I have the older style beetle, with the 150hp engine, I though it was fairly quick. We also had an old Volvo 240 wagon, which is officially the slowest car on earth. But after 170,000 miles the Volvo hasn't given us the first hint of trouble. Now that my son is turning 16 we decided to give him the old Volvo and buy a newer car, it was between another Volvo wagon or a Passat Wagon. We bought a used Volvo wagon, with a 2.4 liter 5cyl intercooled turbo engine. HOLY COW is that car fast, my poor Beetle which isn't even in the ballpark performance wise, is no longer is the Alpha Male in the garage.