VW Golf/Rabbit News

[YSSMAN]

...Looks like the early price estimates on the Rabbit I had been using were quite wrong...

Volkswagen will cut the price of its Jetta sedan by $1,410 in an effort to boost U.S. sales, reports Automotive News. It will also cut pricing on the Rabbit (formerly the Golf) by $1,055, the report said. The automaker will reduce the base prices by removing some standard features for the 2007 model year. The 2007 Jetta will start at $17,105, while the 2007 Rabbit will start at $15,605. Adrian Hallmark, executive vice president of Volkswagen America, said reducing the prices will enable Volkswagn to be a true volume player in the United States. Since the discontinuation of the upscale Phaeton in America, VW has abandoned efforts to be a premium nameplate. “Instead of going for the penthouse, we need a few floors below,” Hallmark said.

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I still say that you're getting a screaming deal on the new Rabbit. For $15,605 you are pretty much starting where the Honda Fit/City/Jazz Sport starts in the US, and given the VW's larger size, argueably better looks, and similar standard features, you figure it out.

It will be interesting to see how the price cuts on the Jetta works out as well. From what I understand, they are selling exceptionally well, as they do make up more than 40% of sales in the US for Volkswagen.

 

[Poverty]

Sounds good to me, especially more confirmation that VW has stopped trying to move upbrand.

 

[LittleBahamut]

I think its going to work really well for them since those Jetta and Rabbit sell so well already. Now they trying to cut some of the sales of other 15Kish cars to take more market share.

 

[McLaren]

Sounds like a good idea.
But does this mean the GTI and GTL will also get the reduction?

 

[YSSMAN]

I doubt the GTI or GLI will recieve any kind of reduction in price, as they have pretty much sold out of those models as well.

Given that it is becoming a numbers game at VW, atleast in the US anway, prices will be lower on the MKV Jetta and Rabbit, and I wouldn't count out a price reduction on the New Beetle as well.

But as noted by Poverty, finially Volkswagen has gotten sensible about the whole "upmarket" thing...

 

[Midnight Runner]

I just hope that the reduction in the price wont mean even more reduction in quality........

 

[YSSMAN]

Make fun of VAG all you want, but they still outrank a good number of their competition, plus they off something their Japanese and American counterparts cannot... FEEL...

 

[Midnight Runner]

Make fun of VAG all you want, but they still outrank a good number of their competition, plus they off something their Japanese and American counterparts cannot... FEEL...

If "FEEL" means that your almost new VW Golf V 2.0 TDI Sportline with DSG(just 20 thousand kilometers on the clock,what's that-15k miles?!) breaks more than old Renault 4 that you had before it,and that you're one of 27 people filing a lawsuit against VW,then count me out.

From now on I'm looking only at quality,but even if VAG starts making good cars....there willl be seriously long time before I buy anything from VAG again....

 

[Poverty]

If "FEEL" means that your almost new VW Golf V 2.0 TDI Sportline with DSG(just 20 thousand kilometers on the clock,what's that-15k miles?!) breaks more than old Renault 4 that you had before it,and that you're one of 27 people filing a lawsuit against VW,then count me out.

From now on I'm looking only at quality,but even if VAG starts making good cars....there willl be seriously long time before I buy anything from VAG again....

Renault and reliable in the same sentence......

JD power is a bunch of tosh, which Im preparing a thread that im preparing for discussion will reveal. Every manufacturer has it share of lemons, news that 27 people are suing VW is news to me though. Those mexican factrories need to get whipped into shape.

To say VAG doesnt make good cars though... Which planet do you live on? I can tell you dont like them because you said theyre interiors are crap, which is theyre undisputed number 1 feature.

 

[JCE]

The base Rabbit is going to be $15k? Wow...and the base Jetta $17k? Great move by VeeDub. I believe these two just got into my price range ladies and gentlemen. Although I'd rather spend the extra $2k on options on the Rabbit than get a barebones Jetta. That is...if you can even call the base Jetta "barebones".

 

[Onikaze]

So can I not like Volkswagon because they don't offer anything that wasn't Wrong Wheel Drive at some point?

They're funny looking too, but mostly I just hate them for helping the "FWD is ok" myth perpetuation.

 

[Wolfe]

Since the discontinuation of the upscale Phaeton in America, VW has abandoned efforts to be a premium nameplate. “Instead of going for the penthouse, we need a few floors below,” Hallmark said.

What?? The People's Car company is going to start making cars for The People?? What nonsense is this?

'Bout time they figured it out. Now they just need to build some cool stuff, like the Corrado/Scirocco revival, and some RWD sports-thing like the EcoRacer or GX3.

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm not going to be putting my money on any kind of RWD Volkwagen any time soon. Unless the Maserati deal that was supposed to happen a few years ago comes to bear fruit, we are going to be seeing the same FWD/AWD cars and trucks they have been selling for years.

To adress the quality issues: I'd say that quality is on the rise again, atleast in the US, for models like the Jetta and Passat. The previous MKIV and MKIII models of Jettas were rated quite poorly in the reliability factors of testing, but most of those problems were limited to the interior and other "no big deal" type problems.

Quite frankly, I've never herd of a major mechanical failure on any modern Volkswagen made in the last 10 years. Could it be because we don't get the 2.0L TDI that you mentioned? We still have the same 1.9L mechanically-injected TDI that they have been using for a decade or more, all of those are damn-near bullet proof when it comes to reliability.

 

[LittleBahamut]

Well from what I heard from a AAA tow truck guy the other day, he says that he be towing alot of Jettas for his entire career because of its Aluminum block. Overheating problems! Don't bash me please because I didn't say that. Plus I don't really know much about VWs except that there DSG transmission is awesome.

