Rabbit hatchback is a great comeback car for VW

Someday, Britney Spears will probably record a triumphant comeback album, full of catchy songs and toe-tapping beats. Her fans will rush to buy it, wiping the slate clean of indiscretions like the shaved head, tabloid photos and public divorce.

The new Rabbit is Volkswagen's comeback album. It's a greatest hits collection that reminds us why we loved VW in the first place and provides reason to hope for more chart toppers in the future.

The ill-conceived Phaeton luxury sedan? It was just a bad haircut. It'll grow back.

The poor quality? You caught them on a bad day. It's not always like that.

The management feud and firing of talented top executives? Sometimes these things just don't work out. It was nobody's fault.

VW has seemed as lost as a tipsy starlet for most of the past decade. The German automaker built its global empire by providing well-made, enjoyable cars at a good price. VW could sing that tune, and the world danced to it.

But the brand whose name translates as the people's car wasn't satisfied. It wanted to show it had range, that it could build $100,000 cars and $50,000 SUVs.

VW couldn't hit those high notes, but while it reached for them, it forgot the fans that had made it. The replacement for its best-selling car, the Golf hatchback, was delayed. Its quality sank to the level of the Trabants that once sputtered out of East Germany.

And the people's carmaker forgot that the people have to live on a budget. The price of a well-equipped Golf soared high above competitive compacts from Toyota and Honda.

The Rabbit compact hatchback answers the last of those complaints.

VW is singing in a key it can reach, and the music is sweet.

Rabbit prices start at $14,990 for a two-door hatchback with a five-speed manual transmission. A very good six-speed automatic raises that model's price to $16,065. Four-door prices start at $17,110 for the manual and $18,185 for the automatic transmission.

I tested a well-equipped 2006 Rabbit with a sticker price of $20,290. All prices exclude destination charges.

There are no changes in equipment or price for the 2007 model, except that the USB connector for iPods that was a $45 option on the '06 has been added to the Rabbit's standard equipment. VW introduced the new Rabbit last summer, but has not replaced the vehicles it makes available to critics with '07 models.

By way of comparison, base prices for other good manual-transmission four-door compacts are: Chrysler PT Cruiser $14,765; Honda Civic $15,010; Mazda 3 hatchback $17,680 and Toyota Corolla $14,305.

The Mazda 3 leads the pack thanks to its looks, performance and value.

The Rabbit I tested would have joined it atop the class except for a minor electronic failure. The door-mounted switch to unlock the hatchback failed. I could still unlock the hatch with either the key fob or the power door lock control inside the car, but the failure counts against the Rabbit, particularly given VW's glitchy recent history.

Despite that annoyance, I loved driving the Rabbit. It offers an excellent value and as much driving pleasure as you can find in an affordable compact.

It hugged the road, remained quiet and stable at high speeds and performed every mechanical task brilliantly. The brakes are big and firm, the steering responsive and precise and fuel economy is a good 22 mpg city and 30 mph highway in EPA tests.

Even with the automatic transmission - which saps some of the fun from tossing a car down a twisting road - the Rabbit flowed through curves as smoothly as a drop of mercury, with no body roll, understeer or commotion.

It felt equally composed and quiet at fast speeds on the highway.

The Rabbit accelerates well, although the standard 150-horsepower, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine sounds a bit hoarse at full throttle. There's also noticeable engine vibration at high rpm, though the quick-shifting six-speed automatic does its best to keep the engine spinning unobtrusively at lower revs.

The six-speed transmission's aggressive shift program also offsets the 2.5-liter's meager 150 horsepower output very nicely, giving the Rabbit the legs to bound through traffic.

The transmission also works reasonably well in manual mode. Upshifts are quick and precise, but downshifts lagged a bit, denying me the immediate response and complete control that kicking the clutch and slapping the shifter of a manual transmission provide.

Interior room is excellent, as you might expect, since VW has been refining the Rabbit's shape and space efficiency for more than 30 years.

The interior is wrapped in the low-gloss, soft-touch materials that have made VW the standard to which other automakers aspire.

The seats are firm and comfortable, but storage space in the center console is limited.

The interior color scheme is downright somber, consisting of black and dark gray alleviated by a few pieces of muted chrome, pewter trim and a light-colored headliner.

The Rabbit's long list of standard safety equipment includes front-seat side air bags, curtain air bags, antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and hydraulic brake assist, and traction control. Rear-seat side air bags are optional on four-door models.

The four door comes with a number of other appealing standard features that make the Rabbit a good deal, however. In addition to the USB connection, the sound system comes with an in-dash six-disc CD changer and 10 speakers.

A tilt and telescoping steering wheel, six- way adjustable front seats, one-touch power windows and air conditioning are also standard.

The exterior styling is more distinctive than the anonymous VW Jetta sedan, with a very attractive character line running along the rear fenders. The drooping hood and sad-eyed headlights make the Rabbit least interesting when viewed from the front.

Despite a couple of false notes, though, the Rabbit's exciting handling and excellent value should make VW's comeback performance a hit.

Mark Phelan is a writer with the Detroit Free Press and can be reached at phelan@freepress.com

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