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No car I have driven resonates with people like Volkswagen’s New Beetle.

I spent last week driving a bright yellow one that looked like a Happy Face on wheels and had the same effect on viewers wherever we went.

A woman stopped her car in the midst of turning a corner, rolled down her window and burst into laughter. “I know you made that yourself,” she said, while traffic backed up behind her.

“No,” I assured her, “it’s made by Volkswagen and you can get one at the

dealer.”

The smile on her face told a story that would be repeated at least three times each day.

I first drove a Beetle for a few hours back in early February at its worldwide introduction in Atlanta. Now, however, I was able to spend time with it for a more thorough evaluation. In my daily comings and goings it generated smiles, waves and thumbs up. I left it in a park while I was bicycling, and when I came back a crowd had surrounded it. Bystanders peppered me with questions and regaled me with VW stories of their own.

When I drove away, they clapped.

Clapped.

Never before have I driven a car that generated applause just for the way it

looked.

Among the 100 or so cars I have driven in the last year, the only other one that came close to creating this kind of uproar was Plymouth’s Prowler. Both it and the New Beetle look like exotic concept cars, but the Beetle is not only affordable, it will be available in much larger numbers. About 50,000 will be built for U.S. consumption in the first full year of production at the plant in Puebla, Mexico. Another 50,000 will go to Europe. At this point, however, demand significantly exceeds supply so plan on waiting a number of months before you can get one.

Volkswagen is clearly onto something with this car. Its round, cheerful, in-your-face styling is a total departure from the look-alike styling of so many other small cars. The built-in bud vase underscores its whimsical nature.

Its personality may be unique, but it is built on the chassis of a contemporary, functional small car with a reasonable price ($15,700) and up-to-date safety and convenience features. Airbags, both front and side, are standard, along with four-wheel disc brakes, air conditioning, AM/FM stereo and keyless entry with anti-theft alarm.

Since it shares the platform and mechanical underpinnings of the Golf, it drives like a Golf. The 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine has 115 horsepower, and it provides acceleration that is quick enough to keep up easily with other traffic. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, and an automatic is optional. Late this year a hotter, 1.8-liter turbo version will be offered for those who want a bit more zip, and rumors persist of a 200-horse, V6 Power Beetle at some unspecified time in the future.

Like the Golf, it sits pretty flat in turns and is poised at high speeds. Its handling is aided by the optional 16-inch alloy wheels and low-profile ti res.

There is a bit of wind noise, but nothing excessive. The wide windshield pillars and deep dash (deeper actually than most minivans) create a driving position familiar to those who drive vans. On some occasions, the wide pillars hindered my view around left turns. Mostly, however, I adapted quickly to the driving position and felt at ease.

Although the exterior looks small, the cabin is quite spacious. The tall, curving roof and height-adjustable seats creates tons of headroom, even for drivers well over six feet tall. Like the Golf, the front seats are firm and have good support. They slide forward to ease access to the back seat, which suffers from a lack of headroom.

On a weekend road trip, my wife and I discovered that the New Beetle was as comfortable as it was fun. Luggage space is small unless you tumble the rear seat forward, which then creates space big enough to hold a bicycle with the wheels removed.

The depth of the dash is overcome by cleve design. The speedometer, tiny tachometer and fuel gauge all reside in one large pod behind the steering wheel. At night, its numbers glow bright blue, as does the face of the radio. The rest of the instrument lights are red, creating a colorful combo that is as different as the overall shape.

The steering wheel, gearshift knob and front edges of the instrument panel are covered in a pebbled texture that looks like a high-tech appliance. The steering wheel has three wide spokes as well as an airbag.

There are four cupholders, three in front and one in back.

The traffic-stopping quality of this little car can best be described by a Sunday afternoon exchange I had with the driver of a stunning 1932 Ford coupe. It had been given the full California treatment: chopped top, flames, big-block V8 and chrome from end to end. It must have cost nearly six figures. We spotted each other on the street and exchanged waves. At the next stop sign he pulled alongside.

“Hey, I’ll trade you for a day,” he shouted over the throbbing exhaust.

The fact that the owner of a show-quality hot rod seemed more excited about this car than his own confirms what I found all week long: The fun of driving this car is measured in smiles per gallon.

Price

The base price is $15,700 including destination. Our test car was equipped with the Sport group and Convenience group, which brought the sticker price to $16,580.

Warranty

The basic warranty is for two years or 24,000 miles.

Vehicles for The Star’s week-long test drives are supplied by the auto manufacturers.

Point: Clever styling, good handling and a contemporary chassis combine to make the New Beetle more than a remake of a good idea. It is a full-fledged, functional small car that overflows with the kind of whimsy and personality rarely found in cars today.

Counterpoint: The back seat lacks headroom, the dash is as deep as a minivan and the wide windshield pillars occasionally block your view around corners.

SPECIFICATIONS:

ENGINE: 2.0-liter, 4-cyl.

TRANSMISSION: Five-speed

WHEELBASE: 98.9 inches

CURB WEIGHT: 2,712 lbs.

BASE PRICE: $15,700

PRICE AS DRIVEN: $16,580

MPG RATING: 23 city, 29 hwy.