VW raises the Rabbit from the dead. As a Golf III owner I know that cargo room in the Fit is almost the same as the Golf (though not as versatile) so I'm intrigued by this report:

"The Rabbit goes on sale this summer in both two and four-door versions, with pricing starting at $14,990 for the two-door. Standard features include an advanced ABS braking system, traction control, active front head restraints, front side airbags, air conditioning and anti-theft alarm system with remote locking." The engine will be the 150 HP 5 cylinder 2.5L.
The Rabbit will come with 24-hour Roadside Assistance for four years with unlimited mileage and new vehicle warranties including:

•Five-year/60,000 mile (whichever occurs first) Powertrain Limited Warranty
•Four-year/50,000 mile (whichever occurs first) New Vehicle Limited Warranty
•12 year unlimited mileage Limited Warranty against corrosion perforation.

Details here: VW Revives the Rabbit NamePlate

 

That is a lot of equipment for $15,000. Now if the diesel engine is inexpensive it would sure be tempting. It would actually get better mileage than the Fit (by quite a bit).

Reliability is an unknown, but I would be less concerned with a diesel - no electrics to go bad.

A Honda diesel would be amazing - the 2.2 in Europe is a stunning performer. Imagine a Fit with a small diesel that had close to 100hp but over 150 ft lbs of torque. It would easily get in the mid to high 50's on the highway - with nice low rpm.

 

VW will probably bring a new common-rail diesel to the NA market in 2008.
The current VW 2.5L gasser is not nearly as fuel efficient as the Fit, but it will scoot pretty good. And the ride quality and interior of the VW is better than the Fit. Reliability in the long run is questionable, though my 1996 has been very reliable.

 

A stripper golf called a rabbit won't sway me from this new honda. I've considered spending a ton more than this car. The Xb is the only other choice in this segment due to features and performance. The Golf chassis is fine and the power would be more, but the interior just doesn't have the space or flexiblility of the Honda. This car will for sure have a curb weight of nearly 2800 pounds. What fun will that be?

 

Interesting. I actually like the direction VW is heading, but I still dont trust their made in Mexico build quality.

 

Actually, the very recent Mexican-built VW's have been pretty good--I haven't heard of any significant problems with the new GLI sports sedan based on the new Jetta built in Mexico, a car that is a blast to drive especially with that 197 bhp (SAE 08/04 net) 2.0-liter Turbo FSI engine. Pity that VW didn't sell a non-turbo 2.0-liter FSI engine for the US market, one that could have offer as much as 145-150 bhp.

I do think when VW does it full-model change for the Polo about two years from now, you will see it in the USA market. This will probably replace the New Beetle at VW's Mexican assembly line.

 

I'll have to keep checking up on the consumer reports guide and the JD Power statistics to see if VW has really improved.

 

I sure would like to at least be able to consider the Polo, when I am ready to buy in December.

 

Price wise it is in the same market as the Fit and its other B-segment cars but physical dimension wise, it looks a bit bigger then the Fit. Doesnt look much different at all then the current Golf. One thing to note, German cars tend to be much heavier then the Japanese counterparts but the flipside to that coin is that they usually have better build materials and overall better quality, fit and finish. Reliability is where the Japanese rivals usually beat the Germans but with a warranty like it is going to be coming with not to mention 24 hour roadside assistance for 4 yrs, its very hard not to consider it as a viable alternative to the Fit. The rear styling is the only thing I dont like about it.

 

If a VW's suspension is left just as you'd find it in Europe, then I find the ride/handling combination to be very close to ideal. Unfortunately, by the time it makes it to NA's shores, the suspension has been overly-softened, resulting in compromised driving dynamics. The new GTI appears to have finally dealt with this issue. What about the base model(s)?

Furthermore, although materials used for interior plastics and carpetting, as well as the quality/guage of metal are generally superior to those used in Hondas, the electricals are terrible! I have yet to see an older VW, BMW or Mercedes without some sort of electrical gremlin. It seems that these are injected into the vehicle right before it rolls out the factory door.

The Germans, when given the opportunity to build something mechanical without bean-counters constantly peering over their shoulders will come up with a superior product. Otherwise, poor execution seems to be the norm. Mercedes' downward quality spiral is an excellent example.

Where I live, VW's have been anathema to many people since the mid '80's.
Of course, trying to move upmarket without commensurate gains in quality has not helped matters much for their bottom line either!

 

Did I read that article right? It says the Rabbit will be built alongside the GTI in Wolfsburg? Not Puebla? I know VW reliability has been stinking even in Europe but a german-made VW might still do it for me.

 

Yes, built in Wolfsburg. WHERE the car is built isn't an issue, quality control is. The original Rabbits built in Pennsylvania were awful; my Golf III, built in Mexico is/was fine. VW added a second QC checkpoint when the Puebla Golfs came into the USA and that helped a lot apparently. The MK V Golf has been out in Europe for 3 years (I think) so bugs should be ironed out, as in the Fit also.
FWIW, the new GTI seems to have only a few niggling issues and sales have been wildly successful.

 

I had a 1980 Scirocco and it was very reliable - made in Germany. Put 170,000 miles on it.

Part of what I like about the Fit is how close it is in size to the original Rabbit 157 inches vs 156 for the Rabbit.

I am not going to say that a VW is as reliable as a Honda (or Toyota) but a car that is average now would have been extremely reliable a dozen years ago. Cars are just getting more trouble free overall.

 

tempting, especially the diesel. Will Honda bring a diesel Fit over?