At least now there's a good and interesting alternative to the Mini. Any euphoria with this version should last.

• Comfort

  On normal suspension and 18-inch wheels it picked up far too many surface imperfections. You can't get the Beetle with the Golf's clever adaptive damping - well, we can't have the Beetle outperforming the halo GTI, can we?

  

• Performance

  You'll be able to get it with the 2.0-litre TFSI engine out of the Golf GTI, only in the Beetle it produces a slightly lower output of 197bhp and 206lb ft. Other engines will be available, from the brilliant 1.2 TSI to a 1.6 diesel with Bluemotion tech. We only got a chance to try the top 2.0-litre, but reassuringly it's still as smooth as ever. There's plenty of punch in all the gears so 0-62mph only takes 7.5secs.

  

• Cool

  Better than before to be seen in, but still not really cool.

  

• Quality

  Inside, there's a nod to retro - the weird glovebox, the body-coloured dash plastic, the pulley grab handles - but mostly it's stock VW parts bin switches. Weirdly, though, some of the plastics feel cheap and that glovebox is especially poor. Flimsy stuff, and not what you expect from Volkswagen.

  

• Handling

  The steering is more precise and, because of the wider track, there is an impressive amount of grip. But don't go thinking you'll be getting a cute Golf GTI - the Beetle doesn't have quite the precision of the Golf. It's just not as crisp.

  

• Practicality

  The Beetle isn't practical, because the sloping tail cuts out rear seats and boot space. But at least the rear seats fold. And the cabrio doesn't lose boot space when the roof folds, because it just sits on top like a rucksack.

  

• Running costs

  It's available with a 1.4-litre TSI and a 2.0-litre diesel and petrol - that diesel returns 57.6mpg and emits just 129g/km of CO2. 

  

The Volkswagen Passat is a well-behaved and well-built car with lots of room and perceived quality. But it's as boring as a three-box saloon ever was.

• Comfort

  There's plenty of space in the Volkswagen Passat and it slips down the road quietly, and this ride is the real calling card.

  

• Performance

  VW Group engines range from the 1.4-litre TSI to the 207bhp 2.0-litre Sport and 2.0-litre diesel with 167bhp. That last engine manages to sprint to 62mph in 8.6 seconds while still returning 61.4mpg.

  

• Cool

  The Passat, especially with the current generation's sightly ornate styling, is pretending but not quite managing to be classy. Not a cool place to be.

  

• Quality

  The old-generation Passat was famously superb in cabin quality, but this one doesn't really move the game on. Still, against increasingly over-complicated rival interiors, the Passat's classic simplicity has an appeal.

  

• Handling

  The Passat's road manners are respectful but a bit dull. The basic underpinnings are related to the enjoyable Golf's, but it shows its extra weight as a numbness and slight slow-wittedness.

  

• Practicality

  The Passat saloon is big and has a bigger boot, with through-load. But there's nothing here beyond class norms.

  

• Running costs

  A Passat will be worth more than most mainstream rivals when you trade it in, and that will shave down your running costs. Other costs, like CO2 and long-interval servicing, are more than competitive.