2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI: Final Thoughts
The base 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI is an attractive compact coupe that drives well but falls short of expectations in terms of its interior trappings. It's well worth investigating higher trim levels of the TDI in order to benefit from a less spartan interior and gain the functionality of a much more modern stereo system.
Alternatively, if you live in a colder climate we recommend checking out either the base 2.5-liter, five-cylinder Beetle or the more robust 2.0-liter Turbo. Not only will you get more features for your money (as you won't be paying extra for the TDI engine), but you will also avoid shelling out extra cash for the promised fuel mileage that simply didn't materialize for us. Either way, make sure you go stick-shift or automatic when specing out your winter Beetle: the DSG tranny just can't cut it once the temperatures start to drop below freezing.