Just when our webmaster thought it was safe to venture out in the New Beetle and not get smiled at, it happened. He was sitting at the gas station filling out the fuel log when She appeared. He could tell She had been a hippie in her younger years and just couldn't let go of the lifestyle. She peered into the Beetle's window, awestruck. Our driver suavely rolled down the window and offered his assistance. "I am sure you know what I want," She said with an air of mystery. "Can I see the inside of your car...?"

And when he woke up, she was still there. He told her how many hits he'd had that day (on the Internet) and they shot the breeze about the groovy vehicle. She was amazed with the cool dash colors, the spacious interior and the large hatchback trunk. The woman was most certainly in love, and our staffer wondered, as she drove off in her metallic red classic corvette, if she was heading toward a Volkswagen dealership.

At the same gas station, a man sent his little girl over to ask our webmaster how much the Beetle cost, then she went running back to her father, yelling, "Guess what? It is only..."

Yes, the Beetle is still a big hit on the streets of California. Which is exactly why our company vice president has avoided driving the car lately. He is tired of smiling and waving at people. Being known in his neighborhood as "the guy with the yellow bug" has propelled him into lamenting for his former anonymity. Just once, he would like to drive down Melrose and blend in ... well, maybe in another few months.

However, our editor-in-chief (who is not from L.A. so only has to smile and wave at people he chooses to) drove the New Beetle from Los Angeles to Oceanside for a book edit. He noticed that the car is loosening up a bit in terms of interior squeaks when traversing rough pavement. The diesel engine propels the little car fantastically and its old-fashioned clatter gives the New Beetle some of the charm that the flat four of the old Beetle had in terms of engine and exhaust noise.

Our editor watched with glee as he racked up miles on this car and couldn't see the fuel needle drop at all. The one drawback to the diesel engine is that its exhaust coats the rear of the car with grime fairly quickly. We've also discovered that the trunk doesn't always close tightly, though it seems to until you're settled in the driver's seat and notice that the trunk light is on.

Later in the month, Grant Whitmore, our managing editor, hopped into the coupe at 6 p.m. and drove from L.A. to Phoenix for a vacation. At 11 p.m., he found himself caught in a desert thunderstorm dodging (literally) Volkswagen-sized tumbleweeds that were blowing across the highway 80 miles outside of Phoenix. He felt like he'd been transported inside a video game, making quick direction changes to avoid the moving obstructions. Despite the danger he had a blast, and arrived in Phoenix with glowing reports about the Beetle's handling.

The good people of Arizona were as enamored with the New Beetle as were the Californians. Our managing editor's mother, who was forced to drive an old Beetle during her teenage and young adult years, loved the New Beetle as passionately as she had hated the old one. She was impressed by the glow of the instrument panels, the engine power and the amount of space between her and the windshield, which made her feel safe. Whitmore's stepfather, whose hobby is fixing up cars, was pleased with the Beetle's quiet ride and well thought out engineering package.

The elusive problem with the non-functioning cruise control continued this past month. After taking the Beetle to the dealer for the second time, it was returned to us for use while the service department ordered a computer part that is supposed to remedy the problem. We're still waiting for the part to arrive.

Best Fuel Economy: 43.3 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 35.0 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Cruise control still not working.