2008 Volkswagen Rabbit Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Well its the first VW i've ever driven, and im not going to lie its pretty quick. It has a 2.5 straight 5 engine. Its louuuddd! Mornings are probably the best time to drive it because you can hear the engine alot. I would mod it, but then its not really mine, or yet that is.. Build quality is amazing. We havent had anything break leak or even squeek on it. Appearance wise, i guess id like it to be lower but back to the fact that it isnt mine and its a daily for my father. Cost of ownership? Sure it gets about 280 miles to a tank of gas depending on how you drive it, and sure it could be better but you gotta pay to play. the car is absolutely amazing to drive. It does need a few minor upgrades tho. Thicker sway bars and id say thats it fror minor. Anything else would be major, something that either makes the FFFPSHHH sound or something that whines. turbo or supercharger.Oct 11, 2010

Pretty peppy little car that if driven like a grandma can get up to 32mpg. The 2008 Rabbit has 20 more HP than the previous years and it helps for when you're getting onto the freeway. Not a fast car by any means but still fun to drive. A pretty stiff chassis and good brakes provide for a fun drive when you want and solid looks and functional interior make this VW a great daily driver of you can't afford the GTI/R32.Aug 06, 2010

This car is very much the revelation compared to my previous car, 05 Hyundai accent. I was worried about VW's reliability given their past but I must say that this Rabbit hasn't possessed any of those flaws. It accelerates decently, but the throttle delay from the drive by wire does get a bit annoying from light to light. This car shines in it's passing power and cornering grip. It's been a good car also, only had 1 issue with the clock spring for an airbag and horn going out on the steering wheel. Under warranty, nothing out of pocket, one time thing so im still happy. Im surprised that I've beaten the EPA ratings for gas mileage on this car more than once. I should be getting 25 combined or less, when I'm actually getting 28 on average cycles. Best hwy has been 34, this car loves taking long trips. Would easily recommend it and have done so many times already :-) Jan 09, 2010

Its a pretty well built car considering its price. It performs well, its 2.5 I-5 is a unqiue engine and will accelerate your call good. Its a fun car to drive, for it is quick and has pretty good handling. Makes a great daily driver and can get to you from point A to point B in a semi fun way. The interior in the dark with the lights on are spectacular. Great color scheme and the buttons are well played out.Jun 11, 2009

I have wanted to buy a brand new Volkswagen Rabbit (Golf) since I learned how to drive. The very first car that I called "mine" was a '92 4-door Golf that I inherited when I was a senior in high school (2003). I knew when I had that car that as soon as I could afford it I would be buying a brand new one. I bought this Rabbit in August of '08 and have no serious complaints. The car handles well, has plenty of power, especially torque (177 ft/lbs) and is a blast to drive. It has plenty of driver legroom, I myself am 6'4" and feel really comfortable driving. Road noise is not a problem even going down the interstate at 70mph. Some of the minor complaints I have had include mediocre fuel economy (for a "compact" car) and expensive oil changes. The fuel economy is rated at 29/21 (highway/city). I believe this is attributed to having a five-cylinder motor with gear ratios more appropriate for a four-cylinder motor. At 70mph the motor runs at approximately 2900rpm. I personally feel that the motor has plenty of torque and that either a 6th gear or taller gear ratios would help to improve at least the highway fuel economy. VW's warranty requires you to run full synthetic oil, making the cost of an oil change around $65 (the cheapest price I found at a VW dealer). The car has roughly 32,000 miles and with the exception of a light-bulb mounting bracket recall, has only been in the shop for routine maintenance (oil changes and tire rotation). I would easily recommend this car to a friend, especially a friend that is looking for more than just a plain car to get around in. Also, VW's have recently had great resale value. For just over $15k, it's hard to beat.Dec 30, 2008

