and that is what they are aiming. I am pretty sure those guys at VW gave a lot of thought on the Polo for US market. It is funny, the Jetta really does not sell in Europe, not as many as the Golf.

 

Because the Bora (As the Jetta is known in Europe) is a sedan. Europeans have a preference for hatchbacks. Last time I went to Europe, I remember seeing the Golf station wagon that was never sold here. It did look different that the late Jetta wagon offered until not very long ago.

Oh man you people have drained out all my desire to debate, but you know what, I love you all Rabbit or not!

Kisses, Kisses and hugs, hugs.

 

I love it, I love the new GTI, its no MINI, but its beautiful and cheap.

 

If VW would bring a diesel Rabbit back to the states, I'd consider buying one. My wife and I both had diesel Rabbits for our first cars, I also had an '83 GTI. My family owned 10-12 Rabbit diesels throughout the 80's and early 90's, and one of my father's went over 300k miles (it was wrecked, the engine was sold), and my wife's went over 200k miles (we sold it, its still running AFAIK) all with very few problems.

I think the Rabbit could succeed in the US again if it would stay true to the original idea for a cheap, small, lightweight, fuel efficient car, but unfortunatley the new platform matches very few of those traits. From what I've seen over the last few years, it looks like the Polo would have most of those characteristics, expecially a diesel version. Give us a diesel Rabbit based on the Polo that gets 50-55 mpg and costs under $15k, and I'd seriously consider one.

I find it ironic how many manufacturers increase the size and weight of their compact or subcompact cars with each new model release, and within a decade or two, their "small" cars are as big and heavy as their older midsize cars. Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have all done this.

-Keith

 

So true, look how huge Suzukis are now. And the Nissan pickups are full size, and the Honda Ridgeline. The only exception I can think of is Hummer, the army version is huge, and now the PC version (H3) is the "smallest" model.

I would think a rebadged Polo version would be true to the Rabbit name.

 

because people who bought and identified with a brand and model have increasing resources, and want "more" in thier cars as they get older. Pretty much every car does this, until something happens (like the Mustang II).

FWIW, I had a gen 1 rabbit, and it was very practical transportation that handled much better than anything you could get for the price from a US manufacturer. Somewhere around 80k miles, the heater valve sprung an unnoticed leak, and the motor cooked (have to say, the idiot light came on about 5 min before the pistons melted to the block). But I was in college then, and could get the motor rebuilt for $300 and a quarter ounce of the kind!

But remember, pretty much all of the early FI cars had electromechanical gremlins. My moms Audi 4000 was fine except for a few electrical problems (bad lines on a circuit board, fuel pump kept stopping).

But I really hope that we start seeing the nice direct injection turbo-diesels when we get low sulpher deisel in the distribution pipeline. Right now, the sulpher we allow in the fuel poisens the emission systems.... And the particulate filters need some work.

Matt

 

they are increasing the sizes because American people are getting larger and larger

 

I heard about that, seats are larger. More need for race buckets.

 

Jetta - 9930 (48% of sales)
Passat - 4323 (21% of sales)
Golf/GTI - 1975 (9.6% of sales)

 

more rare than a Mini!

They could stick a friggen pair of ears on it, and a bushy tail, Market it to 16 year old girls, and end up with more sales than that!

Matt

 

How cruel! And do what with the body?
Let's not get me confused...