Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

New Rabbit Owners - give us your report!

SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
edited March 2014 in Volkswagen
New Rabbit Owners - give us your report!
«1345

Comments

  • fob666fob666 Member Posts: 2
    Hey guys! The rumors are true the Rabitts are out I bought a base black one for 16,200 its awesome im the first in VA to have one all i want to do is put the special jetta or gti rims on it and it will be perfect! The car gives you so many features you wouldnt expect on a base 16 thousand dollar car! :P :P
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    Wow, that is great. You may be not only first in VA, but maybe first in the country. It must be automatic. Congratulations!!!!! What color is the interior seats on yours? Did you happen to see any 4 doors? I really want the green, but I am afraid it may be with the beige interior which may be nice looking, but not practical for me. I can't wait to see them in more than pictures. :D:D
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    So ELABORATE! :-)

    2 DOORS OR 4? And what does it give you that you wouldn't even expect? Does it have cruise control across the range? A/C and CD? Keyless entry? Alloy wheels? Do tell....along with any driving impressions you have already formed...oh yeah: please! :blush:

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • clownfishfunkclownfishfunk Member Posts: 7
    I just put down a deposit on a rabbit today. It was the first one the dealership had, so I scooped it up quickly. The only color available was silver, which isn't my favorite color in general, but actually looks quite nice on this car. I will probably get it pinstriped to add a little individuality to the silver color (any color suggestions for the pinstripe?) It's a four door automatic, and the seats are the anthracite gray/black color, which is a nice cloth that doesn't make you feel like your clothes have velcroed to the seat. It was really nice to drive, felt very solid at high speeds yet the steering was nice and light at low speeds and pulling into parking spaces. The car was nicely loaded, with a sunroof, heated seats, 6-disc CD player, 16" wheels, advanced traction control system, defrosting mirrors, on top of the standard equipment. Unfortunately, the dealer hasn't received the paperwork for the car, so I have to wait for that to arrive before I can take it home. All in all, I'm very excited!

    P.S. It was sold as a 2006, by the way.
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    Congrats :D Hope you don't have to wait long to take your car home. What part of the country are you in? Seems like they are more on the east coast. Are the rabbits going pretty much for MSRP...I understand there really is not a lot of mark up. Actually, I never thought of silver until I drove a GTI in silver. It is tops of my list in a 4 door Rabbit. Good idea about the pinstripes.
  • clownfishfunkclownfishfunk Member Posts: 7
    Thanks! I'm in New York (Long Island). The car cost $20,500 because of all the extra stuff in it (particularly the sunroof, traction control, and automatic transmission).
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    Can you tell me if the heated seats on the 4 door are included in the price or are they an option?

    There is a silver 4 door coming into a dealer...I am in CA now and I am waiting to hear what the MSRP is. He said it had the sunroof and ESP and I bet it is loaded like yours. I don't care about a sunroof but do like those heated seats.

    Does any out there know a site that list the prices for the options? :)
  • clownfishfunkclownfishfunk Member Posts: 7
    The heated seats are an option, however I think they were only an extra 200 or so (which is a lot less than most of the other cars I looked at).
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    My VW guy called to say they just got their first two 4 doors in today and he will call me as soon as it is ready to drive. He put my name on it. They got two 2 doors last week and they are already sold. I am pretty excited!!
  • jpmccormacjpmccormac Member Posts: 98
    Just beware of additional dealer markups on the new Rabbit. There has been some price gouging on the Rabbits.
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    OK thanks, I will! I expect to pay MSRP as I understand there is not a lot of markup on the Rabbit, but I will check to see if any add'l markups.
  • parkerjonparkerjon Member Posts: 14
    Initial reaction:

    1. Sure wish the 4dr GTI was available sooner: I miss the 2.0T engine. You need to work the 2.5 engine more to get similar acceleration = noise. I guess I need to find the right shift points. If you like quiet/fun engines take both the 2.5 Jetta and the 2.0T Jetta out for a spin: and if you prefer the 2.0T and need a hatchback then wait for the 4dr GTI.

    2. The convenience package is great: the display on the upgraded stereo is significantly better. Up here in Canada I would have had a spend a lot on our 2.0T Jetta to get the better stereo.

    3. Handling is great: better than my Jetta (I believe due to the location of the weight)

    4. Sage green is a real enigma: looks green/grey depending on the light. I believe I made the right decision

    5. 16" rims look very nice: especially in comparison with the normal hub caps.

