Noone has this car!I have yet to see another 4 door Rabbit anywhere (except at my Local dealership). I see some GTI's (mostly 2 door) and I've seen maybe 1 2 door Rabbit in the last month and an R32 this morning, but absolutely noone has this car! Everyone who's sat in it is really, really impressed and It's great behind the wheel. When I have 2+ passengers and am driving to work uphill, With all that torque, it tackles the pretty steep grade like a champ.
awesome. i have seen 3 2 door rabbits since i got mine in october of last year; and 3 four doors, 1 in silver, the others in the sage green. i see a gti every now and again, but even those are difficult to find, and they are mostly 2 doors; i've only seen 2 four doors on the road since the gti's existance.
it seems that mkV jettas are plentiful, but the rabbit/gti are harder to come by!
hey all! and thanks for the info eldaino and sharpedgeshurt! i have my bunny now! all paperwork like title transfer and insurance is over with and i get to now enjoy the rabbit in all its glory! its a 2 door sage green automatic. i wanted to fill you all in on the great buy i got it at. please PLEASE dont take it as bragging, i just think we all should know great deals are available if we have the patience for em. ive loved the rabbit since i first saw their new model but never thought i could afford one. low and behold on craigslist i found a private seller needing to sell this bunny asap bc she was moving out of the country. it was only bought this last oct. and still under 5yr warranty. i was able to talk her down to 13500. i feel so lucky about it! what a blessing! so far in the two days of driving it ive been oober please with the handleing and of course the car itself!!just washed it tonight and i hope me buying a 5dollar gallon of soap isnt going to cost me and my baby's paint!!
I urge 5,000 mile oil changes even with synthetic oil. The owner's manual may or may not permit non-synthetic oil as well "if synthetic is not available" (???) (my 2.0 did) in which case 3,000 mile oil changes.
5,000 miles is a long way to go between oil changes, particlularly if you have some city and short driving trips mixed in with it, but with synthetic oil should have some margin for error. 10,000 mile oil changes leave little margin for error (and also assume a VW spec'd synthetic oil, not just any old synthetic oil). Remember that at least one oil change a year is required under the "time or miles" alternative.
Finally, with "every 3 months" oil changes becoming a thing of the past, there is no one looking at tire pressure and fluid level checks besides you. Owner's manual service recommendations PRESUME a monthly check of the items listed in the manual. These are very minor checks, but how many owner's actually still do them? Does it matter? Ask owners of Ford Expeditions who had tire blow outs due to underinflated tires. Ask Camry and Sebring owners with sludged engines.
Don't believe all the hype about "maintenance free." Even my toaster needs to have the crumbs dumped out once in a while or in becomes a fire hazard....
you sound like the guy from the vw dealer that told me he reccomended 5 k oil changes no matter what,...and then dropped it to' man, you should just come in every 3k! thats the way to do it! i've seen to many sludged engines!'
Yeah. This is the same guy who told me my 20k service was x amount one time and then 2 weeks later, it was 150 bucks more for no reason.
there is no need to change your oil any sooner than what vw themselves says needs to be done. The manual does NOT give a substituion of synthetic oil is not avialable, and i only use the vw spec/approved one.
i do perform the fluid checks and check my tires regularly, i just wont be taking my car to the dealer every 10k not when its just, check this/check that. on the big ones where there is some more extensive work and things that need to be tested, i can scrounge up the dough to do so. (i.e. the 40k service.) but aside from that i'm good.
Interestingly, the Canadian manual follows the "extreme conditions" maintenance intervals, which is every 8000km (5000mi).
I've always found it funny that all Canadian manuals follow extreme conditions (I'm not only talking VW here), whereas the moment you get across the border, it's back to the normal conditions. Since my climate (Toronto) is roughly the same as that of New England and other northeastern states, there should be no reason why that which applies to one shouldn't apply to the other.
Whatever the reason, I think that changing oil every 5000mi is a good idea anyways. As far as fluid checks and tire pressures, every owner should do that on their own anyways. I could get on a rant about how owners "expect" their cars to operate maintenance-free in perpetuity, but I'll resist.
Averaging right around 24mpg after two tanks of gas and have driven around 550 miles with a little over 600 mpg on the odometer total. (I drive at least 500 mi a week). I've noticed my radio jump up in bass for a split second when merging on to the 134 in Taluca Lake today so I will have to turn that automatic radio adjusting thing off.
Also: my dealer didn't tell me that the lumbar support knob on the passenger seat was broken. I'm guessing it was broken when they gave it to me, because a friend of mine who is an Audi owner (and was my first passenger) with the same kind of seats accidentally pulled the knob out. I will be taking it to the dealer soon for a repair. It doesn't bother me too much since I am never a passenger in my car, and so long as they fix it without hassle. The "Gorrilla gear" mats in my car are vey cool. but I notice there are little twistable knobs on the floor of my car that look like they're for the mats, and you slip them through on holes in the mat, and twist them so that the mat stays in place. My Gorrilla-gear rubber mats with the rabbit logos do not seem to fit very well over these. Any suggestions? I'll probably ask my dealer when I bring it in to have the seat fixed.
Still love the car and all it's odds and ends, the 10 speaker system in the 4 door is freaking great and the car is getting more fun to drive every day.
I am still driving very conservative, and when I start the engine cold it's RPM's are pretty high and I let it warm up. Once or twice even after waiting for the RPM's to drop when I shift my automatic tranny from park to reverse it makes a little bit of a grinding noise, but then seems to run just fine. Hopefully just part of breaking the engine in!
Since Saturday my wife and I are proud owners of a new 4-door manual, black Rabbit. It was a tough decision considering all the makes and models available in our desired (albeit stretched) price range, but ultimately we were won over when we took the bunny for a test drive. The only options we decided to splurge on are the sunroof and 16 inch alloy wheels, but with so many standard features we needed nothing else. In the end we got an excellent deal and were able to spend a bit more on extended warranty, paint and interior protection (10 years), and ding/dent/crack/whatever-God-throws-at-you protection as well. In the end, our total came out to around $21000. As part of dealer incentives we also have 3 free oil changes and free car washes for a lifetime. They filled up our tank, and with 26 miles on the odometer, we were out of there. And with not a moment to spare; ours was the only manual on the lot (it wasn't even ON the lot; it was inside the showroom and they had to move it out for us) and there was already another couple there ready to buy!
