1982 Volkswagen Rabbit review from North America
"A worthy heir to the Beetle"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The tie rod ends were bad when I bought it, and had to be replaced.
The headliner had to be held up with thumbtacks.
The plug wires had a tendency to come loose at odd times.
The exhaust system from the manifold back rotted away right before I sold it.
Otherwise, it never gave me any trouble at all.
General comments?
I can see why it was named the Rabbit; it literally leapt off the line. It won more than its share of streetlight-to-streetlight drag races, though the element of surprise may have contributed somewhat to that.
It got spectacular gas mileage; consistently in the low 30s.
It was as surefooted as a little truck in the snow.
It carried a surprising amount of cargo for such a small vehicle. Even carrying passengers in the backseat was a reasonable proposition.
The shift and steering could have been a little tighter, but on the other hand, it wasn't really meant to be a sports car.
It took all the beating that a college junior in a band could inflict on it, and kept running tirelessly on.
It had it all: quick, reliable, fun to drive, plenty of cargo space, and cheap as all get out. Very nearly the perfect car.
Recommended reviews
| 1982 - Rabbit L 1.7 4 cylinder fuel injected A fun little car. Even the non-GTI versions are much sportier than many things on the road |
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| Great do-it-yourself kinda car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1982 |
| Year of manufacture | 1981 |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1997 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Date of Entry | 25th May, 2005 |