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.

I really loved that this car was very strong and reliable. I got great gas mileage, and it really didn't burn oil. The car had a very basic AM/FM cassette radio, and the heater and A/C unit really didn't work well. It was a small car, which was good since I could park in small spaces. The transmission is very strong and takes a lot of abuse. The frame is strong. I've bounced off a tree, and it just continued to drive like nothing happened. The space in the back of the car is very big and can store practically a whole house in it. The brakes are pretty scary. When it rains, they tend to lock up and with rack and pinion steering its hard to control. Take off from a stand still was very poor. It took a long time to get up to speed, but once there, the car seemed very happy to keep going.