My wife is an expert with a manual transmission, but I've never driven one except to practice in a parking lot in her 1992 Celica AllTrac (an exceptionally bitchy, unforgiving, and overall pain-in-the-[non-permissible content removed] transmission). But in this car the transmission feels so beefy and forgiving, and gear changes are literally under your fingers (short throw stick adds to the sporty feeling), that after 3 days I feel that the panic of street driving is starting to recede. And although many reviews (see Motortrend for example) complain about the engine being "thrashy", my wife can coax the most beautiful gutteral purrs out of that puppy. She even attempted to race a WRX from a light, and although we lost (naturally, the other car had twice the hp), our Rabbit kept itself composed and didn't whimper for a second. Which leads me to believe that it's all about how you drive it, and perhaps some editors' abilities to drive a manual leave much room for improvement.
After owning a 2000 Hyundai Accent for 7 years, driving is once again become pure joy. Especially those quick trips to the store, with no fewer than 6 lights and stop signs in between, where I can revel in the fun of changing gears when I want to and practice my starts/stops. And we're still amazed by the whole "Raumwunder" characteristic: inside the car feels as spacious as an Accord or a Camry, yet outside the dimensions are smaller even than our old Accent. The black color and low stance give it a solid look, and the quality of its construction is felt throughout. Even the instrument panel is simple, friendly, and economical, and lacks nothing that the competing Japanese cars offer in their cluttered interiors.
Anyway, I can continue with superlatives for a long time. Not to say that I don't have my critiques, but for the amount of money we spent we really feel like we got the perfect car for our current and near-future needs.
Sorry in advance for another wordy post. I have reached the 1,000 mile point and my car is officially broken in 1 week and 4 days from purchasing it--averaging a little less than 24 mpg for now. It looks like my current tank is going to be significantly better MPG then my previous three. On the Tips and Advice section of the manual page 11 it says that for the first 600 miles that you shouldn’t drive any faster than "3/4 the top speed on the speedometer." My speedometer goes up to 160mph. Did this mean that as long as I lay off the gas, and made sure not to drive any faster than 120 mph for those first 600 miles I was breaking the car in nicely? And for the last 400 miles (600-1000 mi) I could’ve been gradually pushing the engine to its top speed, or it’s maximum permissible RPM. This was obviously meant for autobahn regulars?? I guess I was driving ULTRA conservatively keeping it under 80mph as often as I could remember. Now that I’m broken in, I find myself easily accelerating to nearly 90mph without even realizing it. I have 16 inch alloy rims, and drive with low AC on and still can’t believe how this vehicle is so quiet and smooth at high speeds. I’ve often got to rely on my cruise control, or be constantly check my speedometer to make sure that I am not driving at felony speeds on the Orange County and Los Angeles freeways. (When I manage to drive without traffic of course.) I Still have not taken my Rabbit in to the dealer to get my passenger seat fixed, but will eventually get this handled.
My girlfriend along with one of my carpools that suffers from back pain enjoy the heated seats. They still seem like an unnecessarily posh standard feature on this car that just gives me a guilty smile when I think about them. There is absolutely NOTHING else out there in this price range that offers this hahaha.
Eldaino: My Monster Mats must either be different, or need or have something removed in order to snap in to place. The holes that line up with the knobs on the floor seem much, much too small. They are the rubber mats with the rabbit logos on the sides, one more thing I’ll have the dealer check when I finally get a chance to bring my car in.
keep enjoying your ride man! i too find it terribly easy to go to fast. Even my buddy with the 300hp civic was suprised when he took a ride; he looked at the speedometer and said, 'dude we are really going that fast?'
Unless they meant the top governed speed (which is for the rabbit, 130 mph) i guess that yes you were babying it. But its ok, i did exaclty the same thing.
Nearly 2000 miles on my United Gray 4 door. Noticed that this vehicle does not like discount gas. My first 3-4 tanks were from a local Shell station that I've always went to and that has really great prices, and usually no problems. BUT I noticed that the engine ran a little bit "burpy" and at times was concerned that one of my brake calipers might be frozen since It seemed like there was a "frictiony" feel when I accelerated, or even when I just rested my foot on the gas pedal, ESPECIALLY compared to when I went to a Mobile for my last tank, and now Chevron for my current tank. I've been only using Regular 87 Octane Gas. At first I thought it had to do with having the vehicle broken in but there's been a noticeable improvement in the quality of the drive since I filled up at Chev, and my perceived MPG Getting about 20-30 miles better than usual on each quarter tanks so far, and the overall feel on the gas pedal is much more smooth. (does this make sense? I'm trying to describe the vibrations of the engine you feel on your foot when it's on the throttle...) Anyway, hopefully this will finally boost me above 25 mpg + since I've painfully been driving this car conservatively and getting a less-than-mediocre 23-24 MPG.
I don't want to start using 89 since the extra 10 cents a gallon defeat the purpose of going to Shell, so I'm willing to just get the 87 at a better gas station. The MPG could have something to do with ethanol content in some gasolines (since it is not as efficient as good old fashioned fossil fuel gas alone), but I haven't done my research yet.
Still love this car, and now that I'm using (what I think is) a better fuel, the quality of the drive has made me loiter in my car for a minute or two when I pull in my drive way and contemplate doing a quick lap around the block.... :shades:
I've also really started noticing all the subtle cool sounds this car makes, especially the shocks and suspension when going over a speed bump. The sleek pneumatic hiss the car makes when you go over a speed bump with the windows rolled down is niiiice. And the Straight-From-An-Airplane-Stewardess-DING the radio makes when you mute your radio, or your refuel light lights up is really fitting compared to all the annoying sounds so many other cars make.
