Volkswagen Rabbit - is it able to compete with the Civic and Mazda 3?

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
I have been checking some prices online for the Civic and the Mazda 3. I want a Mazda 3 GT, but it costs around $22,000 while a Civic EX costs around $20,000. A Volkswagen Rabbit, which beat both of these vehicles in a C&D comparison test recently, costs around $18,000.

I do not know about this vehicle and haven't seen one on the road yet, I believe. I might go and test drive one, but I really want a Mazda 3 GT. The price of that is a bit high considering the class of the car. The price of over $22,000 for the Mazda 3 is putting me off - with that price, you can look at Passats and Accords.

*Update*:

I test drove the Volkswagen Rabbit today along with the Mazda 3 GT hatchback with navigation system.

The Rabbit is more comfortable, quieter, more powerful and the brakes feel a bit better than the Mazda 3. It feels heavier than the 3. The windshield is a bit small though. The Rabbit handled potholes and bad roads very well, unlike the Mazda 3. The 3 makes you feel that the road is bad while the Rabbit absorbs it and you hardly feel it.

As for exterior, the Rabbit looks better in person than in pictures, but the Mazda 3 is still better. I felt the Rabbit had some hard feeling materials inside but the doors are very well built - nice feel to them. The backseat is a bit congested though. Not a big fan of the stereo system but did not really use it that much.

The one thing that bothered me about the Rabbit was the hard movement of the steering wheel. It takes some effort to turn it and it makes you arm tired - or maybe it was just me, I don't know. The car salesman, who was very nice and very knowledgeble, said the steering wheel gets harder to move as the speed builds up but is very light at slow speeds. I was really impressed by the salesman, he just called me - or maybe it is the end of the month and they want the sale. Either way, he did a great job.

As for the Mazda 3, I really liked the Bose audio system - more oomph than I had expected.The navigation system is not as good as the Honda Civic's. I'm not really a fan of the steering wheel though, it doesn't feel as good as my Honda Accord's. Maybe it is because the Mazda 3's steering wheel is smaller or uses different materials, but I absolutely love my Honda Accord's leather wrapped steering wheel.

The Mazda 3 handled better than the Rabbit but I don't think the brakes felt as good though. It could use more power at highway speeds and it could be quieter.

I still want the Mazda 3 GT. However, they are hard to find (the Rabbits are also few in number). I can't even come close to finding the Mazda 3 GT that I want. I don't know how long till new cars come in.

*second update*:

I am looking at prices and figure I can get a Civic Hybrid for around $22,000, which is not a bad price for a hybrid. The Mazda 3 GT, which I want, costs about the same. If you do the math, I would save $600 over the Mazda 3 GT in fuel savings each year. So if I keep this car, I would save $3,000 over a 5 year period.

I have test driven the Civic, but not the Civic Hybrid. I will do this. But for some reason, I still want the Mazda 3. I do not want the Rabbit, however.

Please, what you think of this.
 

Christobevii3

Senior member
Aug 29, 2004
995
0
76
You can get a mazda speed 6 for $22,000 now since they aren't selling. I would never buy a mexican volkswagon.
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,205
165
106
go test drive it. test drive the GTI while you're at it also. I think that sells for around 22K also
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
You can get the Volkswagen Rabbit with some of the options for around $18,000. It has just about as many features as the Mazda 3 or the Civic, if not more. It has 10 speakers, although I do not know if they are good or not. Does the Mazda 3 S Touring have a decent sound system?

I test drove the Mazda 3 and the Civic but did not really test the audio systems.

The Rabbit comes with a lot of features and is cheaper than the Mazda 3 and the Civic. It also has a 5 year/60,000 miles warranty. What is the catch? Why should I not get the Rabbit?

The only reason being that I can think of is that it does not come with xenon headlights, like the Mazda 3 GT, but that one is around $22,000. I will have to go test drive it.

