VW Rabbit gets a carrot from Consumer Reports.

[SVTKAR3]

Posted May 11th 2008 1:33PM by Chris Tutor
Filed under: Hatchbacks, Chevrolet, Dodge, Mazda, Pontiac, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen


If Consumer Reports is right, Volkswagen is well on its way to attaining its dream of outselling Toyota by 2015. In the magazine's June 2008 issue, CR threw a handful of hatchbacks into the ring and the VW Rabbit hopped out the winner. The magazine cited the Rabbit's "very well finished" interior for its class, agility, braking and transmission as reasons to choose it over a growing field of small hatchbacks. CR also expects the Rabbit to have an "above average" reliability record.

The biggest negative the staff found in the VW was "mediocre" fuel economy for a car its size, though many SUV drivers looking to downsize will love seeing its 24 mpg figure. Staffers also complained about the large C-pillars blocking their view and engine lag after stops.

Consumer Reports has routinely praised the Mazda3 as one of its favorite hatches, but in overall scoring, the car now comes in third, slightly behind the Toyota Prius Touring. Rounding out the top five are the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport and the newly redesigned Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins. At the bottom of the list are the Dodge Caliber and the Chevrolet HHR.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

[jzchev28]

24 mpg? ouch

[CJ Thunder]

Originally Posted by jzchev28

24 mpg? ouch

People going from an Outlook to the Rabbit will love that! HAHAHAHA

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by jzchev28

24 mpg? ouch

Yeah, really. That's pretty bad...should be at least 28-30 MPG...

[jzchev28]

Originally Posted by CJ Thunder

People going from an Outlook to the Rabbit will love that! HAHAHAHA

yeah thats pretty bad when a 8 passenger cross-over does just as good or better

[FenwickHockey65]

I think I've finally found an occasion to use this.

[EldoFan]

Originally Posted by jzchev28

yeah thats pretty bad when a 8 passenger cross-over does just as good or better

Amazingly enough, when I drove back home here from school w/a fully loaded car.....I was getting 25-26MPG on the highway.....(in an 18 year old, V8 powered RWD luxo-coupe)........then again, maybe the lil trip computer thingy was out of whack......

[Dave B]

24mpg?? A little thing like that should get 30mpg+ especially when much bigger cars get 24-26 easy.

[AndrewGS]

The 24MPG figure is EPA combined, the figure normally used in Europe instead of the false hope figure of EPA highway that's normally thrown around here in the States. 24MPG combined is also the number for the HHR 2.4L/automatic while the 2.2L/automatic is rated at 25MPG combined.

I'm not really in agreement with CR's expected reliability score. Just scour the VW forums to see the multitudes of quality problems. I do think it's a nice car, however, and it has the best interior for the money, period.

[Andonis]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

I think I've finally found an occasion to use this.

[WishIhadatruck]

The mpg # is based on CR testing, not on the from the EPA. I 5 door Saturn Astra was tested at the same time and only got an overall mpg of 25.

In order of overall ranking:

VW Rabbit 24 mpg
Subaru Impreza 23 mpg
Toyota Matrix 27 mpg
Saturn Astra 25 mpg
Mini Cooper Clubman 29 mpg
Scion xD 29 mpg

[SwampFoxZ71]

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

The 24MPG figure is EPA combined, the figure normally used in Europe instead of the false hope figure of EPA highway that's normally thrown around here in the States. 24MPG combined is also the number for the HHR 2.4L/automatic while the 2.2L/automatic is rated at 25MPG combined.

I'm not really in agreement with CR's expected reliability score. Just scour the VW forums to see the multitudes of quality problems. I do think it's a nice car, however, and it has the best interior for the money, period.

2007 VW Rabbit...owned for a year and a half...6 speed auto...(*knock on wood *) not a single problem in the year and a half...cannot say that about ANY GM product I've ever owned (though I've never had a 'major' problem in any, either, except for the stall issue on our '04 Ion, which they couldn't fix so it was traded on the Rabbit, and the heater core and tranny problems I had on my '95 Monte - both fixed under warranty)...

So, reliability...so far...check...

Interior fit and finish, handling, braking, etc. as CR reported...for a car we paid $16 for...better than anything I ever got from GM...check...

24mpg? It's rated at 21 or 22 mpgh city...we routinely get 24/25mpg around town. Rated at 30mpg's on the hwy...never had it on a truly hwy trip to find out but I think we can eak out 34 w/ it...check there too...

"Ehh...what's up doc?"

To be honest, w/ this experience, I may not consider another GM car the next time. Not that I don't want to, it's just that there's much to like about the VW, for the money, we are quite pleased with it. I want to have a GM that was like that for us, but it just never comes to pass.

Now, for trucks, I'll get a Chevy every time (until VW comes out w/ one, and I'll seriously have to take a look)...