It's been just about a year since marketing man Avi Steinlauf last drove the new Beetle and, contrary to last month's drivers, he reports that the car has not lost its allure: "It's still that zippy little, bright yellow, easily maneuverable New Bug that I enjoyed driving last year, and other than a few thousand more miles and a couple of small nicks in the windshield, it has aged well."

However, some of Steinlauf's initial annoyances with the car continue to be a nuisance. First on his list is the hazard light switch that comes close to abutting the gear shift. "There hasn't been a time in the last two weeks when I haven't accidentally hit the hazard lights when shifting into third gear. And to add insult to injury, when I've got a cell phone in my right hand, the antenna seems magnetically attracted to that button." Steinlauf is also a bit annoyed by the temperature light, which stays on consistently for the first 15 minutes of any drive until the engine is warmed to its normal operating temperature.

Avi also noticed that if you try to lock the vehicle using the remote keyless device and the lights flash, but the horn doesn't sound - the vehicle isn't truly locked. This happened when he thought he'd closed the trunk (the trunk appeared flush with the rest of the Beetle's "rump"), but the trunk wasn't actually closed. He didn't realize this until he saw the "open trunk" signal illuminated on the dash. Something to be aware of when using remote keyless devices -- they're still not as trustworthy as a hand pulling on a door handle or trunk lid.

Otherwise, it's been a pleasure for Avi to pilot the Beetle. He says it's got great pick-up, handles well, and still garners the occasional fleeting look from passersby.

Total Odometer Reading: 30,014
Best Fuel Economy: 42.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 36.1 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.