2015 VW Beetle R-Line - Review & Test Drive
The 2015 VW Beetle R-Line brings performance the the Beetle lineup. The R-Line features a 2.0L TSI DOHC 16-Valve turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with direct injection producing 210 HP and 207 lb-ft of torque. It has Servotronic speed-variable electro-mechanical power steering, independent suspension in both the front & rear, anti-slip regulation, electronic brake force distribution, XDS cross differential system, and 18" alloy wheels.
Additional Features Include:
- R-Line exclusive bumpers, exterior elements and badging
- Rear spoiler
- 8 speaker sound system
- Media device interface
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Manually adjustable front seats
- Split folding rear seats
- Heated front sport seats
- Leather wrapped steering wheel
- Cruise control
- Performance gauges
- Multifuction display with trip computer
MSRP as Tested: $26,015
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It must be a damn good car if your biggest complaint is the mirror lol
uh no, it's just a really obvious fault that girls dont care for since they dont use mirrors anyways.
Max Salvail I think you're missing the point of my comment. It was a joke.
Dylan Tindall lol, i was joking too. But seriously German engineering is actually very bad as proven with this beetle, I hope you'll agree...
+Max Salvail Disagree...
Chasden Cole German engineering with mexican manufacturing, the worst of both
These reviews you're doing are amazing, showing what people need to know
Thanks!
Engineering Explained Do one on a Tesla Motors vehicle!
I actually own one of these but with the DSG auto, panorama glass roof and Fender audio. They are mechanically identical to the last gen GTI (2010-2014). The gearing seems longer because of the larger wheel/tire combos on the Beetle (235/45/18 for the Beetle, 225/40/18 for the GTI/GLI). I do agree that the armrest/cupholder thing is annoying, but there are also cup holders in each door as well, so it no longer bothers me. I've yet to experience significant torque steer with mine, maybe because it's DSG? I do struggle to get more than 28mpg no matter how or where I drive. All in all, I do not regret choosing the Beetle R-Line over the GTI, especially since I saved over $5,000 with the Beetle compared to an identically equipped GTI.
Do you still have the car?
I just got an R-Line myself. My dealer made it impossible to refuse. I traded in my 2012 Beetle 5-cylinder, which was a great car. They gave me a good amount on my trade-in, so the choice was very painless, not much more a month, since I was able to negotiate a good price. I have to say, I LOVE this car. The turbocharger makes a huge difference, as well as the different suspension. The mirror is really not that big of a problem. I find it to be just fine. Actually, it's such a big difference form my old one and so much nicer, I'm almost embarrassed I got it for what I did. I plan to keep this one for quite a while tough. It's pretty awesome.
+Lee Kohler Happy to hear you're enjoying yours!
+Engineering Explained I forgot to mention that i have the automatic DSG transmission. I think next time they have you test one of these, you should ask them for that transmission. You might like that better than the manual. Other people have told me they like it better.
+Lee Kohler can I ask how much you got for your trade in? 20k+ seems a bit much for such a small package.
Some say learning how cars work is as easy as wearing this T-shirt. All I know is, it's only available for four more days! teespring.com/engineeringexplained
Please could you do a vide on the BMW V8 S65 engine? It won International Engine of the Year award 5 times consecutively - I'd like to know your insight on this? www.ukipme.com/engineoftheyear/archive.php
Engineering Explained
The rear view mirror shape and size is retro from the original Beetle. The center armrest will hit the E-brake handle, if you leave it down, but this pivoting allows you to position/re-set/angle the center armrest so the palm of your hand is aligned with the ball of the shifter while you are resting your forearm on the center armrest. One of the reasons I waited to buy a 2013 Turbo was to get this adjustable armrest just like my trade-in 2003 Beetle GLS had.
Hey I've been watching you channel for about a year or so now and I'd just like to say how much I like this style of car review, maybe its an engineer thing but you review all the things that I would think about in a car, not just looks or blurting out lists of features, but really going in depth with how things work and how they feel. Keep it up :)
Well.... the engine is in the wrong end of the car
One of the best car reviews I've ever seen. Great work.
Dave Rino Thanks Dave!
It seems like Volkswagen realised how how feminine their old "new" beetle was and have designed the new beetle to be a more unisex car. To be honest, I wouldn't mind owning one. I would rather buy a Golf, but these new beetles have a lot of potential.
I thought about buying one that year, and enjoyed the test-drive, but where I live VW dealerships mark up all of their vehicles well above msrp, so >$31,000 for a beetle was a bit absurd when I could get a v6 mustang for as little as $23,999, a Genesis coupe for $28,000, or a 370z for around the same as the beetle.
Best review I've seen, most people just hop in the car roll around in it and say it's good. Your review was very informative, keep up the good work sir!
Very fine, comprehensive review. I especially enjoyed how you mapped out the air flow. Keep up the good work.
