USED Volkswagen Polo Hatchback (94 - 02)

My car

I have owned the car for just over 18months. The car has been great to own and drive. The only problem I had was when I needed to change the head gasket and the water pump, other than that it is a great run-around. If you are going to buy one get a VW Polo with a bigger engine, because the 1.0 is sometimes sluggish in overtaking on the motorway, especially at anything above 65mph. The cabin is large with plenty of room and a comfortable driving position. Great for first time driver or learner.

My car

I had a POLO 1.4 CL for several years and was very impressed. The build quality was superior to other similar cars and the reliability was excellent. There was no breakdowns or faults in over 35,000 miles of ownership and the car was over 7 years old. The only problems, the bodywork seems more rust prone than other cars and it was a bit dull to drive but reliability and build quality ere my priorities.

My car

OK, so it's a small engine. OK, so there is a bit of engine noise. But, overall, this car has been reliable, sturdy, helped me avoid serious injury when an uninsured driver ploughed into the side of me and is super cheap in day to day running costs. The paintwork is still A1 condition and for around town, you just can't beat it. The only (what I consider) major repair is replacement cambelt at the normal mileage and you know what they say, prevention better than cure! Yes, I would, like everyone else love a brand spanking new all singing, all dancing little number but, for my budget this was the perfect fit.

My car

I bought my Polo in 2003 from a VW dealer. I had previously owned the 1.0-litre version and was really sold on VW.

When I purchased it, I added VW alloys and the CD player, as neither were standard.

Four weeks later the car was back at the dealer for a new air-conditoning unit, as it had failed. The ABS sensors both failed (one causing an MoT failure) and had to be replaced.

The car was also miles out on tracking and so it was chewing through tyres quickly. It's also had a starter motor and a new pedal box (common fault on VW Polos - that was a VW recall!)

Although all these faults are now fixed, I worry about reliability. The cost to get the Polo fixed is also an expensive job, regardless of whether it has gone to a VW dealer or not.

I've maintained the service history and the car has been reliable. I have a three-door and access to the back is very difficult.

Overall, it's a very nice, solid, well built car - just pricey to repair!