2008 Volkswagen Rabbit S 4dr review from North America

Nothing.

I special-ordered a Rabbit for my wife after having an extremely positive time with a 2007 GTI. It's white, with gray interior, manual, esp, and 16" alloy wheels -- a combination that would basically be impossible to find on dealer lots.

She absolutely loves her car, and she tells me that all of her friends always comment about how much they like it. I like it a lot too. For what it's worth, it's a better car than our GTI for long drives; the motor isn't as confidence inspiring, but that also means you don't have to worry about speeding.

I recently helped a friend buy a used Mazda 3, and I was really awe-struck by what the second-best interior in the Rabbit's class is like in person. The Rabbit's interior is simply leagues ahead of its competitors. If it wasn't for the fact that we simply can't find used Rabbits in her price range, I'd have recommended she get a Rabbit instead of the Mazda 3. I guess all of the Rabbit owners like them so much they are keeping them.

The utility of the hatchback is a given. We've never had a problem fitting anything in there. I even moved a piano in it.

The one deal-breaker for some people is the fuel economy, which is considerably sub-par. My family doesn't drive a whole lot, so even given the average 25 mpg or so, we fill up once every week and a half or so; its no big deal for us.