    Price wise:
    The 2.0T Jetta is $100 CDN more per month to lease (with leather/17" rims) than a fully equipped Rabbit (both with Manual tranny). The Jetta is a much better car solely due to the engine. Some people don't like the idea of premium gas in the 2.0T (the rabbit uses regular) - but the better fuel mileage of the 2.0T makes up the difference.

    Verdict:
    A compromise (but aren't all sub-100K cars a compromise of some sort.
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    I hope the interior come out the right color. I understand in U.S. the Sage green only comes with the beige interior for 06 so I am planning on getting a Silver 4 door tomorrow.....tho after reading your comments about the 2.0T, I wonder if I will be happy with the 2.5. I have a Passat 1.8T and love how it moves and sounds. The lease is up soon and do want a hatch. I did drive the GTI and really loved it, but can't wait for a 4 door and the added $$$$. Do we even know how much more a 4 door GTI will be.
    I will know more tomorrow when I actually test drive the Rabbit. It came in on the truck this morning.
  • parkerjonparkerjon Member Posts: 14
    It came with a dark interior. It really isn't green enough to have a beige interior.

    I needed to reduce the car payments hence the compromise. I was considering a turbo MB B200 as an alternate to waiting for the 4dr GTI - but I was concerned about the maintenance costs (and the lease would have been 35% more). It's very nice however.

    Ideal car: Jetta 2.0T wagon - More storage than the Rabbit - but not so big that the 2.0T engine isn't overwhelmed by mass (like the Passat I took out for a drive)

    The 2.0T engine is considerably more fun than the 1.8T: no lag, better low end torque (less engine noise).
  • gogirlgogogirlgo Member Posts: 47
    Plan to drive to the beach tomorrow so will have a better idea of the car on freeway and around curvy beach roads...so far love it. It has more features then the 02 Passat I just returned. It even has the lock door and close sunroof feature from outside. Paid MSRP and will have the ipod adapter installed when I get back. It allows the ipod to be concealed in the glove box. :)
  • jpmccormacjpmccormac Member Posts: 98
    Let us know what kind of fuel economy you get. I've heard it gets better after about 3,000 miles.
  • bpeachee1bpeachee1 Member Posts: 19
    First off, my situation may be a little different than most...I'm 6'6". and finding a compact I was comfortable in was impossible untill now...even a midsize wouldnt work.
    Its always been SUVS. Because we dont get any of the neat European designed compacts that actually give you ROOM, instead of center consoles.

    Unitll now!
    The Rabbit is unbelievable on the interior room up front. My legs have never been more comforatble driving, and the stick shift is awsome, crisp, great feel.

    I shopped against the Fit, Yaris, Fusion, just to name a few...and one drive in the Rabbit sold me.
    The interior is a pleasure to be in, the standard equip, is everything I need, and more (and thats the 2 door).

    I now want to drive everywhere, all the time... the first fun car I've had in 15 years.
    Mileage is fine.. as soon as we are paying 8-9$ a gallon like in the UK, I'll worry...but untill then, our gas is still cheap compared to the rest of the world.
    The fun, quality factor far outweighs the slighly lower mileage.

    Got 25 mpg, on first tank, and that was almost all city.
    Paid msrp for the 2 door stick, which is still a bargain considering what you get.
  • zuma4zuma4 Member Posts: 11
    don't even compare those car to rabbit!! the cars that you mention are cheaply done and low grade!!

    just look at the specs.

    I totally agree with about the interior!!

    did you notice that the interior has some kind of Audi A4 looks??? it is very well designed and organize interior.

    Also Pollen filter comes as standard as well as heated front seats, 6 cd changers, A/T with Triptronic with Sports Mode plus more comes with 4 door rabbit.
  • takapunatakapuna Member Posts: 9
    I've had my 3 door rabbit for three weeks now. We sort of have a love-hate relationship:
    I was really keen to get a Mazda3, but ended up with a Rabbit because I could not locate the correct model 3 that included all the airbags/safety features I wanted. I think the Civic is ugly and boring. I was sick of looking, so bought a Rabbit because it includes so many options on the base model, and was "available" off the lot. It's so packed with stuff, I do not know how how VW makes a profit on this car.

    What has been dreadful is the VW Sales/Service. Although I was OK with paying MSRP and cash, getting the dealer here in Seattle to actually sell the car to me was a pain. They're hopeless at returning calls. It took me two weeks to get him to phone back my insurance agent!

