There are many things you expect to find in a compact car, like acres of hard plastic inside, a sewing-machine engine under the hood, and only the barest of safety features and mod-cons. Well, banish these notions from your mind, if only for a moment, as you’ll find exactly none apply to this car.

The current Rabbit debuted in Canada and the U.S. in mid-2006 as a 2007 model, some two years behind Europe, where it is (logically) still known as the Golf. This is the fifth generation of Golf, and it’s now bigger, roomier and faster than before, while still retaining the combination of sportiness, solidity and practicality that has made it a hit around the world for decades. And while the reversion to the Rabbit name for North America is no doubt questionable, it in no way detracts from the appeal. If the name bothers you, then just yank the cutesy rabbit emblem off the backside and be done with it.

It may be a tired cliché that in life you get what you pay for, but it certainly is accurate enough in the Rabbit’s case. Although it's at the high-end of the price ladder for the class, this bunny offers a long list of standard features and high-quality materials throughout. From the moment you tug on the door handle, to your first highway cruise, you simply can’t help but notice the solidity and quietness of this car, making nearly every other in the class feel cheap. Much of this solidity can be attributed to the extra thick sheet metal and laser-welded uni-body construction, which also explains its just over one-and-a-half ton curb weight.

Under the hood you’ll find one of the largest motors in the class, a 2.5-litre DOHC inline five-cylinder good for 170 horses and 177 lb.-ft. of torque (2007 models had 150 hp and 170 lb.-ft., respectively). And while inline-five mills are not generally known for their smoothness, this unit is tamed by dual counter-rotating balance shafts, which quell the inherent vibrations admirably. Combined with extensive sound-deadening material throughout, the cabin is one of the quietest in the class at virtually any speed, and the engine never gets rough or raucous unless you really stand on it.