The car is very well put together, and drives better than cars more than twice its price. It accelerates fairly quickly, especially for entrance ramps onto highways. The turning is precise, and its turn radius is small enough that I can turn around in some streets without doing a Y turn. Braking is good. The build quality and materials are second to none. Nothing feels cheap, unlike in its competition. For weeks after I got it, I kept finding little details. For example, there are slots for coins for tolls, a shelf for the owner's manual in the glove compartment, the seat belts are stitched in such a way that if you let go after unbuckling it doesn't thwack against the B pillar, it automatically locks at 8 mph (and while in park it only locks from the outside so if you press lock you can still get out from the inside), and many more. It's thoroughly engineered. Appearance is decent. I just have the basic 2-door with black trim and steel wheels. The design looks like it's a few years old, and, well, it is. However, if you add the body kit bumpers, tint the windows, upgrade the rims, and add Veleo LED tail lights, the Rabbit can look really awesome. It depends on what you're willing to spend. Gas mileage is decent. I get 27-31 mpg usually, and with gas at $1.40 now the fillups are under $20 and give me a range of around 380 miles. Maintenance is fairly simple, and I got a standard 4-year warranty (now 3-year for 2009 models) so maintenance at the dealer is free. Washing the car is very simple, and one thing that's great about the car is that the doors are sealed so that dirt doesn't spray onto the metal between the outside and the inside seal. The rims are kind of a hassle to clean since there are so many holes, but if you get different ones it's easier. The one reason that held me back from just buying the VW without cross-shopping was reliability. My one problem with the car is that the iPod adapter dock broke at 2500 miles, and the dealer's response was to order a new stereo system for the dash. It's not a big problem, but I drive through areas with no good radio reception so it's annoying to not have an iPod to play. What convinced me to buy it was an article that claimed the Rabbit/Golf is the 2nd most reliable car in Europe, and Consumer Reports' high rating. Everything else has been great; no squeaks or rattles. Complaints about the car include no range estimation, no dimming side mirrors, and a subpar stereo system (reliability and sound-quality wise). One more thing: In a couple years, Audi is going to be putting the same engine in its S3, only turbocharged. That means that there will be a plethora of upgrades for the Rabbit's 2.5 5-cylinder engine in the near future. It may be more expensive than the competition, but you get so many more amenities of more expensive cars. It's almost unfair to put this in the econobox comparison; it just has a small size (which is perfect; I've moved all my belongings to college in it, and it's really easy to park). All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend the car.Dec 14, 2008

Best compact. Way better build quality the the Civic, Mazda3, etc. Good performance for its class (170h, 177lbs torque). 1st gear is a bit short but provides very quick accelerations and 5th could have been less rev-hungry. The 4 wheel disc brakes provide more than enough stopping power even though the pedal feels a little bit spongy. All around its a very fun car to drive. The interior has no frills all around, its efficient and not overdone like some cars. Ahem civic. The quality of the materials is amazing for a car and this price. After 13 000 km with it i have not witnessed any trim rattle. The fun and power of the car comes at a certain price, the 2.5L engine is very thirsty. with very good interest rates from VW Finance, i highly recommend this car for anyone in the market for a dependable compact car. Oct 17, 2008

Well i took a bit of a twist here buying this car. Not exactly what anyone i knew would have expected me to purchase. All that being said I love it, it handles well with the ESP prgram and goes like a bat out of hell now that i have a GIAC power programmer installed in it four months old and on my second set of tires. This thing pulls high G's on the G-pad and on the road. The ESP has performed flawlessly and actually has shaved some off my course lap times. To all of you out there driving North American vehicles... HAHAHAHA LOL Muahhhh.... Why would you watse your hard earned dollars on crap like lets say a Pontiac G5, or G6, Dodge SX 2.0, Chevy Cobalt, and so on and so on. Especially when this little rocket will make most Grand Prix GTP drivers feel like an ass for having been out performed.... Trust me i know this from experience, my Rabbit ate and spit out a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. I nearly died laughing when the guy pulled in to talk..... He had to leave because i couldn't contain myself. Many North American "MUSCLE" cars have had their grins wiped off with this little monster. It definitely is a Wolf(sburg) in sheeps clothing. Jul 06, 2008

With a manual trans, it's nice to have the control over the speed in each gear. This car definitely has a good pick up and go! When I first sat in the car, it seemed to fit me perfectly. As a tall woman, 6', it's nice to be in a smaller car and still feel comfortable. Even with my seat back, there's still plenty of room for back seat passengers, which is also a definite plus!Jun 27, 2008

I have found that the 2008 Rabbit is absolutely incapable of leaving someone wanting after a long drive. The seats are incredibly supportive, and are among the few designed with tall people in mind. All of the control surfaces are well apointed and seem to be ergonomicly correct. While the four door varient is probably the more practical one, I don't really think the two door suffers too much from it's lack of doors. And the utility of a hatchback is absolutely amazing. Theres nothing that won't fit in the car. The color is perfect as well, a perfect shade of Citation Please Red. I've always been in love with the idea of a relatively compact hatchback, but nobody has been able to build one that is as uncompromising as this VW. It's spacious, very frugal on gas, german, well designed, and it looks fantastic.May 23, 2008