It is an incredibly beautiful car. It is fun to drive when it is having problems.

Every part that moves on this car represents a weakness that has yet to manifest itself.

I had a perfectly wonderful mechanically sound '95 Toyota Corolla and I sold it for what I consider to be the bane of my existence. This car has cost me over $1200 in the last year in repairs. "Warranty up" VW of America said "so sorry." I have had to deal with defective window motors, lifts (replaced TWICE), peeling door handles, broken power lock button, broken lever on seat and a/c problems. I hate this car and I am sorry that I bought it. VW could care less that they are losing a customer...I will never buy another VW and if you are smart you won't either.

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Toyota, Ford (never again), Mazda,

~ I have a cool stick shift thing that lights up! ~ So fun in the summertime, especially after beach or pool fun! ~ Great for watching a meteor shower! ~ Doggies love it! ~ Not sure if this is a good description, but to me, it drives like a go-kart! Unlike some more luxurious cars, you can tell when the cabriolet speeds up. Also, when you control the gears it's so much fun. ~ GREAT turning radius! Can whip in and out of tight parking spots in a flash. Try that with an SUV?....I think not.

~ Not the most economical choice, except that the gas mileage is great (but then again, look at the size of the car). ~ Lots of repairs needed. Make sure you aren't extremely gullible or naive, or the mechanics will have a field day. ~ Some owners are not very LOYAL to their car, and like to blow its slight faults WAY out of proportion.

I love this car! It is the first one I have ever owned, and the manual is SO much FUN to drive! Perfect beach car. Of course, considering the price I originally paid and the year it was made, it had to go through quite a few repairs (laymens: my car was cheap). Looking back it may not have been worth investing so much money into it for repairs; but the car made me happy, and that's ALL that matters! TIP: the right mechanic can make ALL the difference! Don't just turn your car over to anyone, or they may not realize how to put the car in reverse, tear up your gear shaft, and make it so that you have to get a new transmission! OR, that same person may try to fix a light in your dash and cause you to have to replace the ENTIRE dashboard! Some people can not be trusted! Right now, after about 4 years of owning it, it's in pretty bad condition. Watch out for the cooling system, (esp the radiator fan). Take good care of the top, that thing rips like no ones business! If this car wasn't a convertible, wasn't cute, and didn't have glittery red paint :o) then I would be singing a different tune. This may discredit this review, but I'm giving up on my current Cabriolet for a newer one. It may be just a few more headaches, but who wants an average car?

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JUST BE HAPPY!

interior design, gas mileage, looks, reliability, bang for the buck, the "fun" factor

delicate vinyl top, cupholders

I love my VW Cabrio! I bought this car with 12,000 miles and it now has 90,000. So far it has been in the shop for a replacement top, brakes, and 2 complete tune-ups (no peeling door handles here!). My car was made in Germany - not Mexico - which may account for the lack of mechanical problems others have described here. If you aren't sure where your VW was manufactured, you can tell by the VIN number. If it starts with the letter "W" it was manufactured in Germany. If it starts with the number "3" it was manufactured in Mexico... FYI, I've noticed with all of my VWs that the spark plugs need to be replaced more often than with other cars. In fact, I would suggest getting a complete tune-up every couple years. No big deal. It'll run you $250 to $300 and is well worth the money. As others have experienced, I did have to replace the vinyl convertible top. The person at the shop who did the work told me NOT to take my Cabrio through the automatic carwash as it destroys the top. Wish I had known that beforehand! But it looks like VW is now reimbursing people who had their tops replaced: http://kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1733134 I've had no problems with the top since it was replaced. No leaks or wind noise (which are very typical of ANY convertible) with either the original top or the replacement. All in all, this is a great car! There's no greater feeling than driving around with the top down on a nice day. The manual top is easy to put up and down. The gas mileage is unbelievably good. The design is wonderful (cup holders excluded - a minor annoyance since larger cups fit quite nicely between the emergency brake and the passenger seat). Mechanically, my Cabrio has been nearly flawless. I have almost 100,000 miles on this car and am confident it will get many more. Other than the original top, which quickly became very brittle and subsequently ripped in several places, my other "problems" with this car were due to wear and tear. You would expect to replace the brakes and spark plugs in any car with this many miles. I highly recommend the VW Cabrio. My advice: Look for one made in Germany and not Mexico!

