>Sorry Chris, the Beetles are using the 99 (A4) gerneration platform that
has
>nothing to do with the 98 or older Golfs. Even the press and magazines have
it
>wrong. Also the new Beetles are absolutely wonderfull to drive compared to
the
>old cramped bugs.

Sorry Michael you are correct, but indeed also they are Golfs, the A4 is the
A4 GOLF platform (as in A1, A2, A3, now A4), the fact that the first
iteration of this platform to hit the US comes in the guise of an oddly
shaped yet strangely appealing and familiar form has nothing to do with its
origional development which was indeed for the A4 Golf.  The golf is by all
rights from some Euro reviews I have read an exceptionally competent and
much advanced car compared to the current already excellent platform.  The
auto press has been entirely correct, well at least the more informed ones.
As to which I would buy, for practicality, I'd wait for the Golf for rear
headroom, but I've test driven both gas and diesel water bugs and admit, it
is a fun little car.  If I had $16k or so burning a hole in my pocket I'd...
(nope I'd buy a nice low miles VR6 Corrado and have more rear headroom and
go a lot quicker than any of VW's current paltry offerings)

John
janderson@iolinc.net