Topic: CD Article: 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Gettin' a 'lil bold here...
Brig, think they stole your style 

Like a Rabbit Tee

US $22.00

Feeling creative? Our Like a Rabbit Tee features a "blank" space to be completed by you! Washable green marker included. Go ahead be bold, you can change your mind after each wash! Ringer tee is 60% cotton/40% polyester. Green. Imported.

http://drivergear.vw.com/store/product.asp?parent%5Fcategory%5Fid=15&category%5Fid=59&subcategory%5Fid=259&product%5Fid=3322

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Rabbit and Playboy now? Geez, can't say they're not tryin' new things. Imaginative idea to have a reverse cover for the back.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/03/vw-rabbit-hops-on-back-of-playboy/

[wing]

Looks great!

[a4_tom]

Let's start a Playboy GB in Vortex Mk5 forum.

[safristi]

  ..

[gosteelerz]

#1 Rabbit fan

[boflaade]

Nice car, stupid name. The majority of people I see driving new Golfs are middle-age men and women. Can a name put people off?

Most of these people (myself included) knew these car as a "Rabbit" longer then the name "Golf". I was just getting use to calling them Golf.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Baby's got back!

[safristi]

The UPHOLSTERY looks a BIT SKIMPY...Ren ?? ....   GEE TEE I had NO IDEA.......I'll Hef and I'll Puff and I'll put a liddle cotton ball on mY TAIL....

[The Beach]

Huge Question here...I hoping you guys can help me out. You guys are such a world of knowledge.

My lease is up on my 2003 Jetta 1.8T 4dr - Silver. I absolutely love this car!! I don't like the fact that I need to put premium in it but it tottaly rocks regardless!

Now I need something that I can put my bike, large cooler, wakeboard, tent and hockey bag size luggage etc.. into with out the hassel of trying to cram it under the trunk frame inbetween the truck and the folded seats.

I also need to save money on gas big time. I need to save money on all three aspects. Gas, insurance & monthly car payment.

So, I priced out the Jetta Wagon 1.9TDI wagon but it is totally out of my monthly payments. It came to $535 a month when I only pay $445 for my little Jetta now!

So now I'm looking at the Rabbit. Love it tottaly. Haven't driven one yet though and two of my main concerns are that it won't be a fast as I'm used to and that I'll end up cutting people off on the hwy when I try to merge. Secondly, the cargo space factor. I NEED space. Not sure if it will hold everything above without having a bike rack (I'm tiny so it is very difficult to hoist a bike onto the roof of a car by myself all of the time)

I looked at the Golf as it comes in a 1.9TDI and is a foot longer then the new Rabbit but it costs so much more!!!

Would anyone knwo if the extra money on a 4 year lease would be worth it to buy a Golf or if I can save the same amount of money with the 2.5L Rabbit?? Remember I'm used to paying 10 - 11 cents more a litre everyday so anything is better than premium but an extra $4000 is lot!!

That would be $1000 extra dollars a year I would have to save on gas just to break even on the monthly cost of the car.

Plus can anyone that has drven a 1.8T Jetta tell me if the Rabbit will at least pull it's weight in aceleration??  I will be getting the automatic with triptronic. Will the trip troni help in getting me around cars in the Rabbit as the triptronic does in the Jetta??

Thanks!

[The Beach]

I love the new Rabbit T's I went on the vw.ca site for that photo contest to win one. I hope I do. Love the Shirt!! 

Also the Playboy Bunny issue is very cool. Absoulte AWESOME marketing there...not that I would ever see that AD so I'm glad one of you guys put it on here to show the masses.

[The Beach]

How do you guys attach photos to each post. I have been using the attach feature but it keeps telling me...

An Error Has Occurred!
The attachments upload directory is not writable. Your attachment or avatar cannot be saved.   

Weird. Let me know if I'm doing something wrong.

Cheers.

[Julie]

Welcome to the forum Rabbit Girl!

I like your username. 

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Yes, welcome. LOVE YOUR AVATAR. The green and chromed Rabbit logo is where it's at. I have the Canadian Rabbit shirt in the bright green, but not the markable US Rabbit shirt.

The new Rabbit is actually larger than the Golf in virtually every dimension. Specifically, it is longer: 4,189mm for the Golf and 4,210 for the Rabbit. Interior - especially rear seat leg and head room - is significantly improved, but this comes at the expense of a bit of hatch/trunk space. Also, the rear seats don't fold completely flat anymore, but you don't have to take out the headrests. It's the preferred trade-off IMO.

Really, the Rabbit is a superb value. No doubt about it. Also, the suspension is worlds better trade-off between comfortable ride and enjoyable handling. It's also safer, German built, and not likely to get any cheaper. About the only thing that disappoints me with the new car is the audio system - 10 speakers, but they sound lousy compared to the Golf's 8 which are great. That and of course I had a TDI before so the mileage isn't great in comparison, but it's certainly acceptable.

If you really want to save money and like the Golf, the "Golf City" will be out within a few months (should be announced anytime) which will be today's Golf with a mild freshening, with the 2.0L 115hp engine, at a starting price around $15,000. You'd probably option it out to $18,5 or so to get popular options like the Tiptronic and roof/alloys tho. It wouldn't have the pep you're used to, but it'd be thousands less expensive.

In my experience, the 2.5L is a decent motor. It sounds terrible when you first start it for the first 15 seconds, but that's the way they all are, and in-line 5's have a unique sound. They don't have great fuel economy - likely similar to your 1.8T, but won't require premium. The 6-spd Tiptronic is relaxed on the highway and helps fuel economy at higher speeds. I find the engine fairly rewarding to drive - it's not punchy, but has a rather cool snarly sound when decelerating and does GO fairly well when you floor it. It's not the most quiet, but the torque is there to move you and it has a certain personality. It's a decent everyday motor, and delivers way more accelerative force on the highway than the Honda Fit and Civic I tried at similar speeds on the highway. It's really not bad - and I tried it on the Jetta, which is heavier than the Rabbit, so I imagine it performs even better under the Rabbit's hood.