Would you buy the Rabbit over the more expensive Mazda 3 and the Civic?
 

randomlinh

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,846
2
0
linh.wordpress.com
why not get the rabbit? it's VW :p the early 2000 jetta and GTI were huge problems for a couple of friends of mine.

and what specs did you configure exactly? i was matching a 3 S touring and it came out close in price (from the respective manufacture websites).

the 3 is one fun drive though. And I love the interior... very simple and clean. but go drive them all, see what works for you.

oh, i dunno about the bose system, but the base audio system is nothing special.
 

StrangeRanger

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,316
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0
You have to go drive all 3 and buy the one that works for you. If you've got the $$ don't sweat it. But if you think long haul the Honda and VW are not only rated a lot safer than the Mazda, they will hold their value better too. There's pluses and minuses to all of them, just go drive them and buy the one you like.
j
 

Demo24

Diamond Member
Aug 5, 2004
8,356
9
81
only down side I've heard for the rabbit is that it does not get wonderful gasmilage. 5 cyl, tends to use a bit more than the other comparible cars.

I'd look into a GTI though. Gets better mileage, though it uses premium, and its faster.
 

DanTMWTMP

Lifer
Oct 7, 2001
15,906
13
81
hell, good luck finding a Rabbit (4 door) for 18k. I coudln't find any dealer anywhere in So. Cal. that didn't mark it up. I tried, and couldn't. I opted for the Mazda 3, because the 3 is cheaper than the Rabbit. The Rabbit doesn't offer great gas mileage either.

I considered the Rabbit, The 3 s, Civic, Cobalt (plastic mania). I bought the 3. Three has a slightly better interior in my opinion over the Rabbit, and more comfy. Their's more room in the rear for the 3.

The Rabbit obviously felt more powerful, but the 3 didn't feel like it wasn't that far behind. I thought the 3 was the better drive due to its handling. I hated the rear seats of the Rabbit.
Since I like to haul friends and family around on short trips, the 3 was better for me. I liked the steering radio controls, the ingenius placement of the aux plug, and the cable management thing for the armrest compartments.

Oh, and 3 has better gas mileage.

Another thing that made me get the 3 = 95% made in Japan :p. I guess it really doesn't matter these days, but donno, I just wanted something made in Japan.

All in all, I loved the 3. It provided the best value among all the cars I've considered. Overall cost of ownership should be cheaper for the 3, so the car retaining its value isn't that big of a deal for me, since in the end, I'd probably have a similar bottom line when I sell (compared to the rabbit). The civic obviously has the lowest cost of ownership, and retains its value the best. But donno, too many people have it, and the sedan, IMO, looks like crap. The coupe looks nice though.

But don't get me wrong, the Rabbit, I thought was a great little car. Just that it isn't as roomy, quiet, as the 3 (lol, not that the 3 is quiet @ freeway speeds. damn tires). It's also marked up to hell in california.


in the other hand, the mazda 6 has a $2k factory rebate going on. I still liked the 3 better though. felt more peppier and handling felt superior.
 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
0
Originally posted by: raildogg
I have been checking some prices online for the Civic and the Mazda 3. I want a Mazda 3 GT, but it costs around $22,000 while a Civic EX costs around $20,000. A Volkswagen Rabbit, which beat both of these vehicles in a C&D comparison test recently, costs around $18,000.

I do not know about this vehicle and haven't seen one on the road yet, I believe. I might go and test drive one, but I really want a Mazda 3 GT. The price of that is a bit high considering the class of the car. The price of over $22,000 for the Mazda 3 is putting me off - with that price, you can look at Passats and Accords.

Out of those options, I'd go with a VW rabbit. Although, ATOT is full of Mazda 3 lovers and they'll insist you purchase one.
 

fstime

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2004
4,382
5
81
VW = serious problems.

Hardly consider them German, like someone else said, made in Mexico and it def shows.

< Knows 2 people who own 2003/2004 VW's.

They fall apart before 20,000!
 

