I LOVE my Rabbit. I got this car as an early graduation present in high school. It's now a little over 6 years old and I've had no major problems with it. It's compact but doesn't feel tiny when inside. We can fit 5 college-aged adults easily.

The engine in the 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is responsive and powerful for its size. Gearing of the five-speed manual and the electronic throttle's aggressive programming help the Rabbit jump off the line like a scared, well, rabbit, and the 150-horsepower 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine delivers 170 pound-feet of torque. Yet, the Rabbit's fuel economy—often what counts for small-car buyers—is near the back of the pack, with automatic cars rated at 20 mpg city, 29 highway and the manual gearbox adding just 1 mpg. Unlike so many budget-minded cars using numbing electric power-assisted steering, the Rabbit's steering is actually communicative and downright lively. The ride from the 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is taut, but never jarring. The front struts and independent rear suspension absorb big bumps with nary a crash or bang. Steering feels precise with a good on-center feel. Inside, the Rabbit's front seats give great support. The driver's seat helps you get comfortable with plenty of adjustability, but the controls are in three different locations: fore/aft at the right-front corner of the seat, a lever on the left side that raises and lowers the bottom cushion, and a big knob to change the backrest angle at the left rear of the seat. The quality of the materials is high. The view out is good, but the base of the windshield is rather high, a result of European pedestrian collision standards. The Rabbit four-door has achieved four-star ratings for frontal impact and five-star ratings for side impact from the federal government, but it's a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS, with all "good" scores.

Purchased as an off-lease vehicle with 20k miles on it in 2010. The last six years have been mostly positive. Have added approx. 50k miles over the last six years. The car has performed well, and I would rate the quality at about average. Had to replace the clutch about 20k ago, but that was possibly due to letting my wife drive it. For a small car it has great highway manners, and is an excellent road trip car. Have taken it from Phoenix to San Diego and back several times, and have enjoyed driving it immensely. Oil changes aren't bad if you do them yourself... The car requires a specific grade of oil that is VW specific. Mobil fits their specs and I am able to go 10K between changes... It is a relatively easy card to do your own maintenance on i.e.. turn signal bulbs, coolant, air filter (all available at Walmart). The most expensive repair was having the key get stuck in the ignition... A special part had to be ordered from Germany for the fix and it took a while to come in. The stock hubcaps fall off easily, and are very expensive to replace. All in all a great experience. I would do again mainly because the car is such a pleasure to drive.