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Almost any excuse to drive a new Volkswagen Beetle is a good excuse for me. And this one was legitimate. There arrived in the test fleet a 1999 Turbo Direct Injection (TDI) diesel Beetle.

To make sure I wouldn’t use the wrong fuel, the people who delivered the car left a big sign on the driver’s seat that said “DIESEL.” And to make sure I understood the sign, the transport people told me that it said “DIESEL” and that “DIESEL” meant “no gasoline.”

Having satisfied themselves that their message was delivered and understood, they left me alone with the TDI diesel Beetle, which was bright yellow with a black interior. It had a five-speed manual shifter and a responsive clutch, which worked well together.

I keyed the ignition, anticipating the gurgling, gagging noises that accompany many diesels at start-up. But those noises were muted in the new Beetle, which moved from zero to 30 mph — we’re talking neighborhood driving here — in 4.5 seconds.

That was fast enough for me, especially in my Northern Virginia community, where the police are above-average ticket writers. Besides, who in his right mind would break the law in a car of glowing yellow?

As it happened, my first day with with the TDI diesel Beetle turned into a day of freezing rain and snow. This was disconcerting only because of other motorists, some of whom believe four-wheel drive allows speeding on ice.

The front-wheel-drive Beetle, driven judiciously, did quite well in the mess — no slipping, sliding or anything. I felt safe in the little car.

Drier weather brought longer trips, during which I discovered the TDI diesel Beetle’s more remarkable virtues. Chief among them was a rapprochement between performance and fuel economy. The car moved nimbly through turnpike and high-speed highway traffic, never once faltering or hinting that it would prefer a less demanding pace. And yet, it did all of that work at an astounding 47 miles per gallon!

There are, of course, some outstanding objections to diesel engines, including the advanced direct-injection type used in the TDI diesel Beetle.

Folks at the Union of Concerned Scientists, for example, still view the diesel engine as a dirty technology that will continue to undermine air quality and increase global warming at the expense of cleaner technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells.

But the people at Volkswagen disagree. They argue that their 90-horsepower, 1.9-liter in-line four-cylinder diesel engine emits 20 percent less carbon dioxide than a comparable gasoline engine. And because their TDI diesel is so fuel economical, they say it is naturally more environmentally friendly than gasoline motors.

Both the company and the anti-diesel environmentalists are betting against each other on this issue. The scientists union, for example, says “it is unlikely” that diesel engines will capture enough of the passenger-vehicle market to have a significant impact on the environment, as envisioned by Volkswagen and o ther advanced diesel advocates.

VW officials smile at this and point out that many people also said that the Beetle was dead and incapable of resurrection and that the company itself was headed toward the dump. They proved the world wrong on those counts. They’re ready to give the diesel Beetle a “go.”

1999 Volkswagen Beetle TDI

Complaints: Infrastructure. Diesel stations are substantially fewer in number than gasoline stations, especially in urban areas. Refueling requires more planning, which could be a disincentive for buyers.

Praise: An excellently crafted car. Superior build quality. Comfortable. Superior fuel economy. The TDI diesel Beetle proves that practicality and fun can have a passionate relationship.

Head-turning quotient: Total eye candy. Smiles for miles. There is nothing, zilch, nada on the road that looks like a new Beetle, especially in yellow.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Aces for ride and handling. Decent acceleration. Aces for brak ing. Brakesinclude power-assisted, vented front discs and solid rear discs with anti-locks standard at all four wheels.

Safety: Rigid roll-cage construction; automatically tensioning belts; dual front and side air bags.

Capacities: Seats four people. Cargo volume is 12 cubic feet. Fuel tank holds 14.5 gallons of DIESEL. Engine oil capacity with filter is 4.8 quarts.

Estimated cruising range: Figure about 670 miles between fill-ups on usable volume of DIESEL. I completed a 500-mile trip with fuel to spare.

Sound system: Six-speaker AM-FM stereo radio and cassette installed by VW. Very good.

Price: Base price is $17,900. Dealer invoice price on base model is $16,494. Price as tested is $18,425, including a $525 destination charge. The optional four-speed automatic transmission cost an extra $875.

Purse-strings note: Excellent value for the dollar, especially for people in search of a car that is both economical to operate and fun to drive.