The Volkswagen Beetle was introduced in the 1930s as "the people's car" a car almost everyone could afford. And advertisers in 1969, in a stroke of brilliance, called it ugly: "It's ugly but it gets you there," the clever ads read.

Well, in today's world of electric vehicles, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, introduced in 2012, just may be "the people's electric car." At around $20,000 after a federal tax credit, it is thousands less than the electric competition. And when it comes to ugly, the Beetle's got nothing on this little guy.

Oh, some will call it cute, with its short snout, chopped-off rear and tiny 15-inch tires. But the i is getting nowhere on its looks.

It does quite well, though, on its 49-kilowatt motor. Boosted by a lithium-ion battery pack, the little powerplant harnesses just 66 horses but, more important, it pushes out 145 pound-feet of torque. Zero-to-60 takes forever 13.5 seconds but on the highway it did not whine about 75 mph.

Truth is, it's not a bad ride.

It is a quiet ride, as one might expect without an internal combustion engine rumbling up front. It feels stable on the open road, and even corners with minimal roll despite its height.

Steering is rather lightweight, and that, combined with its diminutive stature, makes it a breeze to maneuver and park. I mean, if you can't park this baby, get yourself a bike. By the way, know that this i is huge compared to its Japanese kin Mitsubishi stretched it 8 inches and widened it by 4 inches for the U.S. market.

Tree huggers will delight at the mileage figures, which the EPA calls fuel economy equivalent, or MPGe. How does 126 city, 99 highway sound?

Ah, but there's always a trade-off. You need to carefully weigh this one because it can only go around 62 miles before it poops out. And that's on an easy ride, with no highway speeds or steep hills.

So, unless you have a short commute that keeps you off the highway, this car may not be for you. My allotted range plummeted from 60 to 14 on a single 28-mile commute on the turnpike. So I blew 46 miles of range despite only traveling 28 miles

Also, the i-MiEV needs to be surprise! plugged in for a recharge. With the cord and connector that is included, I couldn't reach the nearest outdoor outlet to the house without an extension cord and extension cords are prohibited while charging. So this whole process really works best only if you have a garage.

Know that the charge on a household 120-volt outlet takes at least 22 hours, so it's recommended that you spring for a 240-volt "Level 2" charging station. That way you get the job done in 7 hours or so.

Another consideration is that, despite claims of progress, the infrastructure still is not there yet for charging away from your home. When is the last time you saw a quick-charge station?

Some shopping malls have installed quick chargers in garages that can get an 80 percent charge in a half hour. Most have not. So you'll need to do your math and figure how far you need to go and how much range you have left.

If you're still game, step inside, where it's surprisingly roomy for driver and passengers, but not so much for cargo. Headroom and legroom are ample up front; it's tighter in the back seat, however.

Cargo? Better pack light. You've got only 13.2 cubic feet to work with, barely enough for a suitcase. Put the rear seats down and it gets roomier, with 50 cubic feet.

It's a simple machine from the inside, with a cloth interior. The instrument panel is basic: tells you when the battery is charging, when you're driving economically and when you're not.

The i comes in two trim levels, the ES and SE. How's that for confusing? Standard on the ES are power accessories, AC, onboard recharging system including 120-volt charging cable and 4-speaker sound with CD.

The SE adds alloy wheels instead of steel, upgraded upholstery, leather-wrapped wheel and 8-speaker sound.