Rabbit gains horses
One way to make a good car even better is to add a healthy dose of horsepower. The average V6 in a family sedan now offers more grunt than a few-year-old Mustang, and international performance cars are more and more commonly being given above-ethical levels of performance. Small cars are getting more powerful too, which is a good thing, if you like horsepower.
Rabbit Power
The Rabbit has been to the gym- gaining 20 ponies for 2008 through revisions to its 2.5 litre five-cylinder engine. That comes attached to a five-speed stick, or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The tester came with the manual- a fairly precise and slick unit with VW's usual 'push down for reverse' setup and tall, wide forward gears. The shifter is a touch more resistant to being pushed into gear than some will like.
The engine itself is smooth and almost too quiet, though it does start to howl over about 4000 revs. There's no peaky stuff here- just good solid thrust throughout, and more than adequate low-end pull for no-downshift passing.
If you aren't in a hurry, the 2.5 engine makes enough torque to whisk the car along while shifting under 2500 revs. If you are in a hurry, drop the hammer and Rabbit takes off like its seen a hunter coming down the trail.
It's more pleasant than comparable engines in the Dodge Caliber, Toytota Matrix and Subaru Impreza, and mileage averaged about 10.5L / 100km on my watch.
Inside Rabbit
Rabbit's got a plain looking interior, but it feels more expensive than it is. It's not what you'd call exciting look at, but there's a premium, solid and well-assembled quality to just about every control and switch. Soft touch materials line the entire dashboard, which is set off at night by vivid blue lighting. Instruments are particularly large and easy to read, and a handy trip computer with temperature readout sits between the speedo and tach.
The comfortable cloth seats offered manual adjustments to find the optimal seating position, and they're heated too. On full blast, the heat borders on 'too hot'- though it leaves lasting warmth in your clothing to accompany you inside of wherever you've parked.
One way to make a good car even better is to add a healthy dose of horsepower. The average V6 in a family sedan now offers more grunt than a few-year-old Mustang, and international performance cars are more and more commonly being given above-ethical levels of performance. Small cars are getting more powerful too, which is a good thing, if you like horsepower.
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| The Rabbit is available in a 3-door or a 5-door configuration. |
Rabbit Power
The Rabbit has been to the gym- gaining 20 ponies for 2008 through revisions to its 2.5 litre five-cylinder engine. That comes attached to a five-speed stick, or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The tester came with the manual- a fairly precise and slick unit with VW's usual 'push down for reverse' setup and tall, wide forward gears. The shifter is a touch more resistant to being pushed into gear than some will like.
The engine itself is smooth and almost too quiet, though it does start to howl over about 4000 revs. There's no peaky stuff here- just good solid thrust throughout, and more than adequate low-end pull for no-downshift passing.
If you aren't in a hurry, the 2.5 engine makes enough torque to whisk the car along while shifting under 2500 revs. If you are in a hurry, drop the hammer and Rabbit takes off like its seen a hunter coming down the trail.
It's more pleasant than comparable engines in the Dodge Caliber, Toytota Matrix and Subaru Impreza, and mileage averaged about 10.5L / 100km on my watch.
Inside Rabbit
Rabbit's got a plain looking interior, but it feels more expensive than it is. It's not what you'd call exciting look at, but there's a premium, solid and well-assembled quality to just about every control and switch. Soft touch materials line the entire dashboard, which is set off at night by vivid blue lighting. Instruments are particularly large and easy to read, and a handy trip computer with temperature readout sits between the speedo and tach.
The comfortable cloth seats offered manual adjustments to find the optimal seating position, and they're heated too. On full blast, the heat borders on 'too hot'- though it leaves lasting warmth in your clothing to accompany you inside of wherever you've parked.
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| Adding to the overall good experience is the ergonomics of the interior. |