Overview & Reviews

When the Volkswagen Golf was introduced in 1974, it came to the U.S. in 1975 as the Volkswagen Rabbit, a hop-away hit. Initially available as either a two- or four-door hatchback and later on as a convertible and even a pickup truck, the diminutive Rabbit combined a nimble, front-wheel-drive chassis with high-quality German construction and incredible space efficiency. This successor to the beloved Beetle easily embarrassed American economy cars in terms of performance, fuel-efficiency and cabin space. In 1985, the Rabbit nameplate was replaced by the Golf moniker (meant to recall the Gulf of Mexico, not a golf ball), which was what the car had always been called in Europe.

More than two decades later, the Rabbit name returned. In a reversal of the 1980s name swap, VW replaced the Golf name with the Rabbit badge on U.S.-bound hatchbacks in mid-2006. This Rabbit ran with an inline-5 rather than a four-cylinder engine, and it retained the characteristic boxy but very functional hatchback architecture, although it was larger and heavier than before. It also offered some upscale features (such as heated seats) not usually seen in its segment, as well as that solid feel on the road that seems to be a birthright of German-engineered cars.

Sadly, the rascally Rabbit died once again following the 2009 model year as Volkswagen reverted to the Golf name once again when it redesigned the car. However, despite the different name, you'll still find the same well-engineered hatchback, though it's made in Mexico these days

Most Recent Volkswagen Rabbit
The most recent VW Rabbit was introduced for 2006, replacing the Golf. It was offered as a two- or four-door hatchback in just one trim level and with only one engine choice. Two-door Rabbits came with a number of standard niceties such as air-conditioning and full power accessories, while the four-door version upped the ante with heated front seats, a fold-down rear armrest and an upgraded stereo.

During its brief, three-year life, the Rabbit changed little. It originally featured a 150-horsepower five-cylinder engine, but it was upgraded to 170 hp for 2008. Transmission choices included a five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic, though for 2009 the four-door was only available with the automatic.

In reviews, we lauded the Rabbit's high-quality cabin trim, which imparted a richness that's rare in the compact class. Additionally, the Rabbit's comfortable ride and competent (if not overly sporty) handling dynamics made it a well-rounded and practical economy car. Below-average fuel economy is our only major gripe about the Volkswagen Rabbit, as this economy hatchback struggled to average 24 mpg during combined city and highway driving.

Shoppers interested in an older or newer model than this will want to examine the Golf. It has much of the same characteristics of the Volkswagen Rabbit. It was available from 1985-2006, then reintroduced for 2010. There was also the original Rabbit sold from 1975-'84. From a used-vehicle standpoint, however, the odds of finding one fit for general use are quite low.

User Reviews:

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  Disappointed - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Jen - July 27 - 6:50 am

  I thought I was buying a better quality car. I was wrong. The paint is chipping in a few spots and there are lines throughout the paint that wont come out even after washing, waxing and buffing. Also there are three rattles inside that the dealership cant seem to fix. When accelerating you pick up speed until it hits 4000 rpms then it just stops accelerating. My friends say the back seat is very roomy.

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  VW Golf after eight years & 110K - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Craig m - May 30 - 2:30 am

  This body style is now called the Golf, but a decade ago it was called a Rabbit. I liked the car, and it put up with a lot of careless use. I use my cars for short hops, pickup truck-like hauling, and 2000 mile cross-country trips. I do NOT baby them, and the Rabbit took it all like a champ. Buyers should be cautious to make sure they are happy with the fit of the drivers seat with respect to the controls, because I experienced a tendency to find myself feeling off-center on long trips. That is, I didnt feel I was sitting directly in line with the middle of the steering wheel. I think that was because of a combination of leg length and the rather tight console tunnel placement. This is designed as an inexpensive VW, so dont expect the best of anything - but I am sure that todays Golf offers some improvements over the rudimentary radio/CD player the Rabbit came with. The big attraction back then was the Electronic Stability package, which VW was the first to offer at this price point - and that worked great! If you are a believer in dealer servicing, be prepared for high routine maintenance costs, and be aware you cannot even change the air filter on this car yourself. My particular car had a few gremlins in it: the cruise control would sometimes not come on unless I re-booted the car...and I was never sure whether my interval wipers were stopping because the German engineers wanted them to, or because a gremlin wanted them to. (It didnt make much sense to me that I didnt need a clear windshield if I was stopped at a traffic light, but they quit working nonetheless.) I considered these all to be minor annoyances, though. The plastic frame that supports the radiators, headlights and sheet metal at the front end of the car can be broken in very minor collisions or road debris encounters. Thats an expensive fix, and constitutes a real design flaw. But I suppose other cars of this type have similar drawbacks. The hatchback would admit an insane amount of cargo, and the car handled great in deep snow as well as deep water and misty-slick pavement. No engine issues at all. Tranny required work after 105K of hard use.

