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:

• 

  I love my car - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By AIMSTER - October 31 - 7:00 am

  I never thought I would buy a VW again, but this time it was a gift. I love it! Its zippy and really reliable and fun to drive. I could use a little bit of pick up. My friends love it and my brother comes up with any excuse to borrow my car.

• 

  Fuel economy - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By 4dr Hatchback - September 5 - 4:33 pm

  The sticker fuel consumption states 22 city 30 highway. My average city has not been more than 20 and highway not more than 22. I am very disappointed in the fuel consumption of this vehicle. Is there anything I can do? The dealer has no suggestions.

• 

  Great Car to Drive - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By JpL322 - July 18 - 11:20 am

  This is the first VW I have owned and my previous car was a 91 Honda Accord. I love the preformance of the 2.5L engine paired with the manual transmission. The interior is deceptively roomy to me (62"). The quality of construction is the best that I have seen from all of the car companies I have shopped (Dodge, Chevy, Honda, Toyota). This car is by far exceptional in quality, options, and preformance for the price.

• 

  Rabbit raises the bar - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By Harley - June 23 - 4:26 pm

  For some reason (maybe reading a lot of hype) I was focused on the Mazda3. Well, forget about it! My 2007 Rabbit 2dr. is superior in EVERY way, except gas mileage. Thats fine with me. Do not buy any Mazda3 until you drive the comparable Rabbit, now made in Germany. Compared to everything else in its class, the Rabbit sets the standard, no matter what you read or hear elsewhere. It is a great car for those of us who enjoy driving.

• 

  Could have been great... - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By pikers - April 6 - 6:56 pm

  At my first oil change I complained that the shift lever was violently shaking in 4th gear, so VW replaced the shift assembly. Things went well for a few months and then the shaking came back. I brought it back to the dealer for the 10k checkup and told them the shaking was back. To my amazement they told me they had to rebuild my transmission!! This should never happen with a manual gear box, especially one with 9500 miles on it. But it doesnt stop there. Today the automatic up/down feature for the windows stopped working. Ive owned the car for a year and put 9500 miles on it and it has been in the shop for over 4 weeks in one year...not a good ratio if you asked me.

• 

  Re Knock Sensor issue - 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By lawr9349 - March 28 - 2:53 am

  I have driven 10,000 kms since Sep 2008 and I generally find my Rabbit fun to drive. On 4 separate occasions though I have had the experience of putting my foot on the accelerator and got ZERO response. Fortunately, to date, this has only occurred from idle (ie car was stationary). Having read your review I will take it to the dealership again and ask them to check the Knock Sensor. Thanks

• 

  fun but flawed - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By cpo - March 23 - 6:36 pm

  My 07 Rabbit is a great car, very fun to drive and handles well. My MAJOR complaint is the brake system wears out the rear brake pads in record time. This seems to be a design flaw, based on my research. My rear brake pads are completely gone after 21,000 miles.

• 

  Great - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By gtv6 - January 26 - 1:00 pm

  This car has been perfect through 36000 miles following up on the near perfection of our previous 04 jetta wagon over 93000 miles. It is a surprisingly competent, long-legged tourer.

• 

  Wittle Wed Wabbit - 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By kynative - January 4 - 5:40 pm

  Overall, it is a good little car. It has enough power to get you going, though you do have to hammer on it to get a immediate power. It is terribly uncomfortable on longer drives, but you cant expect luxury comfort out of a $18k car. Gas mileage is ok, you can get over 30 out of it when on the highway and doing near the speed limit, if you open it up, it acts like an 8 cyl.

• 

  Not as good as I expected - 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit
  By tacalin - December 28 - 5:13 am

  Bad points that I found up until now: Seats too rigid. In a trip Montreal – Toronto (about 500 Km) it is really difficult to be comfortable. Auto-volume control makes the lower frequency go very high if I brake. Making this option OFF solve the problem. Too much gas consumption in town, about 18.1 miles for a gallon, or 13 liters for 100 Km. On the highway, it was about 23.52 miles for a gallon, or 10 liters for 100 Km. - A constant difference of 5 Km/h between the speedometer and a GPS (at 55 real, it shows 50, at 125 it shows 120). The same GPS gadget was used on several Americans and Japanese cars and the error was about 1 Km/h, more or less.