2009 Volkswagen Rabbit Consumer Reviews

Just about perfect!

Written by: Eric on 09/05/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S PZEV 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 6A)

Review

In my family we own an 09 Rabbit and 08 Mazda 3. They are truly both fantastic cars. Both are equipped pretty much the same and they both cost the same (just about 17K). My wife drives the Mazda and she loves it however I am a good size guy and I find the Rabbit's seat goes back further and has more thigh support (and overall room). The Mazda gets better gas mileage but the Rabbit has better acceleration so in my opinion the lower MPG is a fair trade. Both handle extremely well and are a lot of fun to drive however the Rabbit is a little more quiet overall. The Mazda has one of the nicest stearing wheels I have ever seen on any car.

Favorite Features

Very comfortable seats and driving position. Excellent automatic transmission. Excellent handling. Every car should have heated seats! Everyone should have a small hatchback. So versatile!

Suggested Improvements

Center console should be finished better. MPG display like last years model. The seatbelts are really hard to reach on two door model. Stearing wheel controls (but the VW stearing wheel is also cool in a simple way).

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

HOT Hare !!!

Written by: mf on 07/24/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S PZEV 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

Quick, even at a 6500ft Colorado altitude. Precise handling. Precise- shifting 5-speed gearbox. Typical excellent German craftsmanship -- inside and outside -- with obvious attention to detail. Roomy. Lots of features that are "package upgrages" on other brands. Airbags everywhere, traction/stability management, and other safety features. Good MPGs for the HP/torque. On top of all that, driving-thrill-for-the-investment can't be beaten.

Favorite Features

Excellent acceleration. Quality build. Roomy, yet with a small exterior. Hatchback. Blue & red gauge lights. Red LEDs in the ceiling for soft lighting of the cabin at night. Chilled glove- box. Thick, easy-to-grip steering wheel. Momentary movement of the turn signal activates the blinker 3 flashes.

Suggested Improvements

Some material other than cloth on the arm-rests. Better FM reception. More exterior color choices. "Aux In" needs more sensitivity to the input signal. Gas tank fillable from driver's side.

4 out 5 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

2009 VW Rabbit with Manual Trans

Written by: HP on 07/02/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

Quiet, competent, handles well, and is fun to drive. Great quality, fit, and finish.

Favorite Features

Competent handling, heated seats, fit and finish.

Suggested Improvements

Six speed transmission. On a hot day, windows can be lowered from outside the car by inserting the key and turning such. This should be handled through the remote control key fob.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

Run Rabbit, run!

Written by: Two5 on 06/28/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S PZEV 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

Car has seen all types of driving and has fared extremely well. The engine in the car is well suited to most driving situations and the abundance of power and torque plus an engine that enjoys revving provides an acceleration not found in competitors, the five speed manual has short throws and positive feel with good clutch feedback. Suspension is based on the sportier GTI, giving the Rabbit surefooted dynamics while providing a comfortable ride even over harsh roads, the standard ESP provides an added safety net. No problems while owning the vehicle, and fuel economy has averaged approximately 28 miles per gallon, while full tanks on the freeway can net up to 33 miles per gallon.

Favorite Features

Engine, transmission, suspension combination. Stereo system with 10 speakers. Standard ESP. Key fob can open or close windows. Sunroof. Blue and red gauge cluster lights. Controls are intuitive and well laid out. One touch window controls.

Suggested Improvements

Add 6th gear for increased highway mileage. Add multifunction display, even as an option. Allow 4-door cars the 5 speed manual gearbox. Center armrests. Larger side mirrors to fix the blind spot created by the C-pillar.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

Really Fun Car

Written by: Elvis51178 on 06/17/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 6A)

Review

I love driving this car, It's really quiet, smooth and pretty quick. Plus this car handles really well. Best of all is the gas mileage. I get about 26mpg all city traffic, and about 29-30 with mixed city/highway driving. The sticker estimated mpg is way low at 21/28.