I will often mute the radio when I have a new passenger, saying "Listen to this" right before I try to find some speed bumps to take 'em over once I've muted the radio. . .
i agree about the rabbit not liking discount gas...but then again, i never fill up anywhere else but bp or shell, and have actually noticed a small improvement in engine smoothness when having switched to midgrade or premium. but no significant mileage gains either.
i like the sounds the bunny makes....i just didn't consider the shocks/bushings sound one of them. especially since i didn't notice it until about 15k. but maybe it was always there? :confuse:
I just purchased a new sage green 08 Rabbit 2 door, picked it up on Monday. This is 4th purchase of a VW, the second with an automatic transmission. I prefer a manual on the VW but since this car will be used to teach my daughter to drive I thought it will be the best choice. It will also become her first car when the time comes. So far I am impressed with the performance, a little noisy on older roads but fine and smooth ones. I have already put over 400 miles in the two days that I have it and paying only $20.00 (2.77) to fill up at a little less than half a tank also felt better than the $35.00 it took to fill up the Chevy Colorado that I traded in. One thing I don't understand is why VW has differences in features between the 2dr and 4dr. In my opinion the only difference should be the 2 doors. The radio in the 2dr is lacking in features and display with only one line. Funny that in the binder with all the manuals, the manual for the radio with the 6 cd changer and no where in any of the documents is the radio I have in the car. See the radio displays the current time on the display which is redundant since the time is displayed on instrument panel. I can't find anything on how to change the display. The only other thing I miss is a center arm rest. Anyone know where to get an after market arm rest for the Rabbit? All in all I am happy with the Rabbit and can live without some of the things I am used to having in a VW. This is a perfect first car for my daughter. Oh, there is a lot more room in my garage.
In the 07 4 door models, the center divider between the driver and passenger seats has a top that slides forward and can be adjusted for height as well, thus creating an arm rest. I don't know if the newest 2 door models offer that, but you might want to check before installing your own arm rest.
the reason that there are a bit more features on the 4 door is to keep costs low on the 2 door.
but there is hardly room for complaint especially since the 2 door has more features or at least just as many as other cars in its class for much cheaper.
the armrest i belive is going to be part of a package option on the 2 doors in 08 but for now you can go to www.tmtuning.com and order one for about 200 bucks. it also included the rear facing vents for passengers, and well worth the upgrade in my opinion.
Broke 2,000. Still haven't gotten around to bringing my car in to the shop to fix the seat. Will do this next week (finally). Performance of this car is amazing at high speeds. 85+ mph this car shines, it's unbelievably smooooooth. I can't wait (until I get enough courage) to take it 100+ mph. I finally put it in sports mode, and floored it a bit and this car really takes off, and took some turns fast enough for the anti skid to kick in. Even though it's "smooth" it still handles great. Still averaging around 24mpg. (And I've come to terms with knowing I'd get the same MPG in the gas version of the golf, even if I'd bought a used year 2000+ model) With the amount of traffic I get stuck in, I'm not too disapointed. I think I'll still be okay even with putting the engine through it's paces the last few days.
I am not complaining, didn't mean to make it sound that way. I am very happy with my Rabbit. When I went to purchase the car I didn't know the '08 was out. The VW web site still shows the 2007. The dealer I went to didn't have any '07's left. Now that I installed my XM radio I am happy. I still need an armrest and i am still looking. I will check that web site.
i think that the rabbits power and fuel economy issues are best addressed when you compare them to the previous gen golf, as opposed to, say, the 8th gen civic and its 30mpg+ engine.
the last engine that came standard in the golf was a measly 2.0 with 115 hp. (hondas sohc, NON vtec 1.7 liter mill that came in the dx and lx versions of last gen's civic made the same hp.) And it got about 1 mpg better on the highway and about 1-2 in the city.
its no contest, and i'm glad the edmunds staff pointed its huge power advantage over the previous gen golf.
Yup. New Rabbit owners (or prospective owners) who are concerned about the fuel economy-- Do a side-by-side of all the Golf models since 2000, and you'll find the Fuel Economy has always been virtually the same on the Gas Engine models, and the newest one (here I go again) is bigger, heavier, and has more horsepower, and an extra cylinder. Still doesn't give the car more MPG than a Civic, but it's good if you want some VW perspective. AND if you're in California the vehicle has a beefy catalytic converter and is PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) which virtually NO OTHER car in its class can claim that isn't hybrid.
I recommend going to this site, and taking a look at different years of diff, models. They've super-imposed the new EPA MPG ratings over the on-the-sticker displays of older models going as far back as the 80's
That gave me a huge amount of perspective after I purchased my car, since I was starting to contemplate getting an 05 or older used model, knowing that they had smaller engines. I didn't realize that I'd be getting the same fuel economy, but would have had less horse power, less reliability (possibly), and less standard features.
I've now had my Candy White 4dr for 6 months and covered 7,000 miles in it, including two trips to Cali (I live in Las Vegas). It's performed so well, it still amazes me that this car is a "budget" car. It's comfortable enough to take long road trips and not have to think about taking many rest stops to stretch out etc.
the last trip i took to San Diego was great, squeezed into some tiny on-street parking spots, the turning circle on this thing (and all VW's I've driven) is fantastic. it's quick pace very useful flying around the city streets, having to pull out of side streets quickly or get stuck there for ages.
On the way back we were doing 90+ all the way once we got past LA and onto the 15. Most of that time we were doing 100+ cruising with an Infiniti G35 coupe, keeping up with him no problem, even when he pushed up to 110+. driving at these speeds for 2 hours was intense, but the bunny handled it better than a lot of "luxury" sedans! Only when we got close to LV did someone pass us, and that was an S500 Merc doing about 150!
the only thing i wish this car had would be one of those built in digital compasses in the rearview...but hey, even Jeep's new vehicle called the "Compass" doesn't even have one at entry level! (morons!)
oh, and btw, Findlay VW where we got ours, they were stellar, Paul in particular...Desert VW on the other hand were terrible, would never go there again, high pressure, didn't even know the specs of the car, and tried selling it to us for $3k over the sticker!!!
Can anyone recommend a brand of oil to use in my Rabbit if I'm not taking it to a dealer? Is the Mobil synthetic 5-40 okay, or is there a special kind we're supposed to be using? Thanks for your input.
castrol has one that says its specifically made to pass the vw oil requirements; and its the oil that vw actually uses. look for it in the synthetic section and you should be able to find it; this is the same oil that the dealers use.
but i know a few people who use the mobil that you speak off, and it seems to do just as well.
Thanks. I've done some checking, and Castrol does have an oil that meets the requirements. Apparently, the Mobil 1 5W/40 is not on the list of approved oils, only their 0W/40 is. I called Mobil and asked them, and they confirmed it. I called VW and they said it had to be an oil with the 502.00 VW rating, but it didn't have to be on their list. But Mobil tod me their 5W/40 doesn't meet the VW requirements for gas engines. Also, the oil filter you use should meet their requirements, as well, and the rings that secure it, which have to be changed each time.