Super road test! very detailed, covering all key aspects. look forward to more car test drives. keep up the good work!
I think it looks better than the new bloated MINI.
+blueonblack83 That's silly.
I agree. The Mini looks worse with newer models and the Beetle is looking better. I’m a Mini guy I loved my 2003 Cooper S. My wife is a Beetle girl. And I sold my mini and bought this 2013 Beetle turbo because I wanted something newer with nicer/comfortable interior and something unique.
Never would have thought of that traffic scenario, you brought up a very good point. Love your reviews
i liked the camera that you put behind your head this time, i liked being able to see you, the wheel, and out the windshield all at the same time, you should continue to mount a camera there!
baseballrockssb Can do, thanks for the feedback!
I really like this more technical style of review. Thanks for uploading.
Very nice review, I like all the various items you touched upon. Very informative!
I am really happy that you started to review cars :-). Thanks a lot for your excelent work. Keep it up! :-).
Ur reviews are awesome, keep'em coming
Thank you for mentioning the wheel bolts. I have had the displeasure of changing my sister-in-law's winter wheels for the last few years on her Golf and those bolts are the worst. I change 4-5 car's tires per year and this VW is the only one that does it this way.
Quality review man. Keep it up
I think it's an awesome review!!! keep up the good work :)
I'm really liking these reviews man. Even though they are cars that don't really apply to me it's still very entertaining to watch these. Keep up the great vids. Also can't wait for another project Integra episode.
Every other Wednesday, for the next 8 weeks, will have a PI video. :)
That sounds awesome, can't wait.
Good review. I have a 2016 diesel and find it very comfortable. Coming from a Mk5 Golf with no arm rest, I find this arm rest a real joy on my long daily commute, despite it covering the handbrake (but I only use the handbrake when parking so no real problem). I did find the steering wheel a bit uncomfortable as the Mk5 Golf GT Sport diesel that I used to have had notches on the steering wheel. This does not, plus there is a definite edge to the steering wheel bevel which makes it uncomfortable. The rear view mirror is pretty small but it is surf board shaped, like the original Bug. I have a 1972 Bug and feel this car has paid homage to it well, plus it has updated the style and comfort well. The stock rear speakers are very muddy sounding plus my spot gauge has some vibration / rattle issues which I am getting sorted. The rear boot has a very heavy door. But all in all a good car and very enjoyable and comfortable.
Have a 2015 Beetle R-Line Coupe - Black w Red/Black leather seats, loaded with 6spd manual (did not want the auto DSG) Some easy upgrades turned this 'Stock' FWD Beetle almost into a Golf R AWD in overall performance and a bump up from the GTI IMHO. Upgrades were Tires, Off with the OEM Contipros and replaced with Cont. Extreme Contact DWS06 UHP 245/40/19 - Huge difference overall ! Next was the APR Stage 1 E port tune with air intake = 275 HP / 305 TQ over stock No modifications needed (Clutch,gearing,etc.) These simple upgrades really enhance the driving experience and make this 'Sleeper'' fun to drive. It's definitely not a 'Girly' car in this set up.
I have an 03 Jetta and I never realized how similar modern VWs are with things like the center console, cruise control, and even the mechanicals have a noticeable family resemblance.
My wife and I got the 2016 beetle R line Convertible with the SEL package in December. That car is pretty Bad ass. It has a lot more options then this one. Navigation, Backup Camera, Blind Spot Warning, Leather, Etc.
Top review as always mate! I'd love it if you could do a review on the 2015 VW GTI sometime, it's such a great and popular car. =D
Great review. i want this or the new Golf...
Very good review covering all aspects of this car!! Just missing a small 0 to 60 test...:)
great review
Great video! Review the Golf TDI next. you can teach us about diesels!
Cooler than cool. Thank you! I love my Beetle!
excellent video. thank you.
Good review man, you're my favourite reviewer and you're really funny. 5:48 "You're going to the lap with your Beetle" 7:49 "There isn't really headroom or legroom if you have legs or a head" Hahaha what a legend!
I like the way you reviewed this vehicle ! Nicely done! Will you be doing more enthusiast machines?
Impreza5drTurbo Hopefully with time! Just getting started so just trying to build a name for now. Not many manufacturers have agreed to send vehicles yet, but with time it will grow!
It sounds beautiful.
Nice car very nice looking and mileage excellent.
"sitting in the rear, there isn't really head room or leg room if you have legs or a head..."
I have a 2001 1.8turbo VW and the gearbox is the same with long gears,but I really like it,I don;t want to change 1st gear after 15 meters. Every thing you said about this car being interesting VW use it for at least 15 years. I live in Europe and I;m a VW guy :)
IM IN SOO LOVE WITH THE CAR
That statement about the gears interested me. I've always wondered what's the most effective way to use your gears when driving a manual. I have a vw golf 1.6 fsi petrol. I tend to get out of gears 1 and 2 as soon as I can. By 30mph I'm already in third gear. Could I be getting more out of the first two???