Favorite Features

6 speed Tiptronic Transmission

Suggested Improvements

MPG Readout, Digital Compass, radio controls on steering wheel.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

2009 VW Rabbit 2dr

Written by: 2009 Rabbit on 05/27/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 6A)

Review

Well built with more than expected standard features. Excellent performance and safety features. Interior of car feels like a much larger car. Average mileage has been 27 mpg in all around driving. Very quiet interior and smooth 6 spd tiptronic auto trans. I am extremely happy after 2 months with this gem.

Favorite Features

Interior appointments and performance.

Suggested Improvements

Add a center arm rest as standard or at least an option.

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

I'm a believer!

Written by: Bossanova on 05/05/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

When it was time to trade in my old car (a '95), I looked at nearly all of the cars in the $15-20K market. Drove the Mazda3, Vibe, Versa, Matrix, Civic, xD... they all kind of felt the same. I had resigned myself to a functional compact with few features that I could "make do" with; then I drove the Rabbit. WHOA - it was like finding religion. There is absolutely no car in this class that is nearly as fun to drive. Plus even the base model is packed with extras. The interior is refined with quality materials. I got the 2-door 5-speed manual and I love it. I've never owned a VW before, but the Rabbit has definitely made me a believer.

Favorite Features

Solid build quality, great handling, peppy 2.5L engine, lots of room (I'm a big guy), red LEDs light the interior at night, easy-to-read gauges, hidden iPod dock, heated seats, adjustable center armrest, rear wiper, chilled glove compartment, defrost for side-view mirrors and back window

Suggested Improvements

Make the 4-door available with a 5-speed manual transmission, provide a center armrest in the back seat on the 2-door, include a MPG dash display like in the 2008 models

14 out 15 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

The Thunder Bunny Lives

Written by: conroypaw on 04/20/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

I purchased a 2009 VW Rabbit, after looking at other cars in its class, including the Mitsubish Lancer GTS, Mazda 3, and Subaru Impreza. While I think I could have been happy with any of the other cars mentioned, I truly love my Rabbit. I could not justify the additional price of the GTI for a few fractions of a second faster from 0-60 mph, and the added costs for premium fuel and insurance. The Rabbit will satisfy all but the most power hungry. Fuel economy is mediocre, but a fair trade off for power and performance. The Rabbit has the best build quality, not just in intelligent design, but in the material used. It does not feel like a sub $20,000 car, nor does it drive like one.

Favorite Features

Perfectly sized steering wheel and fairly intuitive controls. Excellent gear shift lever. I love the way the gear selector "snickity-snicks" into place with precision with moderately short throws. There's a lot of nice touches like the Gorilla Mat for the trunk, fasteners and the full sized spare!

Suggested Improvements

While cool, the switchblade key / fob combo is big, bulky, and EXPENSIVE to replace. Push button "Start" would be nice. Make the 6-disc CD player MP3 capable option. A center console storage / arm rest would be nice. Replace the seatback adjustment knob with a lever for easier use. Fog lamps?

7 out 7 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

hope its not a lemon

Written by: vin on 04/11/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 6A)

Review

Just purchased brand new rabbit 2009 5 min after leaving dealership check engine light goes on when trying to merge on the highway car lost power pressing gas & car actually slowing down lasted almost a minute not long but very scary just the same. Drove it back to dealership they gave a rented car while they diagnose the problem not a good start especially since its brand new I'm hoping this is the first and last problem..

Favorite Features

ride handling leather steering wheel feel xenon headlights

Suggested Improvements

reliability?

5 out 8 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post

Re Knock Sensor issue

Written by: derblederb on 03/30/2009

Vehicle

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit S 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

I was looking for a little hatchback. I picked the Rabbit over the Mazda 3 and Imprezza because it was more fun driving, cost less, and is supposed to get a little better mileage. It also got great CR ratings. I've had four people in it a few times and there seems to be enough room. The car reminds me of the civic hatchbacks from the early 90s.

Favorite Features

It is pretty maneuverable and responsive like you expect from a little car, but it is really smooth on the highway.

Suggested Improvements

I just had the same problem a couple other people here reported. Just after turning over 600 miles the car started rev-limiting at 3000rpm. Then a couple miles later the check-engine light came on. The shop says the knock sensor needs to be replaced. Not a good sign for a 1 month old car.

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

Report inappropriate post