VW Rabbit gets a nod from CR

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: rationull
That's my take on it. The rabbit looks like a great little car and seems like a good value for its price. It's also one of the nicer looking hatches available in the US presently, IMO. VW's engine choice bewilders me a little (especially since the GTI w/ the 2.0T and 200 hp is rated the same now, and was rated better when the Mk5 rabbit first came out). But, I'm sure it's nice having all that torque.


THe torque is great if you use it for driving efficiently. We would have preferred an NA 2.0L or even the 2.0T.

The rabbit is heavier and larger than its economy bretheren. Even the corolla is only rated at what on the highway? 35? Is it 28 around town? For a smaller, lighter car? I cannot fit comfortably in the rear seat of a corolla, I can in the rear seat of the rabbit.

Yes, the fuel economy leaves something to be desired. The wife didnt want a GTI, and we have no reason to believe that we will see the TDI(what we really wanted after all) in the rabbit before the platform is re-done.

So we were stuck with the 5-cyl. And we had to learn how to drive it. So long as we are getting 27 MPG city, I dont think we are doing too bad.

JMH

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I cannot fit comfortably in the rear seat of a corolla, I can in the rear seat of the rabbit.


Do you plan on riding in the back seat?

 

[JHZR2]

no, but we often have riders and she sometimes has carpoolers. We ain't guzzling if we result in net cars off the road.

Plus, this car has enough utility because of the sizeable back seat and high roof, to serve as a good enough station wagon for the foreseeable future.

JMH

 

[moribundman]

At first I thought you were so tall you had to drive while hunching down in the back seat with the front seat ripped out (Like Arnold in some '80s flick). I must admit I have never given a flying a fig about whether or not my back seat passengers were comfortable.

 

[Anduril]

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
An EVO or STI approaches that kind of city mileage.

V6 Camry beats that and has more horsepower.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Quote:
I cannot fit comfortably in the rear seat of a corolla, I can in the rear seat of the rabbit.


I'm close to 6 ft 6 and 300lbs and can sit (and have) in the rear seat of my Corolla...

Same with my 1986 Jetta.

Our 2007 Outback its tight for foot room..

Interesting..

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Quote:
I cannot fit comfortably in the rear seat of a corolla, I can in the rear seat of the rabbit.


I'm close to 6 ft 6 and 300lbs and can sit (and have) in the rear seat of my Corolla...

Same with my 1986 Jetta.

Our 2007 Outback its tight for foot room..

Interesting..


My head rubs against the headliner of a 03-06 G35 and a 07-09 Camry. I'm 5'11". Yet, when I sit in a 09 Corolla, I have no such problem. Go figure.

 

[rationull]

Point taken that the rabbit larger and heavier than the civic/corolla. And you're right, the mpg rating difference between the rabbit and the civic for example isn't exactly huge compared to other alternatives (22/29 vs 26/34 for the MT). I think I was just a little miffed at VW for bringing out the new rabbit and marketing it as having really good fuel economy (I don't remember the direct quote but I'm basing this off of what I saw on their website a year or so ago) when in reality it doesn't exactly compare with other vehicles marketed the same way.

Essentially I think of the rabbit the same way as I think of the scion tc: it's a small car that's a good value, but not an economy car. Only the rabbit was marketed as an economy car in some contexts.

Oops. This was meant as a reply to JHZR's earlier reply to me.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Originally Posted By: Anduril
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
An EVO or STI approaches that kind of city mileage.

V6 Camry beats that and has more horsepower.


A V6 Camry has over 290HP and AWD? (Over 300HP in previous Evolutions)

Or were you comparing it to the Rabbit?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Originally Posted By: Anduril
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
An EVO or STI approaches that kind of city mileage.

V6 Camry beats that and has more horsepower.


A V6 Camry has over 290HP and AWD? (Over 300HP in previous Evolutions)

The 2GR-FE engine was rated 280, but is now rated 268. FWD, not AWD though.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: rationull
the mpg rating difference between the rabbit and the civic for example isn't exactly huge compared to other alternatives (22/29 vs 26/34 for the MT). I think I was just a little miffed at VW for bringing out the new rabbit and marketing it as having really good fuel economy (I don't remember the direct quote but I'm basing this off of what I saw on their website a year or so ago) when in reality it doesn't exactly compare with other vehicles marketed the same way.

Essentially I think of the rabbit the same way as I think of the scion tc: it's a small car that's a good value, but not an economy car. Only the rabbit was marketed as an economy car in some contexts.



Couldnt aqree with you more. I do wish they would have chosen another engine... but again, with 27 MPG city, Im not too bothered. However, we will not be using it for highway service, which was never the reason we bought the car anyway - it was as an around-town vehicle for my wife to carry her stuff from job to job, do some carpooling, etc.

JMH

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
If Consumer Reports is right, Volkswagen is well on its way to attaining its dream of outselling Toyota by 2015.


By 2015 we may be running on self fabricated steam engines. I think the buying market can't be intelligently projected that far out.

 

[huffmuds9320]

Way back when the Rabbit first came out in the mid 70s weren't those considered economy cars. I still see a few of those older Rabbits around once in a while. The cars back then were lighter and had smaller engines. If I remember right the old Rabbit had the 1.6 or 1.7L gas engine.

 

[Mucho_MPG]

When I think of Rabbit, I think of the movie Zoolander and the scene with the models spraying gas on each other. Especially a convertible Rabbit. I don't know why.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Quote:
I cannot fit comfortably in the rear seat of a corolla, I can in the rear seat of the rabbit.


I'm close to 6 ft 6 and 300lbs and can sit (and have) in the rear seat of my Corolla...


Just because you are tall doesn't mean you need leg room as long as you have relatively short legs. Or maybe you have a long neck. I need lots of legroom because I have long legs.

 

[Mucho_MPG]

[/quote]

Or maybe you have a long neck. [/quote]

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Quote:
I cannot fit comfortably in the rear seat of a corolla, I can in the rear seat of the rabbit.


I'm close to 6 ft 6 and 300lbs and can sit (and have) in the rear seat of my Corolla...


Just because you are tall doesn't mean you need leg room as long as you have relatively short legs. Or maybe you have a long neck. I need lots of legroom because I have long legs.


Exactly. Comfortably is an important word. I can fit into the rear seat of a 2dr hyundai accent. Does not mean that my legs arent into th seat in front of me.

The rabbit can have the front seat set up so that I can fit in it, then I can go sit in the back comfortably... i.e. more than just a few minutes. My head does not hit the roof either...

JMH

 

[rationull]

I'm not sure and I'm going to be lazy and not look it up right now, but IIRC I checked the EPA ratings for various years of the rabbit/golf and the FE ratings always seemed to be lower than you'd expect to see from an economy car of the same era. My thought is it was always more of a fun-to-drive small car than an economy car. But anyone who knows better should feel free to correct me.

 

[MrCritical]

4mpg less in town and 5 on the highway is a tremendous difference if you drive a lot.

 

[Mucho_MPG]

+1 MrCritical, that 4/5 mpg adds up big time. I wouldn't own a car that small that got that kind of mileage. Makes no sense, but that is VW for you.