DanTMWTMP

Lifer
Oct 7, 2001
15,906
13
81
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Originally posted by: raildogg
I have been checking some prices online for the Civic and the Mazda 3. I want a Mazda 3 GT, but it costs around $22,000 while a Civic EX costs around $20,000. A Volkswagen Rabbit, which beat both of these vehicles in a C&D comparison test recently, costs around $18,000.

I do not know about this vehicle and haven't seen one on the road yet, I believe. I might go and test drive one, but I really want a Mazda 3 GT. The price of that is a bit high considering the class of the car. The price of over $22,000 for the Mazda 3 is putting me off - with that price, you can look at Passats and Accords.

Out of those options, I'd go with a VW rabbit. Although, ATOT is full of Mazda 3 lovers and they'll insist you purchase one.

:p hey. there's a good reason why we like it. It's a fun drive, while providing ok gas mileage and practicality, all for a reasonable price. Also, reliability should be better than the VW. I don't see how a person can go wrong w/ purchasing a Mazda 3 s. :)
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
As a former autotech, I would still not touch VW. They have made some improvements, but not enough.


Look for a thread here OT for someone that bought a VW and said it be great, yet it started to have problems and broke down less then a couple months later.


Other then the cars you listed test drive a new Cobalt. Its in your price range and most are surprised as they think it is just a Cav. with a new name plate, but it is much more.
 

DanTMWTMP

Lifer
Oct 7, 2001
15,906
13
81
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
As a former autotech, I would still not touch VW. They have made some improvements, but not enough.


Look for a thread here OT for someone that bought a VW and said it be great, yet it started to have problems and broke down less then a couple months later.


Other then the cars you listed test drive a new Cobalt. Its in your price range and most are surprised as they think it is just a Cav. with a new name plate, but it is much more.

:( i donno, i test drove the cobalt, but I really despised the interior. The interior options can't compete w/ the others (civic, rabbit, 3, etc). The engine was ok though. The handling was decent, but the 3 felt more nimble.

I thought the cobalt had more body roll than the 3 when I tossed it around. The 3's interior also has loads of plastic, but not the cheap hard plastic variety present in the cobalt.

I didn't drive the top of the line cobalt though...
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,344
126
You can get into a GTI four door for around 21'ish after discounts. It's very loaded car for the money. HID's, 6 disk changer, very spunky 2.0T, great handling and very comfortable as a daily driver.

Unlike the Jetta's and Golfs, GTI's come from Germany. The GTI's and Passats have quite a bit better reliability scores than the others.

FWIW, my Mazda 3 came from the factory with a bad fuse that prevented the cruise control from working and it had a recall within 4 months of ownership.

Every company has it's problems.
 

lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
18,526
5
0
Why don't you see what you can get the dealer down to for the Mazda?

You can always talk them down.
 

sthaznpride17

Senior member
Jul 31, 2005
252
0
0
Mazda 3 or GTI are both safe bets. Civics are boring, the new ones despite their "aggressive" looks still are boring to drive.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Originally posted by: DanTMWTMP
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
As a former autotech, I would still not touch VW. They have made some improvements, but not enough.


Look for a thread here OT for someone that bought a VW and said it be great, yet it started to have problems and broke down less then a couple months later.


Other then the cars you listed test drive a new Cobalt. Its in your price range and most are surprised as they think it is just a Cav. with a new name plate, but it is much more.

:( i donno, i test drove the cobalt, but I really despised the interior. The interior options can't compete w/ the others (civic, rabbit, 3, etc). The engine was ok though. The handling was decent, but the 3 felt more nimble.

I thought the cobalt had more body roll than the 3 when I tossed it around. The 3's interior also has loads of plastic, but not the cheap hard plastic variety present in the cobalt.

I didn't drive the top of the line cobalt though...

Well they have the cheap ones and the higher end ones. For your price you could get the nicer one.
I test drove a SS 4door and the inside was very nice. I was very surprised by it to be honest. I was one of those people that just thought Cobalt = Cav with a new name but that changed when I drove the SS Cobalt. Also the SS has a firmer better handling suspension.

