VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT PRICE $...

VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT

PRICE

$14990-$18065

LIKES

pleasantry to drive. Practical. Good highway firing economy.

DISLIKES

Rather ordinary styling. Average city firing material economy.

The Golf name for Volkswagen's entry-level compact car none has meant much to Americans, thus the automaker has resurrected its iconic Rabbit name here for the car.

Volkswagen is hoping that the Rabbit name forward the new Golf will help it relaunch its image as a farmer of affordable, efficient, fun-to-drive cars. Curiously, the solitary Rabbit identification on the car is a small Rabbit-shaped chrome badge on the rear hatch.

The small, lively Rabbit was sold here from 1975 by the agency of 1984, when it was renamed the Golf -- the German name for the abyss Stream, not the game.

The Rabbit was the first Volkswagen built in America, where it was produc in Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1984 on the other hand the new model is made in Wolfsburg Germany, not VW plants in Mexico or Brazil.

The Rabbit name will be used solely in America for the fresh Golf, which has been sold in Europe for several years moreover hasn't been sold here for corporate reasons best ignored.

The Rabbit name means little or nothing to Europeans. They think Americans are crazy, anyway, for widely favoring the Volkswagen Jetta notchback (regular trunk) through the more versatile Golf, which has a hatchback instead of a conventional stalk

In any case, the compact, front-drive Jetta and Golf lengthy have been almost mechanically identical, and the slightly larger modern fifth-generation Golf -- er, Rabbit -- shares the fifth-generation Jetta's more powerful base 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. It furnishs 150-horsepower and replaces a marginal 115-horsepower four- cylinder.

The flat five-shooter doesn't make the 3071-3137-pound Rabbit all that fast (0-60 mph in 89 seconds) if it were not that provides lively enough performance. An abundance of torque means you ne not shift gears a hazard to keep up with traffic. And there's instant answer when flooring the accelerator with the available automatic transmission. a certain quantity of 90 percent of torque is forward tap from a low 1750 rpm

Estimated firing economy with the manual and automatic is 22 mpg in the city and 30 in succession highways. Only regular grade firing material is required.

the two the Jetta and Rabbit have a recently made known independent rear suspension, which provides better ride and handling.

The Rabbit assume the office ofs a Golf model that dates to 1999 and has more muscular styling, besides the added power. While the car will continue to be called the Golf in Europe Volkswagen thinks the Rabbit name will allow catchy advertising in America (you can't do abundant here with "Golf") and bring back folk who confessed one of the old popular Rabbits.

However, those who remember the original Rabbit have aged abroad of the car's target market of 18- to 34-year-olds.

The quiet, solidly built Rabbit is sold with sum of two units or four doors and is more functional looking than handsome, which frequently has been the case with German cars. Wheels are positioned at the far corners of the aerodynamic material part which gives the Rabbit a 101.5-inch wheelbase for a better ride and more interior scope

The of the present day Volkswagen comes with either a five-speed manual or responsive six-speed automatic transmission. Prices begin at $14990 for the two-door pattern with the manual gearbox, and at $16990 for the four-door version. The automatic has manual shift capability and adds $1075 to those prices.

The Rabbit is fairly well-equipped. Standard are air conditioning, AM/FM/CD with MP3 capability, cruise regulate tilt/ telescoping wheel, manually adjustable van seats, split-folding rear seat and power windows, mirrors and lock-ups with remote keyless entry.

The four-door adds heated brass seats, front and rear center armrests, fold-flat effrontery passenger seat, upgraded sound arrangement better seats with a power driver-side recline feature and on the same level heated windshield washer nozzles.

Safety items include face side and side curtain air bags (rear side air bags for the four-door prototype cost $350), traction control, limited-slip differential and anti-lock disc brakes. For child seat safety, the Rabbit uses the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) with marked anchorage points.

Options include a $1000 power sunroof $375 XM satellite radio and a $450 anti-skid plan which is well worth the standard of value

The Rabbit's quick electro-mechanical power steering provides dutiful on-center feel on highways and nice feedback forward winding roads. The excellent chassis provides a flexile ride and nimble handling that encourages spirited driving. The brake pedal exigencys a more linear action, on the other hand stops are quick -- thanks partly to electronic brake-pressure distribution.

effrontery seats are supportive, and four tall adults easily fit. Back doors unclose wide, and rear seat place is impressive for a compact car. The driving position is comfortable and the white-on-black speedometer and tachometer markings are easy to read, although the combustibles and coolant temperature gauges are too small.