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THE 1987 SUBARU JUSTY DL is ugly. No kidding. This drop-nosed,hump-backed vehicle is enough to make you want to crack jokes.

Like: “Hey, man, what’s that I saw you driving the other night?”

“Justy.”

“Justy what?”

“Justy ugly little car.”

But if ugly is all you see in this auto, the joke’s on you. Thisbuggy can boogie. It’s easily one of the best minicars on the road.

Yes, minicar: a 1.2-liter, electronically carbureted three-cylinderengine, a 90-inch wheelbase and front-wheel drive. We’re talkingautomotive anorexia, the car weighs a puny 1,675 pounds.

But we’re also talking about a welcome rebirth of Subaru character:basic, down-to-earth goodness, a vehicle without the Buck Rogers,gee-whiz foolishness found in many of Subaru’s newer products.

The Justy can outscoot a lot of pricier highway metal. Despite itstiny exterior, it can carry four modest-size adults in reasonablecomfort, a lot better than several $20,000-plus, “four-seat” models. Butthe most gratifying thing is that the Justy lives up to the motto thatSubaru seems to have forgotten in recent years: It’s inexpensive, andbuilt to stay that way.

Complaint: Delivery glitch. The test model’s headlamps would go offonly when the ignition was turned off. One Subaru dealer suggested thatthe problem was an easily repaired switch. He offered a fix but Ideclined. Daytime running lights may become a standard safety feature onall cars sold in the United States. I wanted to be a pioneer.

Praise: The general goodness of it all. Some automakers seem to thinkthat minicar means mini-quality. They put tin cans on wheels and marketthem as the hottest things since Volkswagen Beetles. People looking forbasic, reliable transportation get taken in by that hype, only to findout 3,000 miles and three car payments later that they bought a lump ofjunk.

It’s going to be harder to play that game with cars like the Justy onthe scene. People are not stupid. A car-to-car comparison will show thatthis model is a quality act, with excellent fit-and-finish, excellentmechanicals, a fluid five-speed gearbox and excellent overallreliability.

Comparable models include the Hyundai, Chrysler’s Omni/HorizonAmerica cars, the Suzuki-made Chevrolet Sprint, Ford’s Festiva, and, er,the Yugo.

Ride, acceleration, handling: Unbelievably good. Minicars tend tobump and buck all over the place; by comparison the Justy’s a smoothie.Credit the use of McPherson struts and coil springs.

Balance is enhanced by the use of an anti-sway bar in the front and asemi-trailing arm in the rear. That means you can go around corners atlegal speeds without skidding out in the Justy. But don’t get crazy.This is a minicar. Getting smashed in this one can be a life-alteringexperience.

The Justy’s surprising acceleration is the product of a bit of Subarugenius: three valves (two intake, one exhaust) for each of the engine’sthree cylinders. The result is an optimum mixin g of fuel and air,improved combustion, and a horsepower rating of 66 at 5,200 rpm, decentenough to make this lightweight competent in traffic.

Sound system: Basic AM/FM stereo radio. Pleasant.

Mileage: A splendid 39 to the gallon (9.2-gallon tank, 350-milerange), combined city-highway, running with one to four occupants andwith the heater on most of the time.

Price as tested: $6,631, including $890 in options and $379destination charge. Base price on DL model is $5,366, compared with abase price of $6,166 on the upscale GL.