On our second day of this short week, we’re featuring cars that are painted in a color that was once popular for submarines, or so I’ve heard. They’re also the color of everyone’s least favorite stoplight. Which of these minion-hued bargains will earn a place in Friday’s final? We’ll see.
Yesterday’s color was green, the color of the leaves, and we looked at one car that was cool and one that was friendly-like. Or at least, I thought one of them was cool; I missed the fact that the $2,600 price tag on the Camaro “may be a down payment,” according to a note buried in a block of text in the bottom of the ad. I apologize for falling for this sleazy dealer’s bait-and-switch; usually I catch them and skip over the ad.
The Camaro “won,” but I feel like it won under false pretenses, so I’m going to do something I have only done once or twice before, and exercise my veto power. Not only that, but I have flagged the ad, and I encourage you all to do the same. Scummy tactics like this are bad for everyone, and they shouldn’t be allowed to stand unchallenged. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the Grand Charter of Autopia (Jason wrote it in Sharpie on the back cover of a Muir manual, but it held up in court), I declare this result null and void, and award the humble-but-honest Mazda the win.
All right. Let’s put that unpleasantness behind us and look at a couple of yellow cars.
2004 Volkswagen Beetle GLS – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter overhead cam inline 4, six-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Odometer reading: 89,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
If you disliked the retro-styling trend of the 2000s, this is probably the car to blame. Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle in 1997, a few years after showing it as a concept car, and it was a huge hit. More than a hundred thousand people a year bought these things for several years in a row, until the quality and reliability issues caught up with it and cooled sales. This was the peak (or is that Piech?) of Volkswagen’s over-complicated designs, and fans of the original Beetle’s fix-it-with-a-screwdriver simplicity weren’t impressed.
If you want one, though, you’d be wise to choose the engine this one has: the venerable “two-point-slow” inline 4. No turbos, no complex valvetrains, no diesel smell, just a good solid cast-iron four-cylinder. Ideally, you’d want it with a five-speed manual, but no such luck here. This one has a six-speed automatic with VW’s Tiptronic manual shift capability, which, okay, if you simply can’t or won’t drive a manual, is fine I guess. It only has 89,000 miles on it, and the seller says it runs well and has no warning lights illuminated.
The interior is clean, and has been decorated with little plastic flowers in the vents, which I assume are air fresheners of some kind. It also has covers on the seats, but those could be there just because the seats are leather or vinyl and get too hot in the sun. I’d still want to see what the seats look like underneath them, though. The seller says it is “well prepared for all kinds of weather,” which I assume means the top works, though they don’t show any photos of it down.
It’s clean and shiny outside, and this pale yellow color really suits it. That’s one thing I’ll give VW credit for: these were always available in a good range of colors. I still don’t know why you’d choose one over a far more practical Golf, though.
2017 Ford Transit Connect – $4,300
Engine/drivetrain: 2.5-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, six-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Eden Prairie, MN
Odometer reading: 272,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The Ford Transit is a nameplate that has been familiar in Europe for decades, but only came to the US in 2010, on this compact FWD van, the Transit Connect. When we finally did get our hands on it, it quickly became the darling of tradespeople all over the country, and has been very popular for fleet use as well. Even though the Transit Connect was discontinued a couple years ago, you still see them all over, and probably will for years to come. Despite its similarity in color to the NYC taxi van that has bafflingly found its way into the Autopian’s fleet, this one was actually a DHL delivery van in its former life.
True to its mission as a box on wheels for moving stuff around, the Transit Connect’s drivetrain is nothing special: Ford’s 2.5 liter Duratec four-cylinder engine drives the front wheels though a six-speed automatic, and before you ask, no – it was never sold here with a manual. I have heard of some people swapping in manuals, though, but I’m not sure why you would other than for the hell of it. This one has seen its fair share of the road, with 272,000 miles on its odometer. The seller says it runs and drives fine, and “still has plenty of life to make you money.”
To avoid the 25% “Chicken Tax” tariff on light trucks, Ford shipped the Transit Connect from Europe (Spain, for this generation) with rear seats installed, so it could be labeled a passenger vehicle. The rear seats were later removed before sale. I don’t know what happened to all those bench seats; I like to think they were re-sold as cheap sofas, or put to use in inner-city school auditoriums, or something, but they probably just ended up in a big heap in a landfill. We don’t get any good photos of the two remaining front seats in this one, which I assume means they’re shot. We can see that it has a bulkhead behind the seats, which you may or may not want to leave in, depending on what you want to do with it.
Outside, the red DHL logos have been removed, leaving just a big wall of yellow paint. It looks like it cleaned up well, though. Is it wrong that I really want to start seeing these little vans in full ’70s custom regalia, with murals, porthole windows, and shag carpet? I think that aesthetic needs to make a comeback.
So there they are, your choices for the day: a retro-themed convertible and a hard-working little van. I don’t know what criteria you use to choose between them, but that’s not really my problem, is it? I’ll be curious to see which one you all prefer, though.
I would seriously consider that Transit Connect for my wife’s plant business.
That bright yellow might be a bit showy for transporting pot.
A good friend’s parents bought a Beetle nearly identical to that one (tan top instead of black) back in 2002. It was a massive turd, and spent at least 50% of the their first two years of ownership at the dealer for warranty repairs. I’ve also wrenched on half a dozen of these over the years for friends and family who never listen to my warnings against buying one of them.
But that Transit is worn out and, as much as I like the design of the transit, hideous in that particular shade of yellow.
Somehow, the Beetle gets my vote.
I prefer the van, but that milage on a Ford product scares me. Bettle it is.
