Short Take Road Test
From 1975 to 1984, the Volkswagen Rabbit flourished in the U.S., with consumers hopping all over the Rabbit's big space in a little, fuel sipping package after the first major gas crisis. But public perception of the Rabbit soon deteriorated due to its headache inducing unreliability. The Rabbit badge became so tar-nished that Volkswagen changed the successor's name to "Golf" for 1985. Over time, the Golf grew in size and price, and lost its image as hip, basic transportation in the process. Now for 2007, Volkswagen is bringing back the Rabbit, hoping it embodies the spirit of the original—but not the poor quality record.
Does a Golf By Any Other Name Hop Just the Same?
The 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit is nearly identical to the 5th-generation Golf sold in Europe. Its platform also underpins the GTI and Jetta, as well as Audi's A3 and upcoming 2008 TT. Motivation comes from a 2.5-liter, inline-five that produces 150 horsepower—a 30 percent bump in power over the outgoing 115-hp 2.0-liter—and a stout 170 pound-feet of torque. The North American exclusive powerplant is mated to ei-ther a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic (a $1075 option).
More power is always good, but this motor is a bit underwhelming. Redline is a sad 5500 rpm, 1000 revs less than the inline-five found in the Chevrolet Colorado pickup. Just when the Rabbit's lump starts to sing, you have to shift. That said, there's plenty of torque available to lug in higher gears all day long; during our test drive we skated through Philadelphia traffic with ease and effortlessly merged onto the interstate. But it wasn't any fun.
Engine aside, the overall driving experience is quite good. The Rabbit absorbs jounces and potholes with ease, yet still manages undulations and switchbacks with a level keel. The steering suffers from a small amount of on center numbness, but otherwise is weighted well and offers good feedback to the driver. Braking is sufficient, though the pedal feel isn't linear and feels soft. Most of these weaknesses only show up while approaching the car's limits. In normal driving the chassis remains very well balanced and pleasant to drive. In other words, it's a typical Golf.
