DriveTech

This Rabbit is ready to run

The Rabbit is back! Not only is it better looking and has a lot more style, it's still affordable. Rabbit enthusiasts have waited a long time for this and so far no one seems disappointed, including me.

This little four-door came from Herman Cook Volkswagen in Encinitas. Being located in a surf town, the gang at Herman Cook came up with the "California Surf Edition." It includes a Volkswagen roof rack for boards, a Volkswagen rear heavy duty rubberized floor mat for wet sandy gear and a couple of colorful Volkswagen towels in blue and yellow (to let the other surfers know that you're a true Volkswagen fan). They also threw in a collapsible yellow chair with the Volkswagen logo, all tucked in a smart cargo bag. They added monster mats up front, stitched surf logos in the front headrests and slapped a couple of decals on the front fenders and rear hatch. Really cool dude!

The car itself is pretty cool as well. Missing is the large chrome flowing front grill piece that you see throughout the Volkswagen line. It seems that Rabbit lovers didn't want that on their cars. You can choose from either the two-door or the one I tested - the four-door model. It's powered by a peppy little 2.5-liter, 150 horsepower, five-cylinder engine. Drivers can choose between either a five-speed manual or the optional six-speed automatic transmission. My test Rabbit had the smooth five-speed manual. It gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the freeway with regular unleaded fuel.

It has plenty of standard features that you would expect to pay extra for, such as 15-inch wheels, in-dash six-disc CD changer with MP3 format, anti-theft alarm for the vehicle and radio, and an immobilizer theft deterrent system. It also comes with standard front heated seats and washer nozzles. My tester also came with upgraded 16-inch alloy wheels, electronic stabilization system and rear side impact airbags. These are necessary options if I were buying this Rabbit. Plus, you can get all that for under $20,000 and Volkswagen still has more to offer.

The Rabbit handles like a sports car, thanks to electro-mechanical power steering, independent front strut suspension, multilink independent rear suspension, anti-slip regulation for hard turns, electronic differential lock and ABS braking. Of course it has air conditioning and a pollen filter, cruise control, power windows with pinch protection (I tried the pinch protection and it works!), power heated outside mirrors, adjustable steering wheel and intermittent rear wiper.

The front seats have power recline with lumbar support and the passenger seat will fold flat if you need more interior room for that extra surfboard. The rear seats are very comfortable, even for my 6-foot frame, and they split for added storage convenience. There's also power door locks, keyless entry and a lot more.

This Rabbit is full of safety features, including front airbags for the driver and passenger plus side curtain airbags, three-point seat belts for all occupants, rear seat anchors for child seats, child safety locking rear doors, daytime running lights, crumples zones and beams in the doors.

A turbo would be a nice added touch, but for what this Rabbit was designed for, it hits the bullseye. I bet they won't be able to keep the little Rabbits on the lot. Cook Volkswagen also has plenty of goodies to personalize your Rabbit. Check out the parts department by calling (760) 753-6256 and check if the California Surf Rabbit is still there.

Next week, I'll test drive a vehicle from Escondido Motors Mercedes Benz.

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