Weight.

Fine. Eclipse: 3190 Bug: 3008
(By the way, all my comparisons were of the top-of-the-line vehicles. I don't know why, but it's pretty much the same all the way down)

Actually, look on the Mitsubishi web site. Go to the Eclipse section, choose compare, and from there you can compare the Eclipse to just about every single car manufactured in the 2000 model year. I have to admit, this is something that no other car manufacturer I've seen has been willing to put on their web pages.

oh- and from that comparison, you'll notice that there are slight differences between the eclipse and the bug. the Eclipse has slightly smaller interior space, aside from greater front legroom (which is important) and, suprisingly, a greater cargo space. They are similar, that is, until you get to the engine department. You have to see for yourself.

It's all a matter of preference. Honestly, a VW Bug probably has a better residual value than the Eclipse. But hey, I'm driving it now!

DiGNAN
13653

It's funny that you guys are comparing Miatas and Beetles. I went on a very "spirited" ride here in northern California with 8 Boxters, 8 Miatas, and a VW Beetle. Please see attached to see what happened to the Beetle...

- Jon

Holy crap! How did that happen?

DiGNAN
13653

We're not sure. I was two cars behind him. I just heard the crack. He actually was airborne before he his that tree. Good thing he hit it since he would have fallen about 500 feet before he would have hit anything else...

He didn't know what had happened, and he doesn't remember the car skidding (no skidmarks either). I'm thinking target fixation... Happens a lot on motorcycles. Where you kind of freak out and tense up and don't do anything as you head for a tree or something...

Car was totaled, passenger was fine. Airbags did their trick.

This guy had spent a LOT of money on that car. Those wheels were ordered from Germany for about 2k each for instance...

Funny thing is that he was really holding his own in some pretty intense company. We were driving very hard.

BTW, I LOVE MY MIATA!!! I passed 2 Boxters at speed on difficult turns that day. Safely too...

- Jon

Poor little Bug. It looks like it got out cornered on some twisting turning roads to me. My Nova would probably join it since it doesn't hold the corners in a fast turn like my old 87 Honda Accord did.

Laura

I live to launch.

While I'm at it (posting pictures) here's one I took at World Superbike at Laguna Seca... Enjoy GUYS... No offense girls...

- Jon

None taken but I bet she sure doesn't ride that way. And if she did she sure fits in as a dumb blonde.

Laura

I live to launch.

Yikes. What highway were you on, in what mountain range? I have, in the past in my GTI, been known to drive in a spirited fashion on windy mountain roads. I gave up those days when I got a sensible family car...

___________
Tony Fabris

Here is our ride route for that day:

We start at Dr. Wong's office on Woodside Road (Hwy 84) in Redwood City. We go up Woodside Road, through Woodside, and on up the hill to Skyline Blvd.

From there, we head down Hwy 84 (name now changed to La Honda Road). We'll stop at the San Gregorio General Store at Stage Road and Hwy 84 for a short break.

From San Gregorio, we go south on Stage Road to the little town of Pescadero (which is a veritable METROPOLIS compared to San Gregorio). Then we head east on Pescadero Road a short ways to Cloverdale Road, where we turn south (right) again. We follow Cloverdale road down to Gazos Creek Road, where we turn west (right).

We follow Gazos Creek Road to Highway 1 where we can take a break. Gas is available here.

Then take a trip down 1 to Davenport, where we stop for lunch. After lunch, it's south on Highway 1 again to Bonny Doone Road, where we turn east (left). Don't turn right there, or you'll be surprised at the lack of floatation a set of air bags provide. ;-)

Up Bonny Doon Road to Smith Grade, right on Smith Grade to Empire Grade. North (left) on Empire Grade to Jamison Creek Road, down Jamison Creek Road to Highway 236. Right on Highway 236 to Highway 9 in Boulder Creek. Another short break in Boulder Creek (gas, if needed), then up Highway 9 (east) to Skyline, where we assemble at the little rest area there for a final meeting. After our meeting and bull session, the group breaks up and everyone is on their own.

The accident happened on Jamison Creek Road.

If anyone reading is from the Bay area. I HIGHLY recommend following this route in your favorite vehicle of choice... Much fun. ...and I'd be happy to join you in my vehicle of choice. We could compare Empegs! (When I get it!)

- Jon

The Eclipse would kick the Bug's butt from a standing start. ;) On the other hand, it probably wouldn't be advised for the Eclipse to contest the Bug on the curvies unless a good aftermarket suspension has been popped onto the Eclipse.

Calvin

You guys are in the Bay Area? That's awesome. I zoom down Hwy 84 all the time. It is Awwwwwesome :) i love the cliffs.... Hey throw me an e-mail the next time you're planning a tour. :-)

Calvin

True... so what if the Bug has a flower vase, can you beat a sexy hawaiian woman dancing on the dash like my Eclipse? ;-)



Calvin

In a way all sports cars are impractical. My philosophy for anything is if you're going to do it, buy it, go for it, go all the way to the extreme. Make no compromises :-)

Assuming that you have a factory stock suspension, then I'd say go test drive a Turbo bug and see what the heck I'm talking about :-). I've since swapped out my suspension with aftermarket stuff -- Eibach Prokits, Tokico Illuminas and RMDSM fat swaybars and I can say now that it can outhandle much of what's out there. On a purely stock comparison, of course the Eclipse turns pretty darn good, but it has a lot of squat, a lot of flex (more so on the droptop), and lots of weight moving all over. The bug from stock is flat and solid, you feel like the whole damn car moves as a piece. The responsiveness is simply not there on the Eclipse. When you want the Eclipse to move, it'll go but not quite as well. And the Eclipse shifter is just, well, sad. There are things on the Bug that rank rightfully with very good sports cars -- dispite that the Bug is not a sports car. :>

Calvin

I think the Miata is an awesome car. I can carry one in my trunk...

Just kidding, I don't have much of a trunk either.

Calvin

Hey there you go, ragging on the Neon, the Golf and the PT Cruiser? What the heck man! The Golf = Ordinary, Basically A Bug? I won't go into the Neon and PT Cruiser here because I never drove a PT Cruiser and the rental Neon I used many times is garbage ;) but to say that a golf is an ordinary version of a bug (and I'm thinking GTI VR6) is so completely off target it's almost like you're basing your opinions on magazine analyses. Sheesh! The character of these vehicles vary massively despite the shared platform. You can't immediately discern the relationship purely based on use of the cars. That's opposed to an 95 Eagle Talon and a 95 Eclipse for example. Or a 01 Dodge Stratus and an 01 Eclipse.

Calvin