I'd say if you can get your hands on a Rabbit, it's the best choice of the lot by far.
Do you know what bodystyle/colour/options you'd want?

[The Beach]

Thanks!! 

What does the Canadian shirt look like??

You would find me being loaded into the back of an ambulance if I were to drive the City Golf on the Hwy at only 115 HP.    Is there a picture of it somewhere. I'm just curious what it will look like?

Back to the Rabbit, do you think that even though it is only 150 HP do you think that the triptronic will help passing vehicles?  I just got home from driving my little Jetta aroud the city and the one thing I love is that I can zip around streetcars or slow drivers very quick with no having to hammer the pedal down. Actually I usually on have to press it down only an inch to get it to go. It seems so hoopy, just like what I would expect the Rabbit to feel like given the name.

Is there any way to find out how much each car would cast me in gas a month given my average that I drive with my Jetta right now??

Even with the upgraded radio the speakers are crap??

Rabbit
Base MSRP $20,990 
 
 Engine: 2.5L 5 Cylinder In-Line DOHC STD 
 
 Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic w/Tiptronic $1,400 
 
 Tires: P205/55R16H AS N/C 
 
 Wheels: 6.5J x 16" Alloy N/C 
 
 Alloy Wheel Package $565 
 
 Front Bucket Seats STD 
 
 Velour Seat Fabric STD 
 
 Monotone Paint Application STD 
 
 Radio: Premium AM/FM w/In-Dash 6-Disc CD Changer N/C 
 
 Convenience Package $605 
 
 Sunroof Package $1,400 
 
 Electronic Stabilization Program $450 
 
 Destination charge $695 
 
 Total MSRP*: $26,105 


Golf 1.9T GLS

 
 Base MSRP $25,050 
 
 Engine: 1.9L TDI 4 Cylinder In-Line Turbo-Charged STD 
 
 Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic w/Tiptronic $1,400 
 
 Tires: P195/65R15 H AS STD 
 
 Wheels: 6J x 15" Alloy N/C 
 
 Fully Reclining Heatable Front Comfort Seats STD 
 
 Velour Seat Fabric STD 
 
 Monotone Paint Application STD 
 
 Radio: Premium w/Cassette & Integrated CD Player STD 
 
 Side Curtain Protection $220 
 
 Electronic Stabilization Program $430 
 
 Luxury Package $1,440 
 
 Destination charge $695 
 
 Total MSRP*: $29,235


What do you think? I originally wanted the Jetta Wagon 1.9TDI to put all of the stuff in but It came to $30,000 ($535 48 month lease). WAY TOO MUCH. I figured that VW would love to get rid of them cause wagon are harder to sell but they are selling them tooo high!

What do you think??

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Canadian shirt http://www.vwdrivergear.com/acb/showprod.cfm?&DID=11&User_ID=1062751&st=4015&st2=-84375947&st3=-51692719&CATID=39&ObjectGroup_ID=168
I have the men's jersey T.

You realize the TDI models have 100hp, right? It's the torque fiqure that makes them feel responsive.
I think the 2.5L has enough zip in the city from the get-go because of the torque band in the engine again. Drive one and see - it's not bad.

For mileage, see the "Fuel Consumption Calculator" here http://www.canadiandriver.com/tools/index.htm.
From there, on the lower right there's the EnerGuide fuel consumption guide which lists the fuel economy of every model (for the Rabbit, look at Jetta 2.5 S6+ - for your Jetta 1.8T, look at GTI 1.8T which has the same ratings as yours. I just looked and it appears the 2.5 is RATED about even with the 1.8T, but that may not translate well into the real world depending how your drive). Also shows typical annual fuel cost based on the average person's driving.

You really have to compare models yourself though.

The Golf City will be similar to the Golf TDI out now, but with the 2.0L 115hp engine and maybe slight changes to the headlamps and taillamps. Haven't seen a photo of it yet myself. Also, your generation of Jetta is being reintroduced as "Jetta City", so likely the resale value on your car will drop (maybe not as much for you as it'll only have the 2.0L engine too) once that happens as they're planning to sell it starting at around $17,5 - 18 to start.

Hardest part in buying a Rabbit may be sourcing one. They're tough to buy right now, and likely for awhile.

[The Beach]

It's giving me the password and login to enter Any other way to enter?

[The Beach]

O.k. so I go to vwvortex.com and I read this about the Rabbit. I'm trying to save money and all....how will this effect my "up-keep" costs??

How much is an oil change for the Rabbit??

"Looking at the 2.5 from an enthusiasts' point of view is to be disingenuous, since it wasn't designed to get boy-racer hearts pumping, but when looking at it from an economical standpoint, the engine fails to impress as well. With an EPA mileage rating of 22/30 and a large 6.3-quart oil capacity, Rabbit owners will have to look long and hard at the operating and maintenance expenses before signing paperwork at the dealership. "

[wing]

Mazda3 Hatch, 0% lease and Financing until Aug 31st

[The Beach]

Mazda3 Hatch, 0% lease and Financing until Aug 31st

That's great!! Thank you for letting me know. Problem is that my lease is up on Nov 2nd. I don't want to have to inccur costs in getting out early. I guess that's why I'm nervous cause I know there are alll kinds of great deals going on now and I'm freaked out that there won't be good deals in Oct/Nov.

If anyone knows what the usual trend in deals is in Oct / Nov, let me know.

Thanks!