Auto News 5

If zooming fuel prices earlier this summer killed sales of pickups and SUVs, then the faltering economy and now the credit crisis have pretty much choked off sales of the remainder of the market. While August saw the pain spread to all major brands, save Infiniti, Mini, Nissan, Subaru, and VW, in September, every one of those holdouts found themselves underwater, too. The only nameplates to post gains in September were tiny niche players: Maserati (up 30%), Lotus (up by 3 cars - yes, 3), Lamborghini (by 2), and Rolls-Royce (by 1).

The good burghers of Metz, France, haven't heard a racket like this since Prussian Prince Frederick Charles besieged the place back in 1870. Trundling along the narrow cobblestone streets, our Maserati GranTurismo S - the brand-new, hooligans-rejoice version of Maserati's sexy coupe - clatters raucously on overrun and shakes the picturesque rafters of the medieval buildings with barely muffled blasts of V-8 pandemonium. We pull into a parking lot beneath the soaring spires of a Gothic cathedral and squeeze into a ridiculously cramped space after much gratuitous revving of the engine. By the time we kill the ignition, the parking attendant is hopping up and down with what we hope is enthusiasm. "Bruit magnifique!" he shouts over and over. Magnificent noise!

I only drove the Rabbit briefly, but my overwhelming impression is that it oozes quality and refinement for an $18,000 car. There is nothing about it that feels cheap, from the nicely damped exterior door handles to the typically well-crafted VW interior, with its great seats, to the smooth and refined 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. There's nice steering feel and a supple ride, and I didn't even mind that the inline-five, which at 170 hp provides plenty of power, was hooked to an automatic transmission, since it's a six-speed unit that's well mated to the engine. If it were me, though, I'd opt for the five-speed manual and use the thousand-dollar savings toward a four-door Rabbit, which has a base price of $17,485. Still, if you're looking to get into a high-quality small car, the two-door Rabbit with a five-speed manual, starting at $15,490, is a very attractive proposition. And heated seats are only a $225 option!