I picked Beetle because it doesn’t look like it should be headed to the airport, like all Fords with huge mileage. Ford four cylinders are pretty good. I think they get something of a bad rap from tuned ones blowing up.
For small deliveries at work I used to drive a UK Spec Transit Connect, and it was a fun little van, especially to throw around rural lanes being a Ford Focus mainly carrying air… I would like my own as a small camper, however they hold their value here. Ok, maybe not with 276000 miles. But we only got a 1.5L Diesel 4, and 5 or 6 speed manual. Later ones could be had with a 1.0L 3 cylinder, but no 2.5!!
I do need a reasonably sized van, so…
Beetle.
All.
Day.
A person will sell a vehicle for any reason. They don’t like it anymore. They hate the color now. Maybe it’s starting to have problems they don’t wanna deal with. Maybe they just found something else they want more.
But a business generally only gets rid of a commercial vehicle for one reason: it is costing more to operate than the revenue it generates.
If I’m buying a new Beetle it’ll be one with the TDI and 5 speed.
The Connect ad is already gone?
Being a former multi-VW household, I was going van until the miles and questionable cabin came up. Honestly, at 89k miles, the fake Beetle is barely past half used up. That van is much closer to its end of life.
Hoo boy do those Beetles have their fair share of problems. Plus, the anemic engine mated to a slushbox? Yikes. But a clapped out delivery van that’s screaming to have “FREE CANDY” spraypainted across it? Gimme the Bug.
At 276,000 miles I think that van will cost more money to repair than it makes you as a work vehicle. It’s not a bad value though if you need a part time stuff hauler for your business or home projects. I also don’t care for convertibles because the feeling of bright sunshine burning my balding scalp makes it hard for me to leave a moonroof open, let alone the entire top of the car.
For me it comes down to the boldness of the yellow, which makes this an easy call.
Yes but in which direction?
Uh, faded pastel or vibrant sunflower. It seems obvious to me, but maybe some people like their colours watered down to near beige.
Preach, Brother Tucker! Preach!!!
Yes! We’ll take the Transit Connect, throw Cruising Wagon stripes and portholes on it – maybe one of those silly hood scoop-lookin’ air vents for the roof – and keep on truckin’!
(searches Google for “Transit Connect slotted mags”)
My MIL has the exact Beetle in the exact color and I no need for the small transit. I’d rather get a Chevy Express of the same vintage. So the VW it is. Just make sure the top goes down. There are locking actuators that wear out.
I’ve occasionally looked at TC’s to replace my Mazda5. You can really tell the passenger version is a commercial van with seats thrown in – Even the 8 year newer version I drove had far worse ride and NVH than my 5.
But what really gets me about them is the price. Every decent example I’ve seen has been as much or more than a similar age/mileage full-size minivan. Until I saw the mileage on this one I thought for sure it was another “Camaro-pricing” listing.
I wouldn’t buy either, but at least the van should have enough life for my short commute and occasional mountain biking trips, which it would be great for.
I was all about having a useful van until I saw the mileage.
I’ll take the (comparatively) low miles Beetle and cruise with the top down.
I’ve had my passenger version 2014 Transit Connect for about six months (a ‘wagon’ in Ford naming scheme). If you want a four cylinder vehicle that you can roll bicycles straight into, these are the ticket. I miss the 5-speed in my Focus, but this auto is unobtrusive.
Built on the Focus platform, so drives and handles better than any pickup. I’ve had excellent luck with the Duratec engines. Mine has the 2.5 like the example. The trans on these can have problems, but changing the fluid every 30,000 miles apparently resolves the issue.
Duratecs go the distance with proper care. I had a non-DCT Focus 2.0 automatic, changed the fluid every 30k, smooth shifting like butta.
I’ve got an air-cooled Beetle, so why not a water cooled one too? I’d prefer a stick, but this one looks well maintained and has low miles. And crucially, it does not have one of their problematic turbo engines from that era. Not that it’s something I’m just dying to own, but I have no use for a 270k mile van in my life right now. Give it four more years and the Beetle can go on historic plates!
More than 10 laps around the equator for the Transit . . .yikes!
I went with Beetle even though it’s not the deeper yellow they offered I think other years, also that’s the 1st year of the convertible.
Had a new Beetle which died, but I’m still voting Beetle. Reason? My now-wife had a green convertible when I met her, and it reminds me of just starting to date her 20 years ago. That’s the car she drove when we first got together and nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
My wife was driving a beige Mercury Sable when we started dating, so I’ll pass on that hit of nostalgia.
Since I have no use for a worn-out delivery van, I’ll take the Bug, but boy I wish it had the 5-banger and manual transmission.
And was blue.
I want the van and hate the Beetle, but that is a big difference in miles. No doubt I would pass on both.
Speaking of yellow submarines, was anyone else bummed out that Scott McLaughlin crashed out during the pace lap and we were deprived of an iconic livery for the duration? It definitely lessened my enjoyment of the 500. More bright cars!
Not for that reason, but yeah, that sucked. Lots of great liveries in Indycar.
On a side note, is Kyle Larson the first person to ever crash out of two races in two different series on the same day?
Really went back and forth on this one. The van could be a fun build for someone more creative than me, but the miles are high enough it would never be worth much, and I have no idea how much life is left in it. The beetle… I just have no desire for that thing. I went beetle in the end just because it seems like it might have more life left in it, but I’m still not convinced it was the right call.
Also, Camaro has been flagged on my end as well.
I bought a new 5-passenger Transit Connect in 2016. It had the optional 1.6 liter turbo. It handled like a Focus, hauled like a Caravan, and looked like a Monday morning in hell — and I loved it.