That car is so nice
Very nice. Thanks.
I'd like to see car ratings at the end like for example a 7/10 or so on but other than that love it!
You do the BEST reviews! You cover everything that needs to be covered, and you do it well, and seemingly without bias. I really kind of lost faith/interest in the VW Beetle when they moved the engine up front, rather than in the rear over the rear wheels. It used to be a tough little car that would go through almost anything. I once went across a freshly plowed wet field. It slowed a bit, and sank down to the level of it's belly, but it never quit going! When things got too rough outside, such has heavy snow, that's when it was Beetle time! It did have it's problems with iced over roads, but what vehicle doesn't?! And besides, they turned it into a "Chick" car, so that leaves me out! lol
Here in Europe it's a girls car ;-) and you are fortunate that you tested the 2L turbo. Here most of the time it would be small diesel. I really love your reviews. Neutral and not too technical. I sensed that you weren't that excited about the tech on the VAG, just like me ;-)
Love the subtle joke @7:47 haha i hate it when my head and legs exist :P
My 15 gti is a blast to drive,geared very similarly 73mph in 2nd,weighs slightly less I think but what’s up with the torque deficit? Seems like the same engine 2.0 tsi,same hp but no torque? 258ft pds in the gti
The armrest covering the parking brake and cupholders is not a new issue, I have the older version of the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta, and I find myself not using it because I always have a cup with me and I need somewhere to put it. In result, the armrest had to go. So I wasn't surprised to find that this car had the same issue.
New King of Car Reviews! Watch out, Saabkyle04!!
Hahaha, he has nothing to be fearful of. :)
Engineering Explained Yeah, you're right. It's not like you're not gonna "steal" his subscribers, right? Hahaha... You're just gonna share them.......all of them (and potentially more) :-D
the rear view mirror is small to keep with the vw bug style. the old bugs had small mirrors so they kept the vintage
The wheel bolts are an audi/VW thing, my 2000 A4 has them and they even include in the tool kit a plastic rod with a threaded end to put in the top threaded hole in the hub to align the wheel while you do up the other 4, then you remove it and install the last bolt!
My 335i has bolts too. Must be a German thing.
I'm thinking of getting a 2015-2016 with this engine. I would remove the rear head rests and fit a big rear mirror, maybe even a new headunit with backup cam. Would like more performance though, a remap might do it.
How do you get the cars to review? Because I'd love to be able to do this sort of thing someday.
That was a very fair assessment of the car ( I have one my self ) There is a connector in the lower glove box, which has a usb and Apple connector.. :)
john wheatley Ahh yes, you're correct. Actually it had the old Apple connector though, not for the newer iPods/iPhones, which I thought was odd being a 2015. I'd imagine the dealer can switch it out though.
Or its possible to buy from Apple a converter plug... Good video btw.... Thanks
Loving the car reviews! Ever thought of giving a rating system, out of 10 or whatever at the end of each video? Just a thought
I don't think I've driven enough cars to give a fair rating, so for now I plan to just point out the good and the bad, and let the viewer decide how big of an impact those factors have.
"Sitting in the backseat there isn't really legroom or headroom if you have legs or a head" rofl :) Great video! It's a very interesting car, with those unusual design touches. It's interesting to see what VW when they try to be creative (for once). Bolting up the wheels seems a bit strange.
How do you turn off the traction control
All the engineering u explained is gr8, but i don't know if its well engineered or not. Plz tell us what u think.
I'd be interested to hear what you think about the Toyota Celica (my car)
From what I understand, the R line gets the gen 3 ea888 engine, which goes in the mk7, not the mk6 GTI Right?
Cast iron block? I wonder how strong the internals are, might make a decent little tuner, like a MSP3 or something.
I think it uses the same 2.0T in the GTI, which makes sense it's the same chassis as the Golf, Scirocco, A3, TT, most of VW groups small cars now
Bryan Doherty Yep, though the GTI apparently has more torque (based on VW's site).
Engineering Explained I think I'd get the GTI instead, it's more practical. By the way I like how you film like that, it gives a really good idea of what it would be like to drive
....Kind of LIKE your under car vue and remarks....;-),,,
wow...just amazing v
in your opinion would a vw beetle be a good first car?
amazing
Do you know why they would use bolts instead of lug nuts? My '04 Passat has them and they are awkward for replacing the wheel like you said. I'd love to see you do a Passat or Jetta TDI.