Having said all that, I'm going to the dealer for an oil change.
well folks,iv'e had the rabbit for almost 10 month's and 5,500 miles and so far so good.yeah,thats right only 5,500 miles,i drive a company car so the rabbit is my weekend and trip car.iam still dealing with the radio fadeing in and out sometimes as well as the bass boosting on it's own on occasion.i would rather live with this problem than bringing it in to vw service and haveing them make matters worse which they have a habbit of doing.will give a 1 year update on the rabbit in october as well as the stereo issues update as well.......steve
Finally Took the Rabbit in to repair the passenger seat. My car has had a broken knob on the passenger seat since I got it,and I finally brought it in last week and it was fixed and washed with little hassle, and no charge. The only thing that didn't happen, was I didn't get a call with an update the first day. I called the following morning, and they said that it would be ready whenever I came in. So far so good, hopefully the service continues to remain at least this easy.
I recently purchased a new 2 door 2007 VW Rabbit. I also had water in the spare tire wheel well. When I purchased the car and had the orientation I noticed some water droplets on the spare tire the sales man was showing me. I asked him about this. He said they had just washed the entire car. I said ok. Since it was early evening, I did not see anything below the spare tire. So a couple days later while looking for the radio code, I open the trunk, and looked in the spare tire and saw about an inch of water in the spare tire well. I immediately took the car back to the dealer. They too were like "never heard of that...blah blah blah." I said it's their car again and I wanted a new one. The new car sales people I was dealing with were not in that day. I left the car with a used car sales guy and, they gave me a loaner car. Incredibly, it's been two days and I have heard nothing from the dealer. What is that about...?? I have no idea what they are doing. Good customer service would be the head of sales calling me that next day and saying sorry, we will be getting you a new one, and we are working on it. But two days of silence, is just awful way to treat a new customer with a problem. I am dealing with Bill Jacobs VW in Naperville IL. May just void the whole deal with them and go someplace else. But long story short, there should not be inches of water in a car when you get it from the dealer. So with your issue, it appears that they have a problem with the seals on this car and does not bode well for reliability.
Well, I purchased my sage green 4dr manual Nov 07 and after 13,000 painful miles I am about to trade it for something not from VW. This is especially strange because I have been a Volkswagen owner and fanatic for 25 years. My problem is that currently the Rabbit, Jetta, and Passat are based on the same basic platform. A very flawed platform. I really do not understand why the rear suspension, that they supposedly spent a ton of money on, is so useless. The Rabbit suspension jiggles, jars and slams the passengers on every road irregularity and makes even slight tar strips fell like large speed bumps. Combine that with the most incredibly uncomfortable seats in any VW I have owned. I just can't find any good settings. I have never had a vehicle cause me physical pain until having to commute to work in this one.
Another issue: Electronic throttle hesitation. I have read that others have also experienced this fun problem. It usually happens for me when I slow down but don't stop and then go to accelerate again and then nothing happens for a long few moments. Pulling out of parking space and then going forward can be fun also. The car will usually stall even if I ride the clutch to prevent it. Having this happen in the middle of intersections while turning left is a scary experience. I have driven manual transmission cars for more than 25 years and never stalled my car this many times.
Issue 3: Automatic Radio Volume, i.e. Sudden Sound Blaster I finally turned this feature off after many annoying and unnerving Blasts of full volume and bass. Like the throttle hesitation, this usually would happen when I slowed down but didn't stop and then accelerated again. The dealer looked at this known problem but said I already had the most current, supposedly fixed software. I fixed it by turning it off!
So...before I get started, let me first say so far I LOVE my new 2008 Rabbit S 2 Dr 5 speed manual, 170hp vdub with "Germ-han engineerhringh" as the commercials say. My dream car is a Mini Cooper S but I decided to face reality and realize I couldn't afford one. I was back to square one in choosing a car and its a bit overwhelming (especially why you have a set kind of car in mind). I am very happy with my decision and here's a few reasons why:
Lets start with the get-up-and-go of this car. I know I mentioned it had a 170 inline 5 cylinder engine and you can really feel it. Other "comparable" cars (Scion Tc, Honda Civic, Ford Focus) don't come to close to the feel of this car. Handling is right up there with the MINI (and believe me, I'm a MINI fan so I wouldn't say that about many cars). I am taking corners at speeds I couldn't have taken in my previous car.
The interior is very nice and I love the adjustable seats. I'm short at 5 ft tall so its important for me to see over the steering wheel while not feeling like I'm leaning forward. The lighting is awesome (a real cool blue and red lights on everything that has a symbol on it). I see no need to customize this aspect of the car.
Speaking of customization, anyone know of any kits that I can purchase for the front end to make it look more like the GTI? I have looked all over and can't seem to find anything close.
I've only had the car about a week but so far I'm happy and feel I made a good decision. Sticker price was a modest $16430. There was a scratch on the side of the drivers door when I test drove it and the salesman assured me it would be fixed this week free of charge (customer service so far has been superb). I'm impressed with the quality of the car considering the price I paid for it.
My problem is that currently the Rabbit, Jetta, and Passat are based on the same basic platform. A very flawed platform. I really do not understand why the rear suspension, that they supposedly spent a ton of money on, is so useless. The Rabbit suspension jiggles, jars and slams the passengers on every road irregularity and makes even slight tar strips fell like large speed bumps
well, the jetta, rabbit, and passat are NOT all on the same platform. Just the jetta and rabbit are.
I beg to differ on your 'jarring' ride comments; the rabbit soaks up bumps very nicely, its one of its virtues. thats the beauty of a independant rear suspension; a def step up from the poorly tuned twist beam rears of yore. in europe this is considered the cushiest ride out of all the small cars there; and they know a thing or two about bad road surfaces.
sorry about your other woes; i had the six speed auto and it never seemed to lag to much. and i loved the seats.
It's so packed with stuff, I do not know how how VW makes a profit on this car.
VW doesn't make any money off these cars. i just read an article in a financial mag and apparently VW needs to learn how to build cars more cheaply in order to make a profit. If they don't, there may not be a VW in North America for much longer. Drastic, but very possible.
Right now though, it's good if your a current VW owner. Your driving what is essentially an over-engineered car, albeit with a few flaws, but better than most in this proce range.