    Also the car rattles. The service area have had one attempt at fixing it and failed. After wasting a huge amount of time dropping off the car and picking up the "repaired" car, I'm not taking it back. I've already started to pull apart the dash. The build quality is not great. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.....

    In comparison, I also bought a new Honda CRV about 6 weeks ago, and the sales, service and build quality of Honda leaves the VW for dead. I also think the Mazda3 is better built.

    On the plus side, the VW is fun to drive, with good torque, great cornering, and precise handling. The engine is a little noisy and rough (for a 5cyl) so it feels sporty. The sport mode of the 6 sp auto gearbox is fun, although probably worsens the class-trailing fuel economy of the car.
  • jwodaejwodae Member Posts: 11
    My new rabbit has the side strips and words "rabbit" on it. The sales consultant told me there are only three hundred of them in the US. :blush:

    I won a lot of compliment from friends and alike. Not that I care that much about what ppl say. It is definitely a great car and I love it. It's cool, unique.
  • abqhudsonabqhudson Member Posts: 14
    Their 5 star cars (Sept Issue):
    Bentley Continental GT
    Chev Corvette
    Ferrari 599 GTB
    Ferrari F430
    Jaguar XK
    Lamborghini Gallardo
    Lexus LS600h L
    Mercedes S class
    Porsche 911
    Porsche Cayman
    Rolls Royce Phantom
    Volkswagen RABBIT!

    Enough said.

    Jim
  • tank45tank45 Member Posts: 1
    hey, I just got my 2007 VW Rabbit on 7/24/06. :P I love my new car. its blue,two door. the car is very fast. I got it in 5spd. I didn't get the GTI rims yet, but I will. I don't care what other people think, this car will distroy any japanese car in its class.I haven't really pushed it but I have already hit 115mph. :shades:
  • jwodaejwodae Member Posts: 11
    Does anyone hear some vibration noise coming from the driver's left front when Rabbit runs on uneven surface? I need to talk to the dealer i guess... Other than that, the car runs great.

    Gas Milage: 27.5 miles per gallon on half highway and half local.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    In my experience, a lot of times vibrations noises in any of my cars has come from stuff I have put in the car myself (from pens, to coins, to remote controls etc) - so first strip out the nooks and crannies and listen again before you take it to the dealer. :)
  • jwodaejwodae Member Posts: 11
    I did and the noise is still there. Is it big problem??? My new rabbit... :(
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Problably not a big problem, but annoying...I had an intermittent buzz on the "c" pillar panel on a 2003 Civic coupe, but fortunately they sent out a technician with me and we were able to find a road surface which duplicated the buzz. Same thing with a Toyota Echo - an underhood intermittent scratching noise and they had a tech ride with me and hear it. Once tech's hear it, they usually keep at it until they find the source and it's gone.

    On the other hand I have a new Cobalt with a much louder and persistent noise than either, but the tech didn't ride with me, and they left it in our "heat wave sun" all day before they DID finally take it out, and the heat drove the noise away - it was even gone for me on my drive home, after dinner (when the car had been parked under cover) I took it out, and sure enough it was there. So now I have to wait to take it in again and this time ride with the tech.

    Mysterious noises drive everyone crazy - us because we are definitely in the car often enough to hear the most intermittent of intermittent noises - the dealers because they are hard to hear, hard to track down, and the manufacturers don't pay the actual time it takes to track down and fix - and the manufacturer, because it almost always tracks back to a little inattention on the assembly line, and costs them warranty bucks.

    (My 2001 and 2004 Golfs were totally buzz and rattle free!)

    Just be patient and don't freak out. I've had more noises in imports than domestics so far, so it doesn't reflect on overall design or quality of assembly.
  • danielito247danielito247 Member Posts: 1
    when going from stop to first or reverse the car made a click noise (metal hitting metal when i let the clutch out) i took it to the dealer and they checked it out. they heard the noise but can't figure out what causing the noise they say its not the transmission and everything is fine. its been in the shop since Friday morning.. the dealer gave me a cheap ugly rental.. :cry: I want my rabbit back!!!! :cry: i hope they find the problem or else i want a NEW CAR!!! :mad: other then this problem the car is sweet. so fun to drive and very roomy best car I have ever had (except for that strange noise!!)
  • takapunatakapuna Member Posts: 9
    My second gas tank got me 19.1 mpg. Mostly commuting to work, about 2/3 on city freeway and 1/3 on city streets.

