Driver Magazine: Lucky Rabbit

[fitzski]

Just FYI; feel-good blurb that I'm transcribing by hand from the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Driver, Vol 45, No 1... sorry, no URL.

Forget the lucky rabbit's foot; we'll do you one better. One lucky Volkswagen Rabbit with 435,000+ miles. Dedicated owner Charles "Chick" Curry purchased his diesel Rabbit new on November 1, 1982, and has lovingly cared for it ever since. "I have driven it almost ever day, and it has been the most useful and reliable car," Chick shares. An hour meter was installed on the car when it was new and now shows 12,000 hours, all logged on the original engine.

Chick's 1982 diesel Rabbit LS gets about 50 miles to the gallon. Not only that, Chick says, "It always starts right up and pretty much goes anywhere I need to go." This might be why Chick's son, an attorney, purchased a Jetta TDI a few years back. He told his dad if his Jetta did half as well as the Rabbit, he'd be delighted. "Your company should take pride in having made such a product," Chick says. "I saw a commercial for the new Rabbits. Great idea, but I think I'll keep mine."

There's a pic of the car as well, and it looks very clean (although the photo is not dated...).

 

[m9431]

No new Diesel Rabbits?

I still see some '80's vintage Rabbits on the road...
I recently emailed VW to inquire about a diesel Rabbit. Their reply was that no diesel Rabbits are currently planned for the US.





'02 Golf GLS TDI
'O5 Golf GLS TDI

 

[brucetmoose]

memo to VW - we WANT diesel rabbits !!!!

Ok you wascally wabbit makers at VW - give us a diesel wabbit !!!!

Maybe if I translate it into German for them, they'd get the hint.

Ich werde Ihnen wascally wabbit Hersteller an VW zustimmen - gibt uns einen Diesel wabbit!!!!

 

[Thunderstruck]

Ve vant und diesel Rabbit.

 

[frugality]

I recently emailed VW to inquire about a diesel Rabbit. Their reply was that no diesel Rabbits are currently planned for the US.

Add me to that 'wish list', too. But I understand VW's choice. They sell so few Golfs/Rabbits. Heck, just look at how 'in demand' used TDI Jetta Wagons are right now. It makes sense that they would focus on the Jetta and maybe Passat. I wouldn't mind a Jetta Wagon, which apparently is a Golf Variant in Europe. The Rabbit and Jetta share the same front sheet metal this time, so they're essentially the same.

But personally, I'd have preferred a smaller car for ~$2000 less.

 

[61scout80]

my girlfriends next vehicle will be a diesel, either a rabbit of wrangler what ever is released first....

 

[bakerinva]

My first car was a German '79 Diesel Rabbit!!! Yellow with black leatherette, rare 5-speed "golf ball" shift knob. It failed PA inspection back in '97 and most likely went to that great junk yard in the sky. Had 260,000 miles on original, (NEVER rebuilt) engine and get this...ORIGINAL CLUTCH!!! It was my parents car and I got it when I learned to drive. Never started on its own, always had to park it on a hill and pop the clutch to start it. After soccer practice in highschool, it was ritual for some teammates to push me around the parking lot to start her up. I drove that car once from Southeastern PA (outside of Lancaster) to Highlands (near Ashville) NC NON-STOP!!! I didn't stop for any reason, not to eat, use the restroom OR most importantly, fill-up!! 600 miles on an early tank, which I believe calculated to 60 MPG!! I did the whole trip with no radio either, just sang to myself for 12 hours. Best part was, I got out of the car after 12 straight hours of driving and didn't feel sore or have "jelly legs" Man, that care was comfy!! I did that trip from PA to NC and back twice with that car. Sigh, those were the days....I loved that car. I am a VW guy through and through...number 5 VDub for me, 4th diesel being my new 2006.5....but nothing will EVER beat that '79 diesel Rabbit!!

 

[Dorado]

Now that car companies are advertising 25-30 hwy mpg cars on TV as "fuel efficient" (and it's 2007!!!), why not make a TV spot with this guy on his 50 mpg 1982 Rabbit. If in addition to that the Rabbit was built in Western Pennsylvania, even more food for thought.

But, as others have posted, it seems sometimes that VWoA wants to market itself as a car company from the now well gone 1990's: trying to bump sales with SUV's and not promoting economical and fuel efficient vehicles.

 

[TornadoRed]

I recently emailed VW to inquire about a diesel Rabbit. Their reply was that no diesel Rabbits are currently planned for the US.