Just to give you a 'global' perspective on the Rabbit: I have an European '04 Golf 2.0 TDI, orignially 140 bhp/ 240 lb. So far I have done 70 k km, abt 40 k miles, and the car is holding up pretty well. I haven't had any structural problems yet, although most of my driving is in the city. Structral rigidity is exactly the best virtue of the car, but it is a step up compared to the Golf 3 and 4. Abt a year ago, I decided to replace the motor management chip, with one by ABT. It raised the performance to around 180 bhp and 280 lb of torque, increasing consumption from 40 MPG to 36 MPG.
That brings me to another point of the car, the brakes do seem to be rather inadequate for its performance levels. Braking at speeds of 70 mph, doesn't seem induce as much confidence as it should, let alone having to brake on the German autobahn at 125 mph or more. On the other hand stability at these speeds is not an issue at all. I topped the car at 225 km/h, abt 135 mph after the chip change. More inportantly though the in-gear acceleration is where the biggest gain can be found. I assure you, it's seriously fast! Downside is that all of this devours my tyres. I recently swapped the Bridgestone Turanzas for Michelin Primacy HPs. Quite an improvement I must say.
Regarding the audio, I am very happy with the standard 6 speaker set. I replaced the after-market VDO Dayton Radio/ CD combo with a 1-DIN Becker Bluetooth/ Navigationsystem. Sound is so crisp and the bass is full.
All in all,I am pretty satisfied with this car. You do get the feeling of driving a premium car, although prices here in Europe can be considered quite premium as well. Still, it cannot beat the feel of a RWD car. Especially with the heavy diesel engine under the bonnet, understeer is a given. Then again, we're not on a racetrack, are we?
I am curious about US Rabbit TDI experiences. Anyone?
Unfortunately we in the US have not been given the privilege of having a TDI in the Rabbit. The TDI won't even be available in the Jetta (Bora) for another few months I do believe. You might want to ask the same question in the Golf forum since '05 and earlier Golfs did have the TDI.
I own a 2007 2dr VW Rabbit. I just completed a 1,600 mile vacation. Driving from Las Vegas, NV to Santa Rosa, California and then to Carson City, Nevada and back to Las Vegas, NV. I had tons of Power up mountains and on the freeways. Can not give you MPH as we stayed at 80 mph most of the way. I can say at 80 mph we did get 23 miles per Gal. Car handled like a dream. If we had traveled at 65 it would have been more. I give my car 5 Stars as it is one cool machine. Joe from Las Vegas
sounds a little low, i used to get around 27-28 under similar speeds, AND over shorter distances. I'd get around 29 if i were to go as much as you did.
My Beamer had 53K on it and went out of warranty, and since I could no longer justify it since I couldn't claim it as a business expense anymore, I just wanted something small, safe, fun to drive, and unpretentious. Something that people on the freeway would actually let me change lanes in front of them in, because they wouldn't assume I was a jerk because of my car. I really wanted a hatchback as I'm a single person in a one-car "family" and there were so many times I couldn't fit things in the small trunk opening of my BMW. This weekend I looked at the Fit (not really in the same class, I know), the Mazda3, and the Rabbit, and the Rabbit won me over hands down. The features for the price are amazing (like the heated seats, the lane-change flashers, etc.), the crash ratings were better than the Mazda, and the warranty is one year longer B-2-B and two years longer for the powertrain. I have plenty of friends with Jettas and Golfs and I don't hear much complaining from them about reliability. Plus, I may be the only person in history who has ever complained about the unreliability of a Honda - an '03 Accord that I traded after 13K miles because it had so many problems my conscience wouldn't have let me sell it privately. I've owned three Hondas and the only one that I thought was a really decent car was my 1980 Civic, which I bought new and drove into the ground. I had a '97 Passat and never had any trouble with it, so from my own experience, I honestly can't get on the Japanese reliability bandwagon. But I realize I'm probably in the minority here, and 4 cars aren't a suitable sample size.
I love the auto trans. and the brakes on the Rabbit...I've never waxed poetic about brakes before, but these are so smooth, so sure, and don't grab at all. Acceleration is great, cornering (once I got used to the FWD) is, too, and the car just feels solid. At half the price of my BMW, it is WAY more than half the car. Now, if it doesn't give me too many problems, I will be one happy bunny owner. I'll report back in a few thou and let y'all know if I'm still a believer.
Well, it has been about 4 months (just did the first oil change @ 5K) with the new 2007 Rabbit, 2dr, auto, alloy, gray and I LOVE IT. I got great lease deal on it. It is my first VW, but I can compare with the BMW X3 my wife is driving. (well, if you can compare these rather different vehicles), but what I mean is you can feel the German quality. In fact the interior has a lot in common with the BMW. Amazingly, the interior dimensions are about the same. The controlls have a lot of similarities and the quality of the material is very good. It is just that the Rabbit does not have all the perks of the BMW (heated steering wheel, heated power seats with memory adjustment, rain sensors, etc....), The sound system is very nice. I really have no complaints so far. I wish the glove compartment is larger. We have three kids and they prefer to ride in the bunny instead of the BMW ...and yes, all 5 of us can fit (with one car seat), and it is really fun.
Well, what can I say. I love this car. Now I have to say I did pay a little more than expected but then again it's a VW. Well worth every penny in my opinion! I used to own a 1996 GTI with no mods. After toying around with other manufacturer's Mazda, Jeep and Nissan, I simply wanted to be back in a VW. The ride is truly distinct. I purchased a 2008 Rabbit 2.5L 2 door with upgraded wheels. I had looked at the GTI but I just couldn't see a good enough reason to dish out more than 25,000 for it. Don't get me wrong, I love the bells and whistles on the new GTI but for what you get in the rabbit, I think it suited me just fine. To top it off, the rabbit is quick! I average about 340 miles per tank. Beats the pants off my old wrangler. Couple of things that I noticed that i didn't like. First, you can feel the harmonics of the engine through the clutch(slight vibration when depressing and pressing the clutch while driving). I haven't done a search on it but I did take it in to the dealer to look at it. They said it's the harmonics. Not sure if they were blowing smoke or not. It wasn't there when test driven. The clutch does function properly. Second, the vents are not spaced well in my opinion. When it's cold outside, it's hard for your hands to get warm for a considerable amount if time. Now these issues are purely personal preference in the design and I have for the most part gotten used to it.But I still love it. Definitely would recommend it. Also, I thought I was due for an oil change because I'm coming up on 3000 but after reading posts here, 5000 looks like where it should be. I will double check my owners manual anyway.
