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Hatchbacks Volkswagen Rabbit 08 Rabbit concerns?
41 messages, Last post on Aug 05, 2008 at 6:07 AM
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Replying to: rotary (Jul 17, 2008 2:21 pm) Imprezza 16 Matrix 19 Astra 17 Mini Cooper 21 (premium) Scion XD 20 Despite the low mpg, CR made the Rabbit their top rated "affordable hatchback". |
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A two door... I've been all over the map lately, with some very different options. I started out looking at the Infiniti M35. Then I thought about a new Sonata, since the '09 version has a much improved interior. I even considered a Malibu for a while. There is something drawing me to the Rabbit. I like the solidity. I like the simplicity. I really think Volkswagen does interiors nicely. When I test drove the new Sonata for the fourth time, I started detecting the snaps and lateral movements that turned me off on the last gen. The ride is now smoother, but I still think the Koreans, for whatever reasons, have a fundamental problem with suspension design that can handle a truly wide variety of road surface - too many different inputs too quickly, and the suspension can't sort everything out quickly enough. The Infiniti M35? Nice car, but I really don't need to fork out 40k for any particular reason now. It feels like minimalism is in. But the Rabbit isn't spartan by any stretch. A few things are holding me back, though. Fuel economy is pretty poor for this class of car; seriously, it's in the V6 (220 hp +) territory of some midsized cars. Also, I had friends that really were punished in the past by shoddy reliability and dealer treatment by VW. I had one friend that ended up arbitrating, and then suing VW regarding a Golf that was in the shop no fewer than a dozen times for serious problems in a two year period, and he purchased the car new. I'm really hoping VW improved its quality. I really want to like this car. I like its solidity and minimalistic approach. It seems to give the buyer anything you could want, but nothing you don't need. The 2009s will have ESC standard, which I consider a 'must have' item. Consumer reports ranked the new Rabbit highly, and even gave it an 'above average' reliability review, though I'm legitimately confused by this. The previous year was rated poor in reliability, and Consumer Reports has rated most VW products poorly in terms of reliability (the exception being the V6 Passat). So, how could they do such a turn around on a 2008 Rabbit that hasn't even been around long enough to log voluminous reliability data? One last thing - The price of the Rabbit seems okay, but even aggressive VW dealers don't seem willing to discount much under MSRP. I did read that someone here bought a base manual for $14.5 new, but that seems to be the exception. I've gotten quotes as low as around $14,800 (I think; it's been a month or so now) for a Sonata GLS 4 cylinder, and the mileage and content is better. Anyways, I'm struggling to decide upon which car to buy, and the Rabbit is the latest one yelling into my ear. |
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Replying to: rotary (Jul 17, 2008 8:17 pm) The thing is, there are a couple of things that bug me about the Rabbit. 1) As already noted, I don't like the EPA fuel economy ratings, and I like the real-world reports of mileage results even less. I've been tracking a number of fuel economy discussions on Vortex, and for every report of 30+ mpg on the highway, there are an easy half of a dozen that are seeing more like 25. I'm not impressed. 2) I absolutely hate rubberized plastic steering wheels and gear shift knobs, and unlike the Canadian Rabbits, there isn't a leather steering wheel and shift knob option. 3) I really like steering wheel controls, and the Rabbit has none. 4) I really dislike steel wheels and hub caps. I doubt that there's much that can be done about the fuel economy, however, I've seen aftermarket leather shift knobs (illuminated no less) for $115, and I understand that the steering wheel from the GTI can be fitted to the car for something less than a thousand dollars (includes the cost of the wheel and the programming to activate the controls). Regarding the wheels, yes, I can spend another twelve to fifteen hundred on a set from TireRack (including the TPMS sensors) and then use the steelies for a set of winter tires, however, by adding the above items, my $15,000 Rabbit will suddenly cost something north of $17,000. With that thought in mind, I've cast my sights on the bunny's sibling the GTI. Not only does the GTI eliminate my complaints 2 through 4, it also addresses item 1. Around here the new 2.0T TSI motor is showing up in all of the PZEV versions of the GTI (non-PZEV cars are still coming with the older 2.0T FSI motor), and per the EPA, the TSI is rated at 31 mpg highway (the only metric that really means anything to me as I do most of my driving on the highway). Furthermore, real world reports from those that own GTIs with the new motor are almost always showing highway mileage in the mid thirties, and a few that have coaxed their GTIs up into the low forties. Yes, the GTI requires Premium fuel, and that is a consideration, however, per my math, if the GTI gets only two MPGs better than the Rabbit, then the GTI will cost a tad less per mile for gasoline. FWIW, one local dealer has a new 2008 GTI PZEV with the Cold Weather Package, a Sunroof, and an iPod adapter listed for $22,701. Hmmmz.  Best Regards, Shipo
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Replying to: shipo (Jul 17, 2008 9:28 pm) Why not get the VW alloys? That's what I did with my 2007 Rabbit and cost me $450 extra. I don't like steel wheels and hubs either. I can't imagine that VW has taken the alloy wheel option away. 
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Replying to: shirotori (Jul 18, 2008 4:09 am) Yes, the $450 alloy wheel option still exists, however, there isn't even a single 2-Door Rabbit to be found anywhere in New England that has them from the factory, and every dealer I've asked so far has said that to retrofit a car shipped from the factory with steelies, the price tag would be $1,200. No thanks. That means either I buy one off the lot (and take advantage of the 0% financing), and then buy a set of alloys from TireRack, or I order one (and lose the 0% financing), or I buy a GTI (which also has 0% financing).  Best Regards, Shipo |
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One other thing - I notice that the 08 and beyond Rabbits are made in Germany, while their Jetta cousins are made in Mexico. Am I being foolish for tempted to believe the German made Rabbit will be better assembled and have better reliability than the Mexican assembled Jetta?
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Replying to: rotary (Jul 18, 2008 8:55 pm) |
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I bought a 2008 VW 4 door Rabbit three days ago with 16" Magny Cours Alloy Wheel package, power sunroof, 6 speed tiptronic transmission, Electronic Stabilization Program and Gorilla Gear mats and trunk liner. Everything that is supposed to work, does. No squeaks or rattles. The engine is a bit unrefined and revs a bit high in the morning when cold. It kind of jolts into reverse. Other negatives: The gas and brake pedals are a bit too close. I must turn my foot sideways to avoid bumping into the brake pedal when accelerating. When making a left turn, I hit the cruise control button on top of the turn signal. Overall though, for $20,114 and 0% financing, the vehicle is a bargain. CR rates the 2008 Rabbit as "better than average" for reliability.
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Replying to: hpowders (Jul 19, 2008 6:27 am) Yeah, kind of typical for the odd firing 5-Cylinder engine. I had an I5 in my 1982 Audi GT Coupe and it too had that unusual exhaust note and unrefined feeling. Best Regards, Shipo
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Replying to: shipo (Jul 19, 2008 6:31 am) I'm not happy the way the Rabbit jolts into reverse when cold, but they had to cut costs somewhere and now I know where! 
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