Also the Pontiac G5.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,737
126
Originally posted by: raildogg
I have been checking some prices online for the Civic and the Mazda 3. I want a Mazda 3 GT, but it costs around $22,000 while a Civic EX costs around $20,000. A Volkswagen Rabbit, which beat both of these vehicles in a C&D comparison test recently, costs around $18,000.

I do not know about this vehicle and haven't seen one on the road yet, I believe. I might go and test drive one, but I really want a Mazda 3 GT. The price of that is a bit high considering the class of the car. The price of over $22,000 for the Mazda 3 is putting me off - with that price, you can look at Passats and Accords.

wow.. price creep!

i got my 2005 mazda3 for $17k out the door! (no rebates/incentives)

if price concerns you, just get the Elantra GLS hatchback. the 2005 model was built on a GT frame. so you basically have a GT frame/suspension/handling w/the engine of the regular GLS model. in 2005, that would have been $12k out the door (after incentives).

i'm still ambivalent is my mazda3 is worth the $5k extra for a point A to B car.
 

DeviousTrap

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2002
4,841
0
71
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
As a former autotech, I would still not touch VW. They have made some improvements, but not enough.


Look for a thread here OT for someone that bought a VW and said it be great, yet it started to have problems and broke down less then a couple months later.


Other then the cars you listed test drive a new Cobalt. Its in your price range and most are surprised as they think it is just a Cav. with a new name plate, but it is much more.

You mean the thread where some bought a passat, and the wiper relay died? It's a $15 part that I've seen die on just about any make or model.

There were a hell of a lot of problems with MK4 VW's, and that's generated them a hell of a lot of bad press. I've heard about very few issues with the new MK5s (that have been out in Europe for 3 years already).
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,344
126
The major concerns with the MKIV were limited to two very specific problems.

1) Bad coil packs
2) plastic clips that kept the windows from falling down into the door

#1 was finally resolved by the coilpack vendor
#2 was addressed by replacing the plastic ones with metal

Besides those very widely publicised problems, they are pretty solid cars. Is it going to be as reliable as a honda or a toyota? No, it's not. But it's certainly not like these things are starting on fire, falling apart in a garage, or leaving you stranded on a daily basis (aside from the coilpack problem).
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
The major concerns with the MKIV were limited to two very specific problems.

1) Bad coil packs
2) plastic clips that kept the windows from falling down into the door

#1 was finally resolved by the coilpack vendor
#2 was addressed by replacing the plastic ones with metal

Besides those very widely publicised problems, they are pretty solid cars. Is it going to be as reliable as a honda or a toyota? No, it's not. But it's certainly not like these things are starting on fire, falling apart in a garage, or leaving you stranded on a daily basis (aside from the coilpack problem).



I have seen 3 VWs go up in flames. 1 was even a customer of mine. And the fire came from the radio/AC area.

Even VW admits they have OVERALL problems, not just 2 things.

Yea VW has improved a little, but not enough to even think about it.
 
Jun 14, 2003
10,442
0
0
is the rabbit the same as the golf we get in the UK?

golfs a pretty nice machine, could do with LED rear lights mind to bring it inline with the new jetta and passat.

build quality and ride will probably trump the mazda, and i know it beats the new civics (well the one sold in UK) since ive driven a new golf and new civic..... the civic is quite noisy and boomier than the golf. but when it comes to looks i think i'd choose the civic (the Euro civics interior is exceedingly briliant in design if a little plastiky)

the Mazda will probably handle the best out of all of them, but their interiors arent quite as good as the volks either, and not as space age in design as the civics (again UK civic im using here)


id have the golfs build (not that theres much to differentiate from jap build) and ride and noise characteristics, the mazda's handling and the civics styling....that would be a machine. 3 door civic looks spectacular in electric blue with big rims.

http://www.pistonheads.com/pics/news/14304/honda_type-s-1-L.jpg

http://kihlbom.com/images/pictures/civic-interior.jpg

this is what the euro civic looks like inside