Not sure what your hearing. I do however, hear a sound sometimes coming from the back or somewhere near it. It sounds like a faint clicking sound almost like the gas level in the tank leveling out because i only hear it when I first start driving it and I'm usually traveling on an incline. I'm probably wrong but that's what it sounds like to me.
If I were you, I would get a second opinion via another dealership, private VW mechanic or a performance VW tuner. That way you can determine whether your dealer's diagnosis is legitimate or if they are blowing smoke...
Comments
it seems that mkV jettas are plentiful, but the rabbit/gti are harder to come by!
i wanted to fill you all in on the great buy i got it at. please PLEASE dont take it as bragging, i just think we all should know great deals are available if we have the patience for em.
ive loved the rabbit since i first saw their new model but never thought i could afford one. low and behold on craigslist i found a private seller needing to sell this bunny asap bc she was moving out of the country. it was only bought this last oct. and still under 5yr warranty. i was able to talk her down to 13500. i feel so lucky about it! what a blessing!
so far in the two days of driving it ive been oober please with the handleing and of course the car itself!!just washed it tonight and i hope me buying a 5dollar gallon of soap isnt going to cost me and my baby's paint!!
congrats and enjoy!
5,000 miles is a long way to go between oil changes, particlularly if you have some city and short driving trips mixed in with it, but with synthetic oil should have some margin for error. 10,000 mile oil changes leave little margin for error (and also assume a VW spec'd synthetic oil, not just any old synthetic oil). Remember that at least one oil change a year is required under the "time or miles" alternative.
Finally, with "every 3 months" oil changes becoming a thing of the past, there is no one looking at tire pressure and fluid level checks besides you. Owner's manual service recommendations PRESUME a monthly check of the items listed in the manual. These are very minor checks, but how many owner's actually still do them? Does it matter? Ask owners of Ford Expeditions who had tire blow outs due to underinflated tires. Ask Camry and Sebring owners with sludged engines.
Don't believe all the hype about "maintenance free." Even my toaster needs to have the crumbs dumped out once in a while or in becomes a fire hazard....
Yeah. This is the same guy who told me my 20k service was x amount one time and then 2 weeks later, it was 150 bucks more for no reason.
there is no need to change your oil any sooner than what vw themselves says needs to be done. The manual does NOT give a substituion of synthetic oil is not avialable, and i only use the vw spec/approved one.
i do perform the fluid checks and check my tires regularly, i just wont be taking my car to the dealer every 10k not when its just, check this/check that. on the big ones where there is some more extensive work and things that need to be tested, i can scrounge up the dough to do so. (i.e. the 40k service.) but aside from that i'm good.
I've always found it funny that all Canadian manuals follow extreme conditions (I'm not only talking VW here), whereas the moment you get across the border, it's back to the normal conditions. Since my climate (Toronto) is roughly the same as that of New England and other northeastern states, there should be no reason why that which applies to one shouldn't apply to the other.
Whatever the reason, I think that changing oil every 5000mi is a good idea anyways. As far as fluid checks and tire pressures, every owner should do that on their own anyways. I could get on a rant about how owners "expect" their cars to operate maintenance-free in perpetuity, but I'll resist.
Also: my dealer didn't tell me that the lumbar support knob on the passenger seat was broken. I'm guessing it was broken when they gave it to me, because a friend of mine who is an Audi owner (and was my first passenger) with the same kind of seats accidentally pulled the knob out. I will be taking it to the dealer soon for a repair. It doesn't bother me too much since I am never a passenger in my car, and so long as they fix it without hassle. The "Gorrilla gear" mats in my car are vey cool. but I notice there are little twistable knobs on the floor of my car that look like they're for the mats, and you slip them through on holes in the mat, and twist them so that the mat stays in place. My Gorrilla-gear rubber mats with the rabbit logos do not seem to fit very well over these. Any suggestions? I'll probably ask my dealer when I bring it in to have the seat fixed.
Still love the car and all it's odds and ends, the 10 speaker system in the 4 door is freaking great and the car is getting more fun to drive every day.
I am still driving very conservative, and when I start the engine cold it's RPM's are pretty high and I let it warm up. Once or twice even after waiting for the RPM's to drop when I shift my automatic tranny from park to reverse it makes a little bit of a grinding noise, but then seems to run just fine. Hopefully just part of breaking the engine in!
sharpedge: i've got the monster mats, they are rubber, and they fit just fine into the little plastic parts on the floor.
The only options we decided to splurge on are the sunroof and 16 inch alloy wheels, but with so many standard features we needed nothing else. In the end we got an excellent deal and were able to spend a bit more on extended warranty, paint and interior protection (10 years), and ding/dent/crack/whatever-God-throws-at-you protection as well. In the end, our total came out to around $21000. As part of dealer incentives we also have 3 free oil changes and free car washes for a lifetime. They filled up our tank, and with 26 miles on the odometer, we were out of there. And with not a moment to spare; ours was the only manual on the lot (it wasn't even ON the lot; it was inside the showroom and they had to move it out for us) and there was already another couple there ready to buy!
My wife is an expert with a manual transmission, but I've never driven one except to practice in a parking lot in her 1992 Celica AllTrac (an exceptionally bitchy, unforgiving, and overall pain-in-the-[non-permissible content removed] transmission). But in this car the transmission feels so beefy and forgiving, and gear changes are literally under your fingers (short throw stick adds to the sporty feeling), that after 3 days I feel that the panic of street driving is starting to recede. And although many reviews (see Motortrend for example) complain about the engine being "thrashy", my wife can coax the most beautiful gutteral purrs out of that puppy. She even attempted to race a WRX from a light, and although we lost (naturally, the other car had twice the hp), our Rabbit kept itself composed and didn't whimper for a second. Which leads me to believe that it's all about how you drive it, and perhaps some editors' abilities to drive a manual leave much room for improvement.
After owning a 2000 Hyundai Accent for 7 years, driving is once again become pure joy. Especially those quick trips to the store, with no fewer than 6 lights and stop signs in between, where I can revel in the fun of changing gears when I want to and practice my starts/stops. And we're still amazed by the whole "Raumwunder" characteristic: inside the car feels as spacious as an Accord or a Camry, yet outside the dimensions are smaller even than our old Accent. The black color and low stance give it a solid look, and the quality of its construction is felt throughout. Even the instrument panel is simple, friendly, and economical, and lacks nothing that the competing Japanese cars offer in their cluttered interiors.
