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THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS quit in a downpour on a Northern Virginiahighway. They stopped in mid-stroke. No amount of jiggling the controlwould get them going again.

Cursing and fuming, I eased the 1987 Volkswagen Fox to the roadside.My anger was sharp, and I thought it would be everlasting. At least, Ithought it would last until I finished this column.

But that was several days ago. In the interim, I fell in love withthe Fox. Such an aptly named little car. Quick. Nimble. Cute, despiteits rather boxy lines.

There’s something else: This front-wheel-drive car talks. I don’tmean the electronic chatter that comes from some Chrysler products, noneof that “Your door is ajar” jazz.

The Fox has an aura, karma, or something. It’s like Shirley MacLaineis in the engine giving driving instructions: “Cluuutch, shiiift,cluuutch, hummmmm.” A mantra in four-speed. And the Fox responds.

The wipers still don’t work. No matter. Driving the Fox in dryweather gave me peace and joy. Those wipers are forgiven.

Other complaints: Flimsy plastic fingertip switches mounted on anequally flimsy plastic control panel. The wiper and turn-signal leversare of similar quality.

And this: No right side-view mirror. Some automakers still treat aright-side mirror as optional equipment. That’s goofy. That mirror helpsto avoid lane-change accidents. It should be standard on all cars, alongwith air bags, anti-lock brakes, rear-window defoggers and a couple ofother safety items now sold as “options.”

Praise: The Brazilian-made Fox is an absolute joy to drive. That’s”joy” versus “fun.” Fun is transient. It leaves no lasting impression.Joy is something you get when this little rascal scampers through citytraffic and darts along the highway. Exemplary econocar competence onthe road.

Also, although the switches and control panel evoke memories ofdime-store toys, the rest of the Fox’s interior is truly decent.Particularly the seats. No backaches here, and no fatigue after a fewhours behind the wheel.

Engine, ride and handling: Power comes from Volkswagen’s trusty1.8-liter, four-cylinder, fuel-injected engine, basically the same usedin VW’s Golf and Jetta. In the 2,150-pound, two-door test car, theengine produced 81 hp at 5,500 rpm. Quite good for law-abiding drivers.

Ride and handling are among the best, if not the best, of anysubcompact economy car I’ve driven. Kudos to the people who did thesuspension on this one.

Head-turning quotient: Attracts smiles without wolf whistles.

Sound system: Bravo! Volkswagen finally has realized that people wantgood car stereos. Four-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette.Excellent small-car sound.

Mileage: About 28 to the gallon (12.4-gallon tank, 350-mile range),combined city-highway, running driver only and with climate controlsystem off most of the time. The test car was equipped with a standardfour-speed manual transmission. Hey, VW, how about adding an overdrivegear to increase fuel efficiency?

Price: $7,165 as tested, including $650 for air conditioner, $505 forthe sound system and its accompanying fixed-mast antenna, and a $320destination charge. Base price on the two-door test model is $5,690. Thedealer invoice price is $5,156. The base price of the four-door Fox is$6,490, with a dealer’s invoice price of $5,779.

Tip: Because the dealer margins are relatively small, and because theFox represents terrific value, don’t expect too many price breaks.