One of our more skeptical California employees remembers first hearing about the release of the New Beetle and thinking: Yeah, right, who's going to pay close to $20,000 for a VW Bug? Then she had the chance to drive one.

To her, the vehicle felt rock solid and heavy, unlike other cars in the same price range, which often feel tinny and hollow. The diesel engine is powerful enough to take you almost anywhere and best of all, everything works! A true vehicle of the '90s, the Beetle combines modern technology with the timeless styling of yesterday's Bugs.

And, it demands to be driven. Vegas for the day … Joshua Tree for some climbing … Huntington Beach with a surfboard … she did it all and the Beetle did not protest, fitting well into her outdoor lifestyle. And with an EPA rating of 48 mpg for the TDI, there's no need to worry about the distance involved in getting there. This is a car made for weekend getaways. She liked it so much, in fact, she ran right out and bought a blue one with a diesel engine.

One day, we drove the Beetle into the San Gabriel Mountains above Wrightwood, Calif., to test the handling abilities on State Highway 2, which runs from the small town of Wrightwood all the way to Glendale, and is popular with sportsbike enthusiasts for its long, high-speed corners. With the Beetle's wide stance and tires, it held the corners like a well-tuned rally racer, navigating the hills, tucks and turns of the road like an old pro. No longer is the destination the ultimate goal. Behind the wheel of the Beetle, the drive becomes part of the experience. Volkswagen has made the journey fun again.

The problem we mentioned last month with the air conditioning compressor on our yellow TDI Beetle has been fixed with the replacement of the battery tray. This month, however, we discovered the cruise control was not working, and the passenger door lock only works occasionally. One service technician who looked at it could not find anything wrong, so we'll soon be checking our baby into another Beetle hospital.

Best Fuel Economy: 43.3 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 33.8 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Cruise control and passenger door lock not working.