Used Volkswagen Beetle for Sale in Birmingham, AL

I always wanted a Beetle as a kid, and when I got one as an adult, it felt like a dream come true. And the car is great in many ways: it's fun to drive, it's responsive, it seems well-made. However, maintenance can be a nightmare and a pain in the wallet. Oil changes have cost me anywhere from $60 to $100. Lights burn out quickly (always-on headlights), and have to be replaced often ($30 a pop in my experience). Replacing a battery requires the removal of the front fender, driving up the cost of that procedure considerably ($300 at Firestone). Doing your own maintenance is made difficult by the compact design and nontraditional (5 cylinder) and therefore unfamiliar engine. Most replacement parts are proprietary and expensive. Don't think you can go to AutoZone to get things like gas caps or antifreeze; they don't carry parts for this car. I order a lot of things offline, but that's hit or miss and most things must be shipped from overseas. Gas mileage, while better than the minivan I drove previously, isn't what you'd expect from a car so small. I get about 25mpg highway and closer to 20 in the city depending on traffic. I like the car for the most part, but the cost and difficulty of maintenance mean that I won't be purchasing another in the future.