I have a 1998 Mercedes C230 that has the same lug nut system, it's a pain in the butt to put the wheels back on after working on my car..... but my little Benz has 199,000 miles and everything still works perfect!!
i tried looking for an answer, and no matter how many forums i visited, none provided one. it could have to do with multi-platform compatibility; making a bolt longer for a bigger wheel is more cost effective than having two different parts for two vehicles
Dusan Pesic Sounds plausible. Would it be any easier to disassemble the wheel assembly (take the rotor off, etc.)?
it's literally holes instead of studs, so everything else is pretty much the same. putting on a wheel aligned with the holes is a pain in the ass however so as far as that goes it's a step backwards, lol
I love Beetles. I have a Turbo and it out-does most cars locally. However, be fair, these cars appeal to women also, and after watching my Mrs, they never use car mirrors for driving.
PS great technical review
most of the v-dubs have that stud setup instead of the traditional style. Some of the 14-15 jeeps and dodge darts as well feature this since mopar got bought by fiat.
Really beautiful car. Porsche cousin
Man try GTI or R! u will be impressed how fun cars can be :D
Would love to try out the new Golf R!
Is this in North Carolina close to Caesars Head Park?
if you have heads or legs vey clever Jason 😂
using bolts is common in germany (or europe) also wih the rearmirror. i just look in it to see, if there is a car behind me, which means i dont really need to see the edges of my rearwindow?!
Will all these cars you drive for reviewing, do you get to drive your sti much?
djfelon4life I work at home. I can drive the STI whenever I please. :)
Can you make a rsx type s review please
What happened to the rear engine Beetle?
"Jason doesn't actually wear shirts, but prefers to paint his skin." Hahaha
Are you from Portland??
also, i thought that having a turbo ment that the engine had to rev higher to get torque (less effective in low RPM, or turbo lag?) but it seems you say the opposite in this video, i'm probably wrong but still curious ! tyvm
It is pretty much depends on the size of the turbo.
The turbochargers that are used these days are variable turbochargers. They spool up very fast and give good low and mid range torque. I think he made a video about them.
Leo K This isn't a variable turbo. Most factory turbocharged cars have a very low boost threshold (small turbo) and they flatten the torque curve to give a very linear response while giving up some peak torque and power. This is where a lot of the power is available in turbocharged cars being tuned. If you want an example, look at dyno graphs for a GTI stage 1 vs stock or BMW 335i stock vs. JB4 tune.
In my opinion you dont need to see everything from all angles with the rear view mirror. I have a 14 turbo and overall its a nice little car. It rides good. Handles well. I love the throaty noise of the engine. My big complaint is no usb. How can a 2014 car not have usb?
Great review. You're like a friend I'd take along for a test drive to get opinions from. You inform viewers on what they need to know without getting nit picky over detail Keep up the good work.
it sounds like the best car ever because your only major complaint was the mirror.
Is this the same engine that has the oil consuming problem as in the Audi? uses 1 quart for every 900 miles I think.
Does it have the hill holder clutch?
I couldn't help but laugh when you said take your Beetle to the track.
I take my beetle to the track all the time and it's not the r line
I'd love to see a mk7 GTI review
jscricca Me too!
that armrest and mirror, really ? how could that every get through and go to production ! so weird ! Nice videos ! I didnt know anything about mechanical engineering before i camed across your videos, im lrearning a lot, tyvm
this one betetr or the V6 3.6l RSI?
You should drive a GTI buddy.
+Engineering Explained So would you recommend this car ?
If you like it I'd recommend checking out the GTI as well. It's cheaper, lighter, has more torque, and gets better MPG.
Just wondering ive got a 2.0 TDI Golf mk5 and i could never seperate from it :p
please do the 2015 wrx
I heard it was bad to rest your hand on the shifter cause you could mess up the syncros?
If it's in gear the synchros are rotating at the same speed as the shaft of the gear they're connecting. No harm.
Engineering Explained "The reason you should not do this is because the weight of your hand, and arm, is multiplied due to leverage. This can move the shifter rail slightly off the detent ball which holds the shift and fork in its proper position. The shifter fork fingers are then being rubbed against the rotating synchronizer sleeve (think of placing your thumb and forefinger inside the grooves of a small pulley). Over time the shift fork fingers and the sleeve will wear down. Once the gap is excessive the force applied to the gearset in question (1/2, 3/4, etc) will try to slide the synchronizer inserts inside the sleeve. There is a point of no-return here and the synchronizer hub/sleeve assembly will then try to place itself in the neutral position; a.k.a jumping out of gear." - Click and Clack forums post
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
All german cars (that I've seen) have the lug bolts instead of the nuts
I have the DSG transmission on mine is it better than the 6 manual??
It is better but man they are expensive to repair. A manual transmission can be much more fun cheaper simpler and more reliable.
"If you don't have legs or a head" lol
what I would give for a beetle R not an R line I mean a Golf R with the new beetles interior and body 300 hp 300 ftpq all wheel drive sport suspension and nice rims
He could play basketball well.🏀