Ah man, don't say that! I've wanted a beetle since I was a kid and i've been saving for ages. What's the problem with them?

And what about the sniff test etiquette (beetle or not!)?

If you have been saving for ages,you will be spending for ages when it goes wrong.This is not the car for you.H/G failure is often caused by lack of maintenance and failure to watch the temp gauge,which the Beetle does not have.Get a sniff test done ,if the seller will allow out,but I would be more worried about any service history (or lack of)and how many owners in the log book.This is the type of car you only buy once.hth

I am a girl! The flower thing is kitsch, sure, but I was always under the impression that VW's were good, solid, reliable machines.

So, the beetle doesn't have a temp gauge? That I didn't know. I'm pretty handy with cars, I can do basic maintenance, oil changes, filters etc and i'd look after whatever car I got.

Of course i'll be looking for cars with fsh etc, but my main question was whether doing a sniff test before buying is generally acceptable.

I guess i'd better do some more research.

Well in that case don't forget to water the flower(s) and the best of luck with any car you decide to buy!

There is nothing inherently wrong with the Beetle at all. Some find it hard to park due its large wings and bulbous shape and the fuel economy from all engines except the 1.9 TDi is very poor, dont get a 2.0 Auto, they literally do about 20mpg.

The ride is actually very good indeed on 16 inch wheels too. Try to get air con as the interior is like a greenhouse in summer and the later cars are better built.

The age of car you are looking at will determine some of the upcoming bills you could reasonably expect.

There is a blue warning light telling you when the engine is warming and not to push it, and a red one for overheating but they arent any more prone to issues than anything else. It is very important not to rev the engine very much at all until the engine is good and warm. The most common 1.6 and 2.0s are old fashioned 8 valve engines which is a good and bad thing, cheap to maintain for the most part though, just keep within the timing belt intervals and change the oil every 6k miles or 1 year.

Thanks for the input guys.

I know how to do sniff tests, I bought a kit and an old mechanic friend taught me how. I'd still love to know whether you think it's cheeky to ask to do one when buying a car?

I'll test drive the beetle and mini and see which I prefer. Like I said, i've always wanted a beetle but then again, I do like the look of the mini's.. So fickle!

Concerned about the difficult parking with the beetle, after all I am a woman and I do hate parallel parking :) I don't need to be adding factors in that make it any more loathsome.

Good plan. If they've nothing to hide they won't mind but I suppose the "sold as seen" sellers might object.

Thanks again, you've all been a big help.