The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

Hey, single guys: want to attract women with the car you drive? Skip the muscle car and ante up for the New Beetle Convertible.

Women of all ages will swoon over your car. They’ll smile and wave when you’re stopped at a traffic light, or parked at the supermarket.

And that’s with the top up.

Put the roof down and everyone will stare. But it’s hard not to.

Volkswagen’s expert design hand is evident everywhere in this little car – from the way the top folds in half, to the swing-out cupholders, to the appealing dashboard with its round instrument cluster and petite audio controls.

The test vehicle was painted in one of three exclusive convertible colors – the very trendy “Aquarius Blue.” Other colors include “Harvest Moon” and “Mellow Yellow.” Currently, the only roof color available is black, although gray and cream colors will become available at a later date.

Being cute as a button in the car world is the equivalent of having blonde hair and putting up with a lot of dumb blonde jokes: no one takes you seriously. But underneath the too-cute-for-words styling is a serious little car, one that shares its underpinnings with the VW Golf and Jetta.

There are four flavors of New Beetle Convertibles to choose from: GL 2.0, GLS 2.0, GLS 1.8T and GLX 1.8T.

The main difference in the trim levels is with the engine (which is positioned in the front, not the back).

Models with a 2.0 designation receive a 2-liter single-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine good for 115 horsepower. Models with a 1.8T designation receive a 1.8-liter dual-overhead-cam turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for 150 horsepower.

A five-speed manual is standard. A six-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual shift control is optional.

Whichever trim level you choose, you’ll get the same attributes as in the Beetle sedan.

Power is acceptable with the 2-liter engine, although 115 horsepower pulling around a 3,100 pound car means 0-60 mph time will be somewhere approaching 12 seconds. In that regard, the New Beetle is like the old Beetle: slow. Power is more readily available once it is up to speed.

Handling is a mixed bag. The front-wheel-drive New Beetle leans heavily in corners, but grip is plentiful. The ride is firm, but bumps are well-absorbed, with muted thumps being the only thing felt by the driver.

Maybe because of the handling, VW has equipped the New Beetle with Automatic Rollover Supports. When sensors in the car indicate the car is about to roll over, supports behind the rear seat deploy whether the top is up or down. The headrests also add support. The test car had the $280 optional Electronic Stability Program. ESP helps stabilize the vehicle in emergency maneuvers.

The safety gear is impressive. However, the New Beetle’s driving experience is typical humdrum econobox, except the design is stylish and the top goes down.

Ah yes, the top.

It’s what separates this New Beetle from its more mundane counterparts. It’s lined and has a glass rear window with a rear defogger.

Putting the top down is very simple. With your foot on the brake, release the roof by pushing a large button and twisting the handle counter-clockwise. Then press the toggle switch to lower the top. You must lower the windows separately. It’s quick, about 13 seconds, according to VW.

It transforms this bug. As with any car that can go topless, sins are forgiven when there’s wind in your hair.

But put the top up and it’s just as nice.

The top’s arched shape lends a cavernous feel to what would otherwise be a cramped interior. Front seat space is decent, while rear seats are for quick trips only. Long items can be carried via a rear seat pass-through.

Seats are comfortable, but suffer from short seat cushions. Seat heaters, part of an optional cold weather package, are a nice touch.

Interior storage was far from bountiful. The mammoth owners manual took up most of the glovebox; a 6-CD changer filled the entire center console. This leaves just the door pockets and two cupholders for storage.

Assembly quality wasn’t as good as on past VWs, with the well-used test vehicle suffering from a rattling interior, a rear window that didn’t always fully retract and an automatic trim piece that didn’t always snap into place. That said, the top never leaked, despite some incredible downpours.

All New Beetles get a healthy dose of standard gear, including air-conditioning, four-wheel-disc brakes with anti-lock, power heated mirrors, power locks and windows, 10-speaker AM/FM/cassette audio system, tilt/telescopic steering column, power locks, and the ever-ubiquitous lit vanity mirrors.

GLS models add the semi-automatic convertible top and fog lamps. Pop for the GLX and leather seating surfaces, self-dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, Monsoon audio system, heated front seats and headlamp washer nozzles are standard.

Base prices start at a very affordable $20,450 for the GL, with the test vehicle, a GLS 2.0, starting at $21,850.

That’s very affordable for a fun, cute car that attracts women by the bucketful.

Note to female readers: the New Beetle doesn’t attract guys, at least, not ones you can marry.