2012 VW Beetle: ‘Pure, unadulterated fun’

Ian Merritt/ Cars.com photo

Driving the Beetle is pure, unadulterated fun. It's smooth and zippy. But it feels a little cheaper than its sticker price ($25,000 as tested). You'll notice this mainly in the tinny feel of the doors and the poorly filtered road noise. Wind noise, at least, is kept to a minimum. Braking in the Beetle is quick and responsive, without crossing that nasty line into being harsh or grabby.

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The backseat was a bit snug for my two little ones, ages 9 and 11, but they're nimble enough to bend on in. Open the liftgate by pressing in the giant VW emblem, and the cargo space is impressive; it had plenty of room for my kiddos' backpacks, plus several grocery bags. Storage spaces inside the cabin are minimal.

Ian Merritt/ Cars.com photo

A huge optional panoramic moonroof completely opens up the Beetle's interior, while standard keyless access and push-button start opens up (and starts) the car without the hassle of digging through your purse to find keys. Front-wheel drive, optional heated front seats and heated windshield-washer nozzles convert this fun-in-the-sun Beetle into a lean, mean, Rocky Mountain snow machine.

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The Beetle I drove, in Tornado Red with Titan Black imitation leather interior, attracted ogling men of all ages during my test drive. Maybe it was the way the exterior color is so thoughtfully carried throughout the interior, with matching dash and door panels that caught their eye? Maybe it was the striking carbon fiber pattern in the imitation leather? Still, my husband said it was like driving around inside a giant estrogen molecule.

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Passengers in the two rear seats are at the mercy of the driver or front passenger when it comes to getting out of the vehicle. My kids had to fold the front passenger seat forward, then impossibly reach over/around it, stretching to reach the release lever toward the front edge of the door, then have enough strength to hold that lever open with one hand and swing (from the back side) the whole weight of the door open. Yeah, carpool lane sucked the week of my test drive. However, this could be a great feature for teen drivers, deterring them from carrying backseat passengers.

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The more mature look includes a slimming out of the Beetle's baby-fat bubble butt, as if it's just completed an entire P90X session. It looks like a cougar-esque hippie Beetle had a love child with a strapping young Porsche -- very Demi and Ashton (the early years). In my opinion, it works. As with the youth of today, the new Beetle is much more gender-neutral (Martha Stewart is so out, while Mr. Kate is totally tomorrow).

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Like the Beetle's base trim level, which starts at $18,995, the Beetle 2.5L I drove had a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-five-cylinder engine. It can also be had with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that requires premium gas.

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The Beetle isn't intended to be a family car. After all, it seats only four. What it would be great for, though, is as a second car that Mom or Dad could zip around in for quick errands, or that Timmy Teen could borrow (if his grades were good enough) to get to Saturday morning football practice while Mom and Dad "sleep" in.