A Beetle with heated mirrors, front fog lights, a rear spoiler, and a full suite of stability and traction controls is a more complete car than most people expect at this end of the market. The four-wheel independent suspension with front and rear anti-roll bars is the detail that actually changes how this car handles through a tight corner on a back road, which is exactly where a car like this wants to be driven. You are already picturing the route, so pick a Saturday morning and let the keyless entry chirp you in.

The body-color bumpers and moldings are not decoration, they give the car a finished, intentional look that holds up in a parking lot next to cars costing considerably more. Speed-sensing steering means the wheel weights up naturally as you move faster, so city driving and highway cruising feel like two different and equally confident experiences in the same car. Cruise control, remote keyless entry, and air conditioning mean that this is a car you can actually live with every day without making compromises you will notice after the novelty of the shape wears off.