Anyway, I can continue with superlatives for a long time. Not to say that I don't have my critiques, but for the amount of money we spent we really feel like we got the perfect car for our current and near-future needs.
My girlfriend along with one of my carpools that suffers from back pain enjoy the heated seats. They still seem like an unnecessarily posh standard feature on this car that just gives me a guilty smile when I think about them. There is absolutely NOTHING else out there in this price range that offers this hahaha.
Eldaino: My Monster Mats must either be different, or need or have something removed in order to snap in to place. The holes that line up with the knobs on the floor seem much, much too small. They are the rubber mats with the rabbit logos on the sides, one more thing I’ll have the dealer check when I finally get a chance to bring my car in.
alas i wish the two door had the heated seats!
keep enjoying your ride man! i too find it terribly easy to go to fast. Even my buddy with the 300hp civic was suprised when he took a ride; he looked at the speedometer and said, 'dude we are really going that fast?'
Unless they meant the top governed speed (which is for the rabbit, 130 mph) i guess that yes you were babying it. But its ok, i did exaclty the same thing.
Anyway, hopefully this will finally boost me above 25 mpg + since I've painfully been driving this car conservatively and getting a less-than-mediocre 23-24 MPG.
I don't want to start using 89 since the extra 10 cents a gallon defeat the purpose of going to Shell, so I'm willing to just get the 87 at a better gas station. The MPG could have something to do with ethanol content in some gasolines (since it is not as efficient as good old fashioned fossil fuel gas alone), but I haven't done my research yet.
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Still love this car, and now that I'm using (what I think is) a better fuel, the quality of the drive has made me loiter in my car for a minute or two when I pull in my drive way and contemplate doing a quick lap around the block.... :shades:
I've also really started noticing all the subtle cool sounds this car makes, especially the shocks and suspension when going over a speed bump. The sleek pneumatic hiss the car makes when you go over a speed bump with the windows rolled down is niiiice. And the Straight-From-An-Airplane-Stewardess-DING the radio makes when you mute your radio, or your refuel light lights up is really fitting compared to all the annoying sounds so many other cars make.
I will often mute the radio when I have a new passenger, saying "Listen to this" right before I try to find some speed bumps to take 'em over once I've muted the radio. . .
i like the sounds the bunny makes....i just didn't consider the shocks/bushings sound one of them. especially since i didn't notice it until about 15k. but maybe it was always there? :confuse:
Oh, there is a lot more room in my garage.
but there is hardly room for complaint especially since the 2 door has more features or at least just as many as other cars in its class for much cheaper.
the armrest i belive is going to be part of a package option on the 2 doors in 08 but for now you can go to
www.tmtuning.com and order one for about 200 bucks. it also included the rear facing vents for passengers, and well worth the upgrade in my opinion.
Still haven't gotten around to bringing my car in to the shop to fix the seat. Will do this next week (finally). Performance of this car is amazing at high speeds. 85+ mph this car shines, it's unbelievably smooooooth. I can't wait (until I get enough courage) to take it 100+ mph. I finally put it in sports mode, and floored it a bit and this car really takes off, and took some turns fast enough for the anti skid to kick in. Even though it's "smooth" it still handles great. Still averaging around 24mpg. (And I've come to terms with knowing I'd get the same MPG in the gas version of the golf, even if I'd bought a used year 2000+ model) With the amount of traffic I get stuck in, I'm not too disapointed. I think I'll still be okay even with putting the engine through it's paces the last few days.
i think that the rabbits power and fuel economy issues are best addressed when you compare them to the previous gen golf, as opposed to, say, the 8th gen civic and its 30mpg+ engine.
the last engine that came standard in the golf was a measly 2.0 with 115 hp. (hondas sohc, NON vtec 1.7 liter mill that came in the dx and lx versions of last gen's civic made the same hp.) And it got about 1 mpg better on the highway and about 1-2 in the city.
its no contest, and i'm glad the edmunds staff pointed its huge power advantage over the previous gen golf.
Fuel Economy.Gov Side By Side Comparisons
I recommend going to this site, and taking a look at different years of diff, models. They've super-imposed the new EPA MPG ratings over the on-the-sticker displays of older models going as far back as the 80's
That gave me a huge amount of perspective after I purchased my car, since I was starting to contemplate getting an 05 or older used model, knowing that they had smaller engines. I didn't realize that I'd be getting the same fuel economy, but would have had less horse power, less reliability (possibly), and less standard features.
the last trip i took to San Diego was great, squeezed into some tiny on-street parking spots, the turning circle on this thing (and all VW's I've driven) is fantastic. it's quick pace very useful flying around the city streets, having to pull out of side streets quickly or get stuck there for ages.
On the way back we were doing 90+ all the way once we got past LA and onto the 15. Most of that time we were doing 100+ cruising with an Infiniti G35 coupe, keeping up with him no problem, even when he pushed up to 110+. driving at these speeds for 2 hours was intense, but the bunny handled it better than a lot of "luxury" sedans! Only when we got close to LV did someone pass us, and that was an S500 Merc doing about 150!
the only thing i wish this car had would be one of those built in digital compasses in the rearview...but hey, even Jeep's new vehicle called the "Compass" doesn't even have one at entry level! (morons!)
oh, and btw, Findlay VW where we got ours, they were stellar, Paul in particular...Desert VW on the other hand were terrible, would never go there again, high pressure, didn't even know the specs of the car, and tried selling it to us for $3k over the sticker!!!
2007 in September from Las Vegas to Santa Rosa, Ca
and then to Reno and home to LV. I can't wait.
Joe
yeah, the bunny does have a pretty high speed limit..130 mph. even the mazda 3 (base obviously) cuts off at 118.
but i know a few people who use the mobil that you speak off, and it seems to do just as well.
Having said all that, I'm going to the dealer for an oil change.
My car has had a broken knob on the passenger seat since I got it,and I finally brought it in last week and it was fixed and washed with little hassle, and no charge. The only thing that didn't happen, was I didn't get a call with an update the first day. I called the following morning, and they said that it would be ready whenever I came in. So far so good, hopefully the service continues to remain at least this easy.