    That's about 3 mpg less than our CRV! I'm not impressed that my little 3 door Rabbit get worse mileage than my wife's small SUV.

    Also, I could not fix the rattle coming from the dash. It's too major. I'm taking it back to the dealer so they can have a second attempt.

    Regretting not trying harder to get a Mazda3....
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Separated at birth? Our '06 PT Cruiser weighs about as much as the Rabbit and has a 2.4 liter engine with 150 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque (close enough to the Rabbit). With the same type of driving (2/3 freeway and 1/3 city) we also get 20 mpg (with an automatic). With more freeway thrown in, it bumps up to 23 mpg.

    I had hoped for more from the Rabbit, especially since it has better EPA ratings, so your report, although in the "realistic" range, is disappointing (coincidentally, we had a '05 CRV that we traded in on the PT and it got surprisingly good mileage, but I still like the cush ride on the PT better).
  • bpeachee1bpeachee1 Member Posts: 19
    I dont know how you drive your Rabbit,
    but I've had 2 tanks of ALL city driving, and am averaging 25+ mpg.
    very acceptable since the engine isnt even broken in yet.
  • takapunatakapuna Member Posts: 9
    You're right. I am more "aggressive" driving the Rabbit than the CRV, but I don't push it that hard. It hasn't been run in yet, so I'm fairly cautious. For this tank I'm driving for max fuel efficiency to see what I can get. Perhap I've got a bit of a lemon.

    The service department succeded in fixing the dash rattle the second time. Unfortunately another one has appeared now. I think I'll have to live with it.
  • abqhudsonabqhudson Member Posts: 14
    Second tank - 22 mpg
    Third tank - 22.5 mpg
    "Spirited" driving in-city with some in-city freeway miles.
    2006 Rabbit - manual transmission.

    :D YMMV

    Jim
  • jan16jan16 Member Posts: 2
    Hi
    Just wanted to share some of my experiences with the Rabbit. I have a Golf V 2.0 TDI 6-speed manual. It has 140 bhp and over 200 lb and does about 33 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on highways. The best thing about this car is the torque. Especially on high speeds 100 mph and above you feel the difference with a gasoline powered car ( my previous car was a e46 BMW 325i) and believe it or not, it doesn't get worse than 33 mpg. Topspeed is 130 mph, whilst showing 135 on the speedometer and is reached in no time. What is surprising is that for a compact car it is very stable at such high speeds. Very much an improvement over the previous Golf.

    I bought the car with 22.000 km and after 30.000 more I still enjoy everytime I drive, whether in the city or on ">link titlethe highway.

    The downside though is the pollution, as my car isn't equipped with a particle filtre, perhaps it will be available as an aftermarket accessory.
  • v_dv_d Member Posts: 89
    And you got the 2.0 TDI in North America?
  • bunnylover06bunnylover06 Member Posts: 2
    Hello all,

    I am a 06 Bunny owner for exactly 2 weeks & thought I'd share my experience...

    My past 2 cars were '98 & '01 Jettas both automatic with sunroofs. My last one hit about 91k and I knew it was time to start looking but I didn't like the new style Jetta with the shiny grill in front. Then I saw the Rabbit online and built & bred it many times and was hooked.

    I went to the local dealship and they had the perfect color (Sage) & a 4 door. One problem: it was a manual and I have never had one only practiced in a parking lot a few times on a friend's Audi S4 (WAY HARDER). Anyways long story short, after 2 days of 2 local dealships with the same car playing the price wars game I took her home.
    NOw 2 weeks later I can honestly say I won't go back to an automatic unless I had to. I love the pick up it gets forthe size & type of motor in it. I wish it had a 6 speed but oh well for the price and all the little bells & whistles that are included it is a good deal. And mine has been great on gas!