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1986 VW Jetta GLS 1991 VW Jetta GL

Convertible

See above, I must have been in some sort of drug induced state when I bought this

THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER HAD THE PRIVELAGE TO OWN!!!! Okay, I realize that it isn't The Passat but I didn't expect the problems I had with this. Radio Knob broke off, door locks broke off, replaced headlights 3 times in two years, wouldn't start when it rained ( the day I got rid of this I went to the car wash and it died. I'm assuming that this was an easily fixed problem, but after all alse, WHY BOTHER?), molding kept falling off in door jams, passenger door always full of water, notorius VW cup holders, stereo- JUNK, roof leaked, paint faded beyond belief.........you get the idea.

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Mazda RX7 Toyota Camry Nissan Murano (presently)

Fun to zip around in, good gas mileage, mechanically in good shape.

Non-mechanical things breaking left and right, and the convertible top is ripping to shreds.

Fun, reliable car, but I'm disappointed with THINGS on it breaking and falling apart: door handle (inside and out); door "stop" (to keep door from taking off your leg when left open); and the convertible top is tearing to hell. The cloth seats get stained by water and are impossible to make look good. I've always loved VWs but I'm disappointed with how cheaply this model was made, and I'm ready to move on before I get nickeled and dimed to death on stupid basic things (I purposely bought a car with no automatic things -- no auto windows or convertible top -- for fear of things braking.)

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Volvo 240 wagon Volvo 240 sedan Honda Civic DX VW Beetle

The car is cute and fun to drive. Although it is a small car, it has a lot of space.

Oh, where do I start?! I do love my car, but it is very tough to love. I put more than $1,000 into my car a year. I had to get a separate credit card to pay for the repairs since the warranty on my 2000 car was only good for 2 years. This does not include the superficial issues. The ignition switch went, the side paneling fell off, the interior door handles are peeling, the leather is cracking even though I clean and treat it with the VW leather cleaner, the hangers in the back broke, so did the covers for the top of the seat belt, the knobs for the seat adjusters continue to fall off, I had replace the oxygen sensor and airflow meter, the car is very loud when it is on ( I never heard a fan so loud), it doesn't always start the first time,the passenger side seat warmer doesn't work, I could go on, but I think you get the idea. AVOID BUYING A VOLKSWAGEN AT ALL COSTS!

I absolutely adore my car. It is so cute, drives so smoothly and so much fun when the weather is nice. It fits my personality! However, it is not easy to love this car.

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1995 Chrysler Lebaron

I tell you when I can think of one

Everything - poorly made, electrical problems, leather seats wore on the sides, rear arm brackets released several times. The car was in the shop more than 20 times in 2 1/2 years.

The decision to purchase this car was the worst one I ever made. I sold a great Acura because I HAD to have the Cabrio, to only have problems for the 2 1/2 years I owned it.

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Acura Integra

I adore the appearance of the car. Mine is a GLX luxury-option model complete with power roof, beige leather seats, heated front seats, and power windows. Roof is easy to operate. I like the color and styling of the interior, seats are firm which is to my preference. As I said above, car has ample power and "pick up" for a driver who is not a performance fiend.

I am happy with the car's size (my boyfriend, dog, and I being the only members of the household), but some would find the backseat too cramped for regular passenger use by anyone other than a small child. I am ticked off at the small and unwieldy cupholders which fit a soda can but not a commuter cup. The waffle-textured dashboard will certainly be a pain to clean.

Since I just purchased this Certified Pre-Owned Cabrio, my review will be limited to my week's experience with the car. I bought it because I wanted a sporty ragtop that did not look like all the other cars on the road. The car came with 21,000 miles on it, and I will probably only hold on to it for the two years remaining on the Certified VW warranty because I know that in the future this phased-out vehicle's parts will be ever more difficult to locate should something go wrong. So far, I find the car's performance meets my needs. I am hardly a "performance freak", so while some professional reviews note that the automatic Cabrio can be sluggish in city traffic, I find it has ample acceleration for both city and highway driving. In fact, on the highway I make heavy use of the cruise control that came with my GLX luxury options because this car can really move on the highway and i fear speeding tickets.

handles very well, great gas mileage, small, economical, cute, strong and powerful!

i cant think of one, if not faster!:)

I love my "cabie" it is so cute yet strong at the same time. although it is very feminine it has a lot of power, and handles very well. Whoever has bad reviews for it, well you dont know the car!

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different VW

good gas mileage top comes down easily has lots of spunk

I love my car!! This is the 5th car that I have purchased, and it is by far my favorite!! It gets good gas mileage, and the top comes down easily - I highly recomend this car