Well, they better get their act together by 2010 or 2011, because that's when I'll be ready to buy one.

 

[jotunheim]

The local dealer here claims the diesel Rabbit will be available about this time next year, or about 4 months after the Jetta. I wouldn't give too much weight to it, but he does get access the buzz at VW and he was right on with MkV R32...

 

[compu_85]

I guess this is kind of smug... but 435k doesn't seem like that may miles to me

-Jason

 

[William J Toensing]

435,000 miles on an original un overhauled engine is something to me. My first diesel was a 1979 VW Rabbit LX 2 door, European delivery. I wanted a 4 door but the factory was out of USA spec "Rabbits" & I was stuck with a 2 door or no European delivery at the time of my trip. I never got 60 MPG or anything close to it. Most mileage was in the lower to mid 30 MPG. The best I ever got, as I recall, was 42 MPG. Mine was a 5 speed & I didn't think 5 speed was rare. I don't recall what the shift knob looked like. The best car I ever owned for fuel economy was a 1983 Nissan Sentra diesel which was only available as a 4 speed & as a 2 door sedan. It's handling wasn't that good but I averaged 42 MPG for the 50,000 miles I owned it. MPG was sometimes higher but don't recall the best mpg I got, but I keep a log of every gallon I buy, down to 3 decimal points. When I said I averaged 42+ MPG, I added up all the gallons of diesel I bought & divided it into the total miles I drove the car since new. I traded it in on a new 1985 Mazda 626LX diesel but only averaged 33 to 35 MPG, but could drive from LA to Minn. on one fill up, I had an extra tank in place of the spare tire well which I had cut off for an 18 gallon tank which would give me a 1,200 plus cruising range. I worked for LA County then, had to drive the car in my work, & received the same mileage reimbursment, whether I drove a 10 MPG guzzler or a fuel efficient car. LA County paid for that car. Diesel was around $1 a gallon back then.

 

[Dimitri16V]

The local dealer here claims the diesel Rabbit will be available about this time next year, or about 4 months after the Jetta. I wouldn't give too much weight to it, but he does get access the buzz at VW and he was right on with MkV R32...

Dream on...VW of NA thinks the only models people know are Passats and Jettas and GTIs.

 

[dieselyeti]

Well, they better get their act together by 2010 or 2011, because that's when I'll be ready to buy one.

If VW doesn't get their act together in the next year or two, the Japanese will pummel them when their diesels become available in '09 and 2010. I'd seriously consider a diesel Wabbit when it comes time to replace my Jetta - although I would definitely consider a Tig TDI also

 

[REDNECKDZL]

My first car was an 81 Rabbit PU and i haven't turned back since, had about 5 or 6 cars bought since them all diesel, now i'm playing with a 01 Jetta.

I hope they bring the rabbit TDI over cause that will be my next car, if not i might be forced to do my own conversion, lol. Don't tempt cause I will.

 

[16vjohn]

If VW doesn't get their act together in the next year or two, the Japanese will pummel them when their diesels become available in '09 and 2010. I'd seriously consider a diesel Wabbit when it comes time to replace my Jetta - although I would definitely consider a Tig TDI also

I'd rather die than drive a Japanese diesel. Besides... look at diesel tech in Europe. AMAZING diesels availible in almost every type of car. I think VW is sending their low end crap over here because of lack of competition. VW sees us buying all of the TDIs they send here and think "if it's working, why fix it?" I think the Japanese compies should try to pummel VW... then I think we'll start to see some pretty nice stuff in North America from Germany.

 

[TornadoRed]

They are not going to send us the 3-cylinder 1.4 TDI engine, not yet anyway, not until we get a baby brother to the Rabbit. But the 2.0-liter CR engine is on the way, and as far as I know Europe has the 2.0 but not with common-rail injection. So we are getting the same engine as them at the same time as them.

I don't know if there are significant mechanical differences between the 140 hp engine and the 170 hp engine. But I imagine the 140 can easily be chipped to approach 170 hp.

 

[Alka1ine]

This makes me so happy to be driving my 81 Rabbit LS every day. It seriously does get nearly 50mpg as long as you're not flooring it through all gears and don't max out the rpm on the highway. I even have a GTI 5-speed in it so it's pretty buzzy at freeway speeds.

I went all the way from Atlanta to Chicago on less than 2 tanks of diesel.

VW better hurry up though...BMW diesels are amazing and we are finally starting to get them in 08. If the 120d is allowed over here eventually, they could have a major opponent.