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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  Rabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Lacey - February 7 - 12:13 am

  I did a lot of research into Civics and Rabbits, and finally decided on the Rabbit! I love love it. Its amazingly fun to drive, has great pickup, and lots of bells and whistles that the Civic definitely lacks. The road noise is a little loud, but the 10 speaker stereo system drowns it out just fine. I would definitely recommend.

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  Wish I had stepped up to a GTI - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By jordan23 - February 5 - 10:20 am

  In general, Im pretty happy with this car. I had a problem with a rattle at the top of the dash, but the dealership fixed it without charge. Quite a bit of tire noise-probably the 17" wheels. The door mirrors are quite small so you have to adjust them perfectly-used to hate this but not anymore. No reliability issues at all. Handling is very solid-buckled down generally, but a bump in a turn will upset the chassis. Great safety with all the airbags and traction/stability. The cabin feels very open with high roofline-very nice visibility. Comfortable even for the long haul. Generally a joy to drive. At this price point the Rabbit cant be beat. Would like power/DSG/handling of a GTI though

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  Rabbit - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Matcy - January 25 - 5:05 pm

  Awesome

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  Really Fun Car - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Elvis51178 - January 21 - 8:33 am

  I love driving this car, Its really quiet, smooth and pretty quick. Plus this car handles really well. Best of all is the gas mileage. I get about 26mpg all city traffic, and about 29-30 with mixed city/highway driving. The sticker estimated mpg is way low at 21/28.

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  Thunder Bunny Baby - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By j mar - January 17 - 12:36 pm

  The 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit is a wonderful and surprisingly quick, fun to drive car. I couldnt be happier with it.

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  Gotta Love a Bunny Named Hazel - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By marthompson - January 17 - 12:20 pm

  We bought our Rabbit in early July, and have really enjoyed the car. Hazel is named after the main character in the book Watership Down. We like the quality of construction, the fact it accomodates two 6 footers, zippy performance, versatility, value, tiptronic transmission, seating comfort, and outward visability. The car is fun to drive and can enter a highway with confident acceleration. I love this car and would buy it all over again. I would maybe consider the TDI version when it becomes available. While I like the GTI version, I like the inline 5 engine of this Rabbit (a.k.a. Hazel).

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  Great little car - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By stephen - January 17 - 6:13 am

  Ive had this car for about 5 weeks and put 2000 miles on it. For the price (under $18k with 170 hp, 6 speed auto & Tiptronic) you really cant beat it. 95% of the mileage is city driving, and I avg 17.9 mpg, which isnt great but I do drive quite aggressively. Overall the car feels quite well-built, and given that I used to manage a valet lot and have driven Audi, BMW, Porsche, Lexus, Jaguar, etc, that is pretty impressive, especially at this price point. In my opinion you are basically getting a GTI at an economy car price - and my insurance is far cheaper than it would be with a sports car. The only downside is the fuel economy, but if you can get past that, this car is a winner.

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  Gotta love that 5 Cylinder! - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By tay272 - December 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car alittle over a year ago and still havent had any mechanical problems with it and I dont see anything going wrong for a long time. Reliabilty issues arent too much of a concern with newer Vws like this one. This engine is bulletproof and will deffinately last a long time. The car is a blast to drive and with a few mods, becomes much more fun. I just wanna step on it whenever Im in the car just to hear that 5 cylinder engine opening up. No complaints with this car yet!

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  Great Value - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Ohio Jim - December 6 - 4:36 pm

  I bought a base manual 2007 Rabbit and was surprised at how much equipment comes standard. It has power locks/windows and an MP3 player for example. To get that in a Civic I would have paid at least $3,000 more. Of course, with VW if all that still works in seven years Ill be stunned. They definitely used some cheap plastics in the interior. Ive eyed three things that will surely be broken before the warranty is up. The poor quality history not withstanding, a great car for the money, mainly because the performance is fantastic. It is just plain fun to drive. If I wasnt so scared of the quality issues and notorious electrical problems I would have opted for the Tiptronic auto that I test drove - that thing rocked!

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  GREAT Rabbit - 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Jim - November 8 - 11:46 am

  This is the most fun Ive had driving a car in years. Nothing else I took for a test drive came close. The price of the 2 door is really hard to believe considering everything that comes standard. The only problem I have seen is access to the back seat in the 2 door, I wouldnt recommend it, if you have to get kids in and out pay the extra and get the 4 door. Try it, youll love it.