When I was a child my mother had a Volkswagen Beetle that she drove everywhere in. I loved it. It was orange. I called it Pumpkin and she promised me that when I turned sixteen she would buy a new car and give me Pumpkin for my own. Much to my disappointment, Pumpkin's engine burned up when I was only 14, and so I never realized my dream. But today, with the New Beetle by Volkswagen, I've realized my dream of owning another Pumpkin.

While the original Beetles had some serious issues, like having air-cooled engines - which were located in the back of the vehicle making for not very good mileage and power performance, as well as there being some serious safety concerns for their construction, Volkswagen's New Beetle retains the style and personality everyone loved while providing a vehicle that has up-to-the minute safety features and standard features the old Beetle never dreamed of.

With an MRSP of $18,690, the New Beetle is comparable to other cars of its size, and its 20mpg city/29mpg hwy makes it very attractive as a commuting car and, for all its nostalgic shape, it is much safer than the original Beetles. It has four airbags, an anti-lock breaking system, daytime running lights, anti-slip regulation, an electronic stabilizing system and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The New Beetle also has features included that original Beetle owners could only dream of - or save up for - including Satellite radio, an in-dash CD player with Mp3 compatibility, cruise control and heatable front seats.

The New Beetle also comes as a six speed automatic with Triptonic. In automatic mode you can drive as usual. In Tiptronic mode you can choose when you change gears, literally giving you the best of both worlds.

My main complaints with the New Beetle (though I would never tell these to its face) are that it has very limited legroom in the back passenger seats. Though, since I use it as a commuter car and rarely have anyone but my children (who do not yet complain about legroom) in the back, this has yet to be an issue. The second is that the New Beetle's engine's are in the front of the car - just like every other car - removing one of its most fun features, that of the hood that opens up to show all that trunk room. But I must say that the New Beetle drives like a dream, and while it doesn't have the power of an SUV, it does have tight turning and excellent suspension. If there are any issues with the car itself, I have yet to discover them.