Hyundai Veloster and Volkswagen Beetle reviews

A new, fuel-efficient rival flattens the redesigned Bug

Consumer Reports magazine: July 2012

The Veloster (left) outpaces the updated Beetle.

The appeal of the new Hyundai Veloster and redesigned Volkswagen Beetle is as much about style as substance. The Veloster is a fresh, sporty coupe with a unique asymmetrical three-door design: one on the driver's side, two on the passenger side. The latest incarnation of VW's iconic Bug is longer, wider, and edgier than the previous model and is just as distinctive. But overall the Veloster does a better job of backing up its head-turning design with competitive performance.

The Veloster, which is based on the Hyundai Accent, delivers agile handling, a smooth-shifting manual transmission, and excellent fuel economy of 31 mpg overall and 37 mpg on the highway. The Beetle drives decently, but its fuel economy is an unimpressive 26 mpg, and it suffers from the same cost-cutting that compromised the VW Jetta.

In our Ratings, the Veloster's road-test score of 71 places it midpack in the sporty-car category, and the Beetle's mediocre 60 is too low for us to recommend the car. Both are too new for us to have reliability data, which is why we can't recommend the Veloster, either.

The driving experience

The Beetle’s hubcaps are reminiscent of those on models from the '70s.

For a fun-to-drive car, the Veloster is the clear choice. It showed tenacious cornering grip and posted a high speed in our avoidance course. In routine driving the Beetle's handling is responsive, but it's not crisp or sporty. When the Beetle was pushed to its cornering limits, its tail would slide out before electronic stability control intervened. And it took our drivers a lot of wheel-winding to eke out a decent speed through our avoidance maneuver.

A stiff ride is the Veloster's trade-off for its agile handling. Bumps are pronounced, and every tar strip is transmitted into the cabin, even on the highway. The Beetle provides a more comfortable, compliant ride. Noise levels are tolerable but far from hushed, with notable engine and road noise in the Veloster and wind noise in the Beetle.

Neither car is quick. Our Veloster teams a 138-hp, 1.6-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine with an easy-shifting six-speed manual transmission. Acceleration is adequate, but you‘ll need to downshift a lot to extract top performance. A more potent 201-hp turbocharged four-cylinder is coming soon.

Our Beetle is powered by a 170-hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that's matched to a smooth five-speed manual. Performance is punchy at low to moderate engine speeds but lackluster past that. A smooth and perky 200-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is also available. And the Beetle will get the very efficient TDI turbodiesel this summer.

Inside the cabins

The Veloster's small third door aids rear access.

Both cars have rudimentary but well-assembled interiors. The Veloster's optional imitation leather seats are well trimmed. The Beetle's cabin is cheered by a bold, body-color swath of plastic that sweeps from door to door and is evocative of the original Bug.

You sit low in the Veloster, but it has plenty of room. Its front seats are well shaped and supportive. The rear seats are best suited for kids because head room is stingy.

Beetle drivers will find good head room, but the wide center console intrudes at knee level. Clutch travel is long, so you need to sit closer to the wheel than is desirable so that you can fully floor its pedal. The front seats are comfortable; the two well-shaped rear seats have adequate head room for adults, but knee room is sparse.

Controls in both cars are straightforward. The Beetle's basic audio system is notably easy to use. The Veloster's Bluelink system provides voice-command controls and connectivity for navigation and accident notification.

The cargo areas in both cars are fairly small, especially the Veloster's, but folding the split rear seatbacks provides more cargo room.

	Hyundai Veloster	Volkswagen Beetle
Highs	Handling, fuel economy, extra door, turning circle	Tight turning circle, compliant ride
Lows	Ride, noise, low-end torque, rear visibility, rear seat	Rear visibility, wind noise, long clutch travel, tricky at-the-limit handling
Trim line	—	2.5L
Drivetrain	138-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine; six-speed manual transmission; front-wheel drive	170-hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine; five-speed manual transmission; front-wheel drive
Major options	18-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, leatherette trim, Dimension stereo	None
Tested price	$20,340	$20,835

More test findings

	Hyundai Veloster	Volkswagen Beetle
Braking	Very good overall.	Very good overall, with short stops and linear pedal feel.
Headlights	Low beams provide good intensity and reach but might look like high beams to oncoming drivers. High beams are brighter and reach farther.	Low beams don't reach very far and have a sharp upper cutoff. High beams reach a very good distance but leave the foreground dim.
Access	A third door makes rear access easier than in a traditional coupe.	Front seats fold and slide easily to aid rear access, but it still takes agility to climb in and out.
Visibility	Short side windows, thick roof pillars, and a split rear window create some blind spots.	Taller drivers might need to lean forward to see overhead traffic signals. Rear head restraints impair the view aft through a small rear window.
Cabin storage	Console has a deep compartment and open bins.	No console compartment, but two glove boxes.
Head restraints	Restraints are sufficiently tall, even when lowered.	Restraints are sufficiently tall enough to provide protection, even when lowered.
Child seats	Front- and rear-facing child seats can be secured fairly easily, but the LATCH anchors are difficult to reach.	Front seats might need to be moved up to fit rear-facing child seats behind them. Rear-facing child seats might require extra bolstering to get a good recline angle. LATCH anchors are easy to reach, and there are two top-tether anchors.