WaPo reviews fuel-efficient 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit

Here's how the Washington Post puts a positive spin on the high oil prices: the rising cost of gas is making car buyers shed their gas-guzzling large vehicles and are turning to smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles. The paper's most recently discussed the impact one of these vehicles, the 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit, can have.
The Rabbit only gets 22/30 mpg, but the WaPo expects a "discernible increase in the fuel economy of new vehicles sold stateside." The Rabbit brings European sensibility (people wanting good, small vehicles because they want to save money as much as they want a good ride) to the American market, the paper writes. The Rabbit shows how Volkswagen is getting back to its economical roots after mild results from vehicles like the Phaeton. The paper likes the Rabbit (decent driving experience and room for the price). The paper's main gripe with the Rabbit is a lack of a diesel option. Who knows when VW will bring diesels back to these shores.
[Source: Washington Post via Belleville News Democrat]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mkonkel 8:16PM (8/04/2006)
my 92 cadillac gets 19.5/27 with a 4.9 liter V8 using acetone. So much for the Rabbit being a "Fuel efficient vehicle"
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Magnifier 6:00AM (8/05/2006)
Mkonkel, did you tune up your vehicle or just change fuel system?
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Mike Z. 8:53AM (8/05/2006)
That Mpg is about the same as a Chevy Impala. Not what I would call a 'small' car
If it got into Corolla like MPG, I think that would be something to write about. But hell, that is not a great MPG and for such a small car with so little HP, a embarrassment.
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Synergy 8:54AM (8/05/2006)
Eh?
Fuel efficient?
My former grand prix at 200HP got those kind of mileage specs. I want better mileage than that crap.
Whens that cheaper Tesla due out?
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Bill 9:54AM (8/07/2006)
I live in the Post's home circulation area, and Warren Brown is an awful columnist who doesn't really know much about cars. The piece he did on the Golf was an example of his worst. It was a rambling editiorial, and he said very little about the car itself.
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TP 11:07AM (8/07/2006)
What's up with that? My MkV GTI with the 2.0T motor (200hp) gets EPA 25/31!
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Trebz 11:14AM (8/08/2006)
It looks like they also got rid of the Golf to bring in the Rabbit. The Golf offered a turbo diesel engine that got much better mileage. Sure it is cheaper, but the MPG rating isn't that great. I think VW missed the mark on this one.
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Mark_H 11:36AM (8/25/2006)
Perhaps if it didn't weight 2,900 pounds and have a 2.5 liter, 150 horsepower engine, it would have better mpg ratings. That being said, I don't think the car is being sold as fuel-efficient so much as cheap to purchase.
Polo, anyone?
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