 

[rualeb]

i wish i would have known this before i got my jetta haha.

 

[YSSMAN]

My '96 Wolfsburg hassent had any problems to speak of, just a few things here and there that could be better. I broke my sun visor clip the other day, and I'm pissed...

 

[JCE]

After thinking about this...it begs the question which of these two would you RATHER buy? Is the Jetta worth the extra $1500?

 

[YSSMAN]

To answer your question JCE3000GT: It is all going to depend on if we are talking about the Rabbit 3-door or 5-door for $1500 less than the Jetta. I personally would prefer the 5-door hatch myself, but I think I could make it by on the 3-door anyway...

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GOOD NEWS CAME TODAY:

The new Volkswagen Golf R32 — which went on sale in Europe last fall — will come to the United States in June 2007 as a 2008 model, according to a report published today. Volkswagen has officially confirmed the tentative launch date, according to AutoWeek. It's not known if the vehicle will use the Rabbit or Golf name, the magazine said. No further details were provided.

...Well, it will obviously be called either the Rabbit R32, or just R32. But thats not the point, we are getting it!!! YAY!

 

[Jim Prower]

Prolly GTi R32. because, I already get too many Volkswagens when I search for a certian Skyline.

 

[harrytuttle]

...Well, it will obviously be called either the Rabbit R32, or just R32. But thats not the point, we are getting it!!! YAY!

Why not "Rabbit32"?

 

[Wolfe]

Prolly GTi R32. because, I already get too many Volkswagens when I search for a certian Skyline.

One "R32" is an abbreviation of a chassis code. The other is a model name. It only makes sense for the model name to get more results.

 

[YSSMAN]

On the Volkswagen website, they have a comparison between the Rabbit and the Honda Civic up. It can be found by clicking HERE, but I'll give the Rabbit specs.

Standard features on the 2006 VW Rabbit Two-Door include:

ABS; 4-wheel
Air Bags; side impact (front)
Air Bags; head (front and rear)
Air Conditioning (manual) Not on Civic
Crusie Control Not on Civic
Door Locks (Power) Not on Civic
Exterior Mirrors (Heated) Not on Civic
Exterior Mirrors (Power) Not on Civic
AM/FM with Single CD Not on Civic
Remote Entry Not on Civic
Seates, 6-way driver, adjustable (manual) Not on Civic
Seats, 4-way passenger, adjustable (manual)
Seats, Rear Folding
Seats, Rear 60/40 split Not on Civic
Security System, Alarm Not on Civic
Steering Column, 4-way adjustable
Steering, power (speed sensitive)
Tire, Full-size spare Not on Civic
Wheels, 15"
Windows, Power with Pinch Protection
Windshiled Wipers with Variable Intermitent Wipers Not on Civic

And once again, the VW Website puts the 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit 2-door at a base price of $14,990 of which is only $430 more than the base Honda Civic. And with the standard features missing from the Civic at the same price, why bother?

 

[Poverty]

VWs going in hard in the US.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, Volkswagen is looking to hammer in the quality thing this time around, and given that they had been loosing market share year after year (not to mention the losses in sales) to Honda and Toyota, it is time for the "Peoples Car" company to fight back.

 

[Onikaze]

Why bother?

Some people just don't like Volkswagons.

Not that I want either, but I'd drive a new Civic before any VW.

 

[YSSMAN]

I find the new Civic laughable in comparison to the Rabbit. Sure, the car has a funny name, but that doesn't mean jack diddly. When the car not only looks better and is only a few bucks more with a load of standard features, who do you think most folks are going to go for?

(Honda, probably)

It will be interesting to hear what the magazines think once the new Rabbit comes out. I'm sure they will have a Rabbit/Civic faceoff at some point in time, and for good measure they will probably throw in the new Sentra (that is if it ever comes out) as well.

I'd put my money on the Rabbit. Given it's spunky personality, rather cheap price with all of the standard features, and MORE power than the other Japanese models, I really cannot fathom buying any of the other models.

 

[Poverty]

when you say the new rabbit you mean MKVI dont you?
In standard form the golf does look a bit weak compared to the MKIV but then again the civi looks just too weird and spaceship like that I think most people prefer the golf/rabbit styling.

Whats the new civic like for tuning? The golf is good in turbo form, especially seeing that they already have forged pistons to begin with.

 

[YSSMAN]

The Rabbit in the US will be the exact same as the Golf MKV you've got in Europe. We have gone without the Golf/Rabbit MKV since it's inception, and we are just starting to get it now.

The biggest difference between our version and yours will be the use of the 2.5L I5 as the only engine option (TDI will happen after 2007, possibly TSI later on). Along with that, our suspension might be a bit different, given our higher bumper standards, etc.

...As for tuning on the Civic, it is still the top tuner import car in the US. Turbos, superchargers, etc are all pretty common, and the new models are no exception to the same rule.

But, it will be interesting to see what kind of high-performance parts are developed for the Rabbit with the 2.5L I5. As of now, I don't think Neuspeed has anything special yet, as they are still building parts for the outgoing 2.0L 8V I4.

 

[Poverty]

that sucks wont you get a 2.0T FSI? I dont think we get an 2.5L in the UK, so thats news to me that VAG have such a engine.

 

[Wolfe]

that sucks wont you get a 2.0T FSI? I dont think we get an 2.5L in the UK, so thats news to me that VAG have such a engine.

Yup. It's an inline-5, and it's nothing special (other than the odd number of cylinders). 150hp out of a 2.5L -- hooray.