18th Apr 2007, 12:48
Key word here is FROM. The euro is killing the Rabbit, and the yen has a less dramatic effect on the Civic since most are made in America.
Again, if VW can keep the reliability up (and the Autoweek owner reviews indicated it was!) then they should have a hit on their hands.
18th Apr 2007, 12:56
Can someone please explain to me why VW charges MORE, and much more, for a four door vs. a two door for the same exactly model (versus there being a coupe version). This makes no sense, and the way the car is optioned VW thinks that two door people are cheap and four door people want loaded vehicles.
24th Apr 2007, 12:28
Just bought one for my kid and I've been driving it more than my Cayenne. Fun car - I had 2 of them when I was in college back in the late 70's and early 80's. Quality, ride, fit and finish is much better than the past models. We compared it to the Mazda 3, Civic and a couple others - Felt the VW was, for us, the better choice. Tighter steering, quicker throttle response and an overall "more in control" feeling.
So far a great experience for the price - regular unleaded too!
26th Apr 2007, 15:19
The reason the 4 door is much more expensive is because it comes with a lot more equipment than the 2 door standard. If you load the 2 door up with all the options of the 4 door things start to even out a bit, but the 2 door is still always cheaper as it should be. Either way they are both screaming bargains when compared with their Japanese competitors. Cheaper price with a 5 cyl with a 6 speed vs a 4 cyl with a 4 or 5 speed and far better ride and build quality.
3rd May 2007, 20:16
I purchased the rabbit on may 1st after test driving it for ten miles. it fits like a glove, interior polished compared to some of the others. The car is quick, responsive and yet doesn't get the mileage of some others, it's worth the little difference for responsiveness. the car drives heavier than it is; also the doors when opened feel very heavy, that makes me feel good. The only thing I don't like is the turn signal and the cruise control are not separated enough for me, since I use the cruise to save getting a ticket. Seats are comfortable and I am a heavy man. The key and electric lock are too heavy and can be used for a defense weapon if necessary. The two things I mentioned were minor compared to all of the positives.I give it a nine of ten.. pricing is high, but it feels pricier. I left a Volvo wagon for one, so I know what comfort is and driving a heavy car is, but I also know that in comparison, ill take the rabbit at this stage in my life and I have owned them all from an mg 1967 to infinity and volvos, so give one a try. Did i mention i am 60 years of age. Go Rabbit
6th May 2007, 15:26
I find the Rabbit to be an excellent value. I am not sure where the perception that it is "pricey" comes from, when you add comparable equipment to the leading Japanese cars the pricing is comparable. Above all.. it is not a Japanese car. The Rabbit feels, drives and smells like a German car. The interior and instrumentation are typical of high German industrial design.
That's what sold me plus the handling is superb, the fit and finish of the interior is excellent and the engine gearing is perfect for American roads. I bought a manual Rabbit that are very hard to come by here in Florida. My one complaint is the clutch is very quick and a bit on the light side. The pressure point is very narrow so it is easy to stall if you are not careful. The factory tires are also a bit noisy.
10th Jul 2007, 01:21
I am not the original poster, but I am sure there is an extra 0 there by mistake. Assuming the person has had the car for about a year, he/she would have had to drive about 460 miles every day for an entire year. I don't think airplanes even rack up those kind of miles per year. I could be wrong.
16th Sep 2010, 12:26
I would like to add some input, now that some years have passed. I bought my 2007 Rabbit in July 2006, so have had it now for four years.
First: the positives. Great handling, looks great, love the music system. This car fits me.
Now: the negatives. Too many things have gone wrong. Firstly, the window on the driver's side wouldn't go up or down, simple fix, but it was a new car at the time.
Then, exactly two years after buying the car, the engine light started to go on. First time, they removed and installed a new front O2 sensor (July 2008). Second time in November 2008, engine light is back on, and this time, they removed and installed a coolant temperature sensor. Third time was in April 2009, and this time, they replaced the coolant flange. On my drive home, from that "fix", my engine light came back on, so again in April 2009 (fourth time the engine light has come on in 8 months), a "fix" was done, which was a repair to the wiring to the coolant temperature sensor. Fifth time: July 2010: they replaced the coolant temperature sensor again. Sixth time: July 2010: they replaced the cooling system thermostat. Now, September 2010, the engine light is on again, and I have an appointment for next week to see what it is this time.
Oh, and my antenna has snapped off, just rotted through and fell over. It's only a four-year old car!
And that doesn't even include all of the money paid out for regular maintenance and oil changes, which are not cheap at VW!
This was the first brand new car that I ever bought in my life, and it has given me way more problems than any used car that I have ever owned (Mazda, Ford Escort, Sunfire).
I won't be buying VW again.
18th Apr 2007, 08:30
"this car really should be priced from $13k, similar to the Civic."
A well equipped civic goes for 18k. The rabbit is actually cheaper with similar equipment and far more pleasant to drive. That's pretty amazing considering it comes with an Audi sourced 5 cylinder engine mated to a 6 speed automatic. Test drive a rabbit and you'll never look at a civic or mazda3 the same way again. You can't help, but feel like they're overpriced junk after a drive in the VW.