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  Grieving owner - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Jorge Provenzali - July 18 - 5:20 pm

  I learn to drive in a 1954 bug and owned 1995 Golf that was a great car. The end of my VW loving history came with my purchase 10 months ago of a 2007 Rabbit. The car is a nightmare, the fuel consumption equal that of a midsize SUV and the repertoire of sounds and noises has only improved with time (the comment I got at the dealership was, if I thought I had bought a Bentley). In any case, my major complaint is with the clutch, at the dealership they maintain that there is no possibility of adjustment as some genius devised a self adjusting system that can not be altered in any way. So the fun that used to be driving a manual transmission has turn into dreadful event with this car.

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  hope its not a lemon - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By vin - June 15 - 4:30 pm

  Just purchased brand new rabbit 2009 5 min after leaving dealership check engine light goes on when trying to merge on the highway car lost power pressing gas & car actually slowing down lasted almost a minute not long but very scary just the same. Drove it back to dealership they gave a rented car while they diagnose the problem not a good start especially since its brand new Im hoping this is the first and last problem..

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  Nothing but Problems - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By gobills - October 1 - 9:33 pm

  It started out being a nice car, but since then it has been nothing but headaches. It seems like one thing after another something goes wrong. 1st off the power windows quit working, and now the check engine light keeps coming on and VW doesnt no how to fix it. All in all this is my 1st VW and it will be my last.

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  What happened to Volkswagen - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By goof - August 11 - 3:06 pm

  This is my sixth and last VW. I am very disappointed! The suspension is extremely stiff, jarring, and very jittery. It is impossible to find any comfortable settings for the thinly padded drivers seat. Driving 300 inner-city miles a week is causing me hip and back pain! The electronic throttle programming doesnt seem compatible with the manual transmission. i.e. hard to engage the clutch smoothly. I have driven manual transmissions for 27 years and never stalled so much. I never experienced these issues with the last five VWs I have owned. Since almost all VWs are now based on the Golf V, I am now shopping for a non VW replacement.

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  I hate my rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By NMW - July 16 - 10:13 am

  I have a 2008 rabbit and it only has 11000 miles, in one year i have taken my car to the dealer 5 times and each time for a different cause. This has been the most disappointing buying experience in my life, I have tried to lemon my car and the dealer has been very unhelpfull, I also had a factory person come to see my car and they just keep on making excuses.

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  Not an economy car - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By paul - July 15 - 1:53 am

  The Rabbit is fun to drive and inexpensive to purchase. Handling is very good. Acceleration from the 170 horse 5 cylinder is vastly better than the approx 120 horsepower and 4 cylinders of most cars at this price point. Interior space is good compared to the small exterior. From its price and size you might think it is an economy car but it is not. Gas mileage is poor (pathetic 22 MPH after 4 tanks). Dependability ratings are not nearly as good as an Asian car either. If you think of it as an inexpensive sports car you will be happy, if you think of it as something in the class of a bullet proof Honda or Toyota you may be disappointed. Overall I am neither very happy or unhappy with it.

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  Mixed Bag - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By takaouna - June 7 - 1:56 am

  This cars pros include its nice Interior, 6 speed auto transmission with Tiptronic and S mode, how it is loaded with options for a base model, its safety features - SAB/SC, ABS, traction control standard, its good torque, and how it is a new model. Its cons include its dreadful fuel economy for this class of car (19-20 mpg), how its 5-cyl. engine is rough for its size, its rattles, concerns about interior build quality, its weight for car of this class, its lack of acceleration, poor VW sales and service experience, and VWs poor reliability history.

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  Very Disappointed! - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Paige - January 16 - 1:53 am

  First 3 years, I loved the car! It has 127K miles on it now & I have to have the transmission rebuilt. I am very disappointed in VW. I would have continued to purchase VW and drive them for the rest of my lift until now. There is absolutely no reason I should have to have the transmission rebuilt yet. It should last me to 250K or more with the proper service and believe me I have had it all done. I loved everything about the car but this has totally changed my mind on VW and Audi for that matter or probably anything foreign except Honda & Subaru. Such a huge disappointment. And on top of it all VW wanted to rebuild it for $5150.00. Didnt go that route, no way!