What's Good
Strong UK image. A bottle green two-door Polo with a sunroof has been described as 'the most middle-class car you can buy'. (Bottle green is the 'right' colour and two rather than four side doors says 'it's a second car'.) 12' 2" long by 5' 5" wide and weighing from 955kg to 1,080kg. All have good, fairly upright driving position, second only to the Fiat Punto. Big car ride (much better than Punto). 3-year dealer warranty, necessitating VW franchise servicing. Comparatively good performance in NCAP crash tests. Cordoba Vario-based estate launched spring '98. Facelifted inside and out for 2000. Very well thought of by independent VW dealers and service agents who regard them as 100% reliable. VWs generally had below average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 76.83 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk 1995-1997 petrol and diesle models had fewest problems, average breakdowns and faults in 2003 Which survey.
Last updated 3-3-2009
What's Bad
Gearchange quality varies.
Despite VW's best efforts, Spanish build quality in general can vary.
PAS not available even as an option on early 1.0 versions.
1.4 automatic not really powerful enough and can develop upshift problems from 1st to 2nd which can sometimes be successfully cured by changing a solenoid (see SEAT Arosa which has the same engine and gearbox).
Surprisingly old-fashioned dashboard. 1.9 diesel not very economical when pushed. Ugly Cordoba-based saloon versions not as comfortable as hatchbacks, but have big, deep boots. 1.9SDi diesel frugal but noisy. Dashboard shows its age compared to much more cheerful Lupo.
Has appetite for front tyres, front brake discs and front pads.
Did quite badly in 'R' reg J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. Was 115th in 'S' and 'T' reg survey, behind the Rover 600 and way behind the Ford Fiesta.
1998-1999 petrol and diesel models average for problems and faults but poor for breakdowns in 2003 Which survey.
What to Watch Out For
Paying too much; particularly paying too much for a used Polo saloon, which is really nothing more than a Seat Cordoba.
Very variable gearshift quality. Faulty self-adjusting clutch cables may cause premature clutch failure.
Electric window failures may also be due to winding cable cutting free from its guides and jamming; not always a motor failure.
Check front discs and pads as tend to need replacing every 30,000 miles. If buying a 1994 - 1999 Polo, check the doors and door frames carefully for rust, especially under the window rubber and at the bottoms of the doors. Also look for rust spots on the front valence where they could have been caused by stone chips. Pedal box prone to failure.
Below minus 8 degrees centigrade, condensation in sumps of 1.0 and 1.4 engines emulsifies and blocks crankcase breather pipe leading to lack of engine lubrication and engine failure.
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