1979 Volkswagen Rabbit Reviews, Pricing & Specs










What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit fondly remember it as a fun and economical car, particularly valuing its handling and performance on curvy roads. Many appreciated its fuel efficiency and compact size, which made it a great choice for younger drivers or those seeking a practical first car. However, some also noted issues with engine reliability and rust, particularly with older models. Despite these negatives, the Rabbit remains cherished for the freedom and experiences it provided to its owners."
Mine was almost flourescent yellow in color, 4 door, automatic with an after market ac unit. Black vinyl interior that killed you in the summer time. Was great to put the surfboards on the roof and head to the beach. Great on gas and because of the design, really did well on fast corners.
May 17, 2008I don't recall a lot of the specs of this car...I'm pretty sure it had a Rabbit 1.6L engine, but it had been tuned up and had better brakes and suspension. It went under the GTI label but this application doesn't go earlier than 1983 for Rabbit GTIs, which is of course incorrect. It had nice Recaro seats which were standard and an after-market vinyl sunroof which was huge and opened the entire roof up which was brilliant. I bought with a reconditioned engine but the guy who fixed it gave me a cracked head and so the thing spewed oil and black smoke shortly after I go it. I was 18 at the time and my mum threatened to make his life very difficult if he didn't fix it for free and he relented. My mum had that kind of power over people! I loved my GTI...it was great fun, handled well on the many curvy roads we had in West Vancouver, had good performance while being economical.
March 22, 2008It was my first car, it gave me freedom. I drove it like a demon, as much as you can in a '79 diesel Rabbit with 180,000 miles on back roads in Maine in 1990 ... I loved it. It blew up unfortunately.
March 15, 2013What owners say
Mine was almost flourescent yellow in color, 4 door, automatic with an after market ac unit. Black vinyl interior that killed you in the summer time. Was great to put the surfboards on the roof and head to the beach. Great on gas and because of the design, really did well on fast corners.
May 17, 2008I don't recall a lot of the specs of this car...I'm pretty sure it had a Rabbit 1.6L engine, but it had been tuned up and had better brakes and suspension. It went under the GTI label but this application doesn't go earlier than 1983 for Rabbit GTIs, which is of course incorrect. It had nice Recaro seats which were standard and an after-market vinyl sunroof which was huge and opened the entire roof up which was brilliant. I bought with a reconditioned engine but the guy who fixed it gave me a cracked head and so the thing spewed oil and black smoke shortly after I go it. I was 18 at the time and my mum threatened to make his life very difficult if he didn't fix it for free and he relented. My mum had that kind of power over people! I loved my GTI...it was great fun, handled well on the many curvy roads we had in West Vancouver, had good performance while being economical.
March 22, 2008It was my first car, it gave me freedom. I drove it like a demon, as much as you can in a '79 diesel Rabbit with 180,000 miles on back roads in Maine in 1990 ... I loved it. It blew up unfortunately.
March 15, 2013Great first car for a college student. Paid $450 fof it. Vinyl interior. Manual sunroof. Yellow foglights.
May 28, 2008