2006 Volkswagen Rabbit review from North America

So far, nothing.

I think this car was worth the selling price. It is the base model 4 door. Looks very nice when you first see it in the dealer lot, but as soon as you drive off the lot, the thrill goes away. There are stuff that I hate about this car. However there are also stuff that I like.

THE GOOD...

Excellent performance with the 5-speed for a car thats reasonably priced. It has a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine with 170HP. I doubt that there are other vehicles besides VW that have the same kind of performance and are under $16,000. Its a great looking car with reasonable gas mileage. The interior room; headroom and leg room, is just awesome. It has huge trunk space and the ride is OK. Cool dashboard--I love how all the gauges turn blue at night.

THE BAD...

The interior is horrible with horrible seats which are unsupportive and uncomfortable. Uncomfortable driving support due to lack of support, especially the seatbelt which is also uncomfortable to wear as I drive. The armrests are not big enough. The ride gets rough at high speeds, sharp turns, and in bad weather. Volkswagen should redesign this car with bigger wheels and tires, and a lower suspension. This really is the only problem I have on the Rabbit; the ride. When you have to push it, but just because it handles poorly, when you have to drive crazy does not mean it is a bad car. The Rabbit has stock wheels (I believe they are 14" rims) and comes with horribly cheap all season tires, which I replaced with better tires. The car is also jacked up high making a steady ride, except when it comes to crazy driving. But this car is big and high enough for me.

Look on the bright side: if you want excellent value in a car with a good looking exterior, and a powerful engine with excellent reliability, then the Volkswagen is the perfect choice. Since I have spent about $2000 dollars in upgrading this car, now its fun to drive. So if you want a simple car to get around in, this is it. If you need a car to drive crazy in every day, this is also the right car, but you will need to put some more money into it to do the job right. My next VW will be a Jetta.