    So I can honestly say I am in love!! :blush:
  • sheridan1sheridan1 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same noise, i think it is coming from the radio speaker, although i hear it with the radio off also. it may be a bad speaker, i am going to bring it into the dealer.
  • rlawrencerlawrence Member Posts: 92
    Hey bunnylover06 a hearty congratulations to you on your purchase, I got my 06 bunny (in black uni) a couple of weeks ago as well. I would also like to welcome you to the manual tranny family - we are definitely a special breed.
  • chatnoir80chatnoir80 Member Posts: 1
    I'm running into the same problem as you. I have little exprience driving a manual tranny. Part of me tells me to get the manual, but the other part tells me to stick to what I know. Gotta make the decision fast too b/c these cars are flying off the lot in my area.
  • v_dv_d Member Posts: 89
    once you get used to the manual tranny, you wont get an auto next time... it's way more fun than the auto, playing with the clutch and changing when YOU want, plus with the manual the Rabbit feels more "alive!" :)
  • jwodaejwodae Member Posts: 11
    I brought it back. The first time, they didn;t remove the noise at; so i doubt whether they worked on it at all. The second time, they did remove the noise, well, for the most part. However, there are other noise coming from the dash board and from the very corner from the passenger's right side. These latter noises are only 30% of the time and not loud. I wonder if I should bring it back? I doesn't sound like a brand new car, but I also hesitate that they may compromise my airbag and other stuff when they open it up....
  • takapunatakapuna Member Posts: 9
    After the rather disappointing 19.1 mpg for my second tank, I made sure I took driving easy for the third. Got 18.7 mpg. I did drive fairly fast one evening for about 10 miles but don't expect that splurge had much of an impact. This car (3dr auto) drinks gas and I would not recommend it as a commuter car.

    Also, although the dash rattle is not so bad after the second repair attempt (original rattle has gone), today the CD player started making a loud popping noises through the speakers. It's worse with MP3's (really bad) than CD's, and doesn't happen on the radio. So it’s back to the service department I go (for the third time.)
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Sounds like you never go on the freeway. I had mileage worse than that on an '97 Golf automatic, but I was only driving it (almost only) within the city limits of San Francisco. If you look at Consumer Reports, city mileage on almost all vehicles is terrible.
  • bunnylover06bunnylover06 Member Posts: 2
    Slowly but shirley I am getting better. I must say that even though I am not proficient yet I love it WAY more than an AUTO. So to all of you out there considering this save the $1000 and get a stick it is way more fun. Thanks to everyone's feedback & support! :)
  • orbit9090orbit9090 Member Posts: 116
    Is this Rabbit picture wrong?

    This article is supposed to be about the new Rabbit but it looks like they show a picture of the old GTI. Am I right?

    The Bunny Returns
    http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_2847.php
  • fast505fast505 Member Posts: 1
    Walked behind my new Rabbit today and noticed the little rabbit insignia on the back was stolen, as evidenced by the gouge marks from some punk prying it off with a key. While the loss of the insignia is not terribly significant, I would like to have caught the guy that thought this was a good idea. Anyway, be warned. These little rabbits will likely become hot items for idiots with little respect for property. Maybe I can buy mine back on ebay.
  • v_dv_d Member Posts: 89
    I'm so glad you like the manual more than the auto, especially because you've never driven a car with a manual before. It's something this days (when everybody says AUTOMATIC and never tried a MANUAL).

    btw... the guy with the picture: yes it is wrong... you can get a look at the rabbit at your left (ads) and feel free to navigate www.vw.ca www.vw.com

    Cheers! :)
  • gasman1gasman1 Member Posts: 321
    That sucks!

    Sorry to hear that you got ripped off and also that your car received damage in the process. In 1979, I had more than $1K in damage done to my car for a theif to get a cheap factory AM/FM radio. They busted out a window using a BIG rock. However, they also damaged the paint and chrome molding in doing that. Then they broke the dash getting the radio out. (I still have a lot of choice words for them.)
  • calpolyrabbitcalpolyrabbit Member Posts: 1
    I'm an '07 Rabbit owner with manual transmission. I've gotten at least 22mpg at each fill up. When 50% of my tank is used on highway, I get closer to 28 mpg per tank. I have owned the vehicle for close to a month and already have 1700 miles on it. I'm satisfied with my purchase and am impressed by german engineering as it is built in Wolfsberg. This is my first manual transmission car and I'm enjoying it while still rounding out my rough shifting habits.
  • v_dv_d Member Posts: 89
    Awesome! More people switching to manual :D
    IMO only dumb ppl need a robot to change their gear, cause they can't.

    Happy shifting :) !
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Just because you prefer a stick, it doesn't mean you need to insult the intelligence of the many people who prefer an automatic for whatever reason--or have to use an automatic because of a handicap.

    Smart people don't need to put others down in order to feel good about their choices.
This discussion has been closed.