March 2, 2007 - Growth and maturity are considered positive attributes if one is a financial advisor trying to keep her clients' assets expanding or a parent trying to get his children out from under his wing. That's not so much the case if one is selling cars in Canada, where cheap and fun rule the sales roost.

This is where $20,000 compacts such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla have grown and matured in size, equipment and price, while their respective subcompact siblings -- the Fit and Yaris -- have filled the gap for those with a budget around $15,000. Along the same growth spurt as its Japanese rivals, Volkswagen's new compact entry, the 2007 Rabbit 2.5, has grown and matured from its Golf predecessor.

VW markets its Rabbit 2.5 hatchback as a full-featured compact, backing that up by making standard six air bags, ABS, traction control, air conditioning, cruise control and a 10-speaker stereo with MP3-compatible CD player.



The Rabbit 2.5 also gets a five-cylinder engine and VW's four-year/80,000- kilometre warranty that includes four years of roadside assistance, which is one cylinder and one year more than any Civic or Corolla.

From the perspective of its compact competition, the $20,990 five-door Rabbit 2.5 test car is arguably a good value. But how does it compare with VW's other compact -- the "new" 2007 City Golf?

The parentheses around the word new are warranted. The City Golf is ostensibly the last-generation Golf five door hatchback, sold here since 1999. Starting at $14,900, the City Golf comes standard with 15-inch rubber, four wheel disc brakes with ABS, power steering, AM/FM/CD with eight speakers, two-tone cloth seats, 60/40 folding rear seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, tachometer, rear wiper/washer and VW's four-year warranty. Trying to match the Rabbit 2.5's level of standard kit, the City Golf I drove came with the standard five-speed manual transmission as well as air conditioning, electronic stability program and side air bags for a grand total of $16,860.



Compared with the City Golf, the newer Rabbit 2.5 is much roomier on the inside. Like Dodge's Caliber, it's big for a compact, especially for those in the back. Unlike the Dodge, the Rabbit 2.5's interior looks and feels expensive, sharing many parts with Audi's A3. But compared with the older City Golf, there is some small indication of cost cutting on VW's part. The centre console and doors are made of harder plastic and the audio and HVAC controls don't have the solid, Teutonic feel that permeates the City Golf.

Once out on the road, it doesn't take long for these two VW compacts to confirm their different driving personalities.

The Rabbit 2.5 comes with a new 150- horsepower, 170-pound-feet-of-torque, 2.5-litre, in-line five-cylinder engine. Larger by 0.5 litres and more powerful by 35 hp and 48 lb-ft of torque, respectively, the five is less thrashy and more mellow in operation than the City Golf's four. The Rabbit 2.5 weighs about 100 kilograms more than the City Golf, so out-and-out performance is remarkably similar between these two. But the standout difference is the 2.5's more immediate torque, making mid-range passing manoeuvres less of a planned event. And, at equal highway speeds, the 2.5 mill is revving about 1,000 rpm less than the 2.0L unit, resulting in a much more serene cabin. Also relatively serene is the Rabbit 2.5's ride and handling.



Whereas the City Golf carries on with an independent torsion beam axle rear suspension, the Rabbit 2.5 receives a new fully independent rear that uses a multi-link rear suspension. Thus, the City Golf 's reactions are more immediate and lively, it's also more bouncy and nervous compared with the Rabbit 2.5. The newest VW compact ride is smooth and supple, absorbing potholes with ease, yet it still provides relatively crisp handling. Particularly at high speeds, the Rabbit 2.3 is more composed and in control than its older stablemate.



When it comes time to turn the steering wheel, the City Golf 's conventional mechanical steering setup and lighter weight win out. Too bad the Rabbit 2.5's electro-mechanical steering suffers from on-centre numbness. It's less direct, but it does fulfill the Rabbit 2.5's luxury compact mission statement.

Ironically, the 2007 City Golf 's lack of refinement may translate as more fun to drive to some of those drivers VW so desperately wants. And, despite VW's marketing efforts, the 2007 Rabbit 2.5 is the more refined, grown-up and mature of these two VW compact siblings.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com



2007 Volkswagen City Golf:
Type of vehicle Front-drive, compact hatchback
Engine 2.0L four-cylinder
Power 115 hp @ 5,200 rpm; 122 lb-ft of torque @ 2,600 rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Tires 195/65R15
Curb weight 1,296kg
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Fuel economy L/100 km 9.8 city, 7.0 hwy
Base price $14,900

2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5:
Type of vehicle Front-drive, compact hatchback
Engine 2.5L in-line five-cylinder
Power 150 hp @ 5,000 rpm; 170 lb-ft of torque @ 3,750 rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Tires 195/65R15
Curb weight 1,393kg
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Fuel economy L/100 km 10.7 city, 7.2 hwy
Base price $20,990

© National Post 2007. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driving.