I purchased my sage green 4dr manual Nov 07 and after 13,000 painful miles I am about to trade it for something not from VW. This is especially strange because I have been a Volkswagen owner and fanatic for 25 years. My problem is that currently the Rabbit, Jetta, and Passat are based on the same basic platform. A very flawed platform. I really do not understand why the rear suspension, that they supposedly spent a ton of money on, is so useless. The Rabbit suspension jiggles, jars and slams the passengers on every road irregularity and makes even slight tar strips fell like large speed bumps. Combine that with the most incredibly uncomfortable seats in any VW I have owned. I just can't find any good settings. I have never had a vehicle cause me physical pain until having to commute to work in this one.
Another issue: Electronic throttle hesitation.
I have read that others have also experienced this fun problem. It usually happens for me when I slow down but don't stop and then go to accelerate again and then nothing happens for a long few moments. Pulling out of parking space and then going forward can be fun also. The car will usually stall even if I ride the clutch to prevent it. Having this happen in the middle of intersections while turning left is a scary experience. I have driven manual transmission cars for more than 25 years and never stalled my car this many times.
Issue 3: Automatic Radio Volume, i.e. Sudden Sound Blaster
I finally turned this feature off after many annoying and unnerving Blasts of full volume and bass. Like the throttle hesitation, this usually would happen when I slowed down but didn't stop and then accelerated again. The dealer looked at this known problem but said I already had the most current, supposedly fixed software. I fixed it by turning it off!
Lets start with the get-up-and-go of this car. I know I mentioned it had a 170 inline 5 cylinder engine and you can really feel it. Other "comparable" cars (Scion Tc, Honda Civic, Ford Focus) don't come to close to the feel of this car. Handling is right up there with the MINI (and believe me, I'm a MINI fan so I wouldn't say that about many cars). I am taking corners at speeds I couldn't have taken in my previous car.
The interior is very nice and I love the adjustable seats. I'm short at 5 ft tall so its important for me to see over the steering wheel while not feeling like I'm leaning forward. The lighting is awesome (a real cool blue and red lights on everything that has a symbol on it). I see no need to customize this aspect of the car.
Speaking of customization, anyone know of any kits that I can purchase for the front end to make it look more like the GTI? I have looked all over and can't seem to find anything close.
I've only had the car about a week but so far I'm happy and feel I made a good decision. Sticker price was a modest $16430. There was a scratch on the side of the drivers door when I test drove it and the salesman assured me it would be fixed this week free of charge (customer service so far has been superb). I'm impressed with the quality of the car considering the price I paid for it.
I dunno about the handling of a mini though; the rabbit grips well, but body roll is a definite downside. Thankfully there is the aftermarket.
Having said that, the suspension soaks up bumps remarkably well. and highspeed cruising is fantastic.
well, the jetta, rabbit, and passat are NOT all on the same platform. Just the jetta and rabbit are.
I beg to differ on your 'jarring' ride comments; the rabbit soaks up bumps very nicely, its one of its virtues. thats the beauty of a independant rear suspension; a def step up from the poorly tuned twist beam rears of yore. in europe this is considered the cushiest ride out of all the small cars there; and they know a thing or two about bad road surfaces.
sorry about your other woes; i had the six speed auto and it never seemed to lag to much. and i loved the seats.
VW doesn't make any money off these cars. i just read an article in a financial mag and apparently VW needs to learn how to build cars more cheaply in order to make a profit. If they don't, there may not be a VW in North America for much longer. Drastic, but very possible.
Right now though, it's good if your a current VW owner. Your driving what is essentially an over-engineered car, albeit with a few flaws, but better than most in this proce range.
thats why the mkVI's are coming out sooner than expected. the build time on the mkV's are too long.
Just to give you a 'global' perspective on the Rabbit: I have an European '04 Golf 2.0 TDI, orignially 140 bhp/ 240 lb. So far I have done 70 k km, abt 40 k miles, and the car is holding up pretty well. I haven't had any structural problems yet, although most of my driving is in the city. Structral rigidity is exactly the best virtue of the car, but it is a step up compared to the Golf 3 and 4. Abt a year ago, I decided to replace the motor management chip, with one by ABT. It raised the performance to around 180 bhp and 280 lb of torque, increasing consumption from 40 MPG to 36 MPG.
That brings me to another point of the car, the brakes do seem to be rather inadequate for its performance levels. Braking at speeds of 70 mph, doesn't seem induce as much confidence as it should, let alone having to brake on the German autobahn at 125 mph or more. On the other hand stability at these speeds is not an issue at all. I topped the car at 225 km/h, abt 135 mph after the chip change. More inportantly though the in-gear acceleration is where the biggest gain can be found. I assure you, it's seriously fast! Downside is that all of this devours my tyres. I recently swapped the Bridgestone Turanzas for Michelin Primacy HPs. Quite an improvement I must say.
Regarding the audio, I am very happy with the standard 6 speaker set. I replaced the after-market VDO Dayton Radio/ CD combo with a 1-DIN Becker Bluetooth/ Navigationsystem. Sound is so crisp and the bass is full.
All in all,I am pretty satisfied with this car. You do get the feeling of driving a premium car, although prices here in Europe can be considered quite premium as well. Still, it cannot beat the feel of a RWD car. Especially with the heavy diesel engine under the bonnet, understeer is a given. Then again, we're not on a racetrack, are we?
I am curious about US Rabbit TDI experiences. Anyone?
I just completed a 1,600 mile vacation. Driving from Las Vegas, NV
to Santa Rosa, California and then to Carson City, Nevada and back to Las Vegas, NV.
I had tons of Power up mountains and on the freeways. Can not give you MPH as we stayed at 80 mph most of the way.
I can say at 80 mph we did get 23 miles per Gal.
Car handled like a dream. If we had traveled at 65 it would have been more. I give my car 5 Stars as it is one cool machine.
Joe from Las Vegas
and guess that's all that counts.
I love the auto trans. and the brakes on the Rabbit...I've never waxed poetic about brakes before, but these are so smooth, so sure, and don't grab at all. Acceleration is great, cornering (once I got used to the FWD) is, too, and the car just feels solid. At half the price of my BMW, it is WAY more than half the car. Now, if it doesn't give me too many problems, I will be one happy bunny owner. I'll report back in a few thou and let y'all know if I'm still a believer.
I want to know anyone hear a strange sound inside their car when you step on Gas..
help help
thanks.!!