USED Volkswagen Polo Hatchback (94 - 02)

My car

I am really fortunate to having this car from my Grandad as a first car! I don't have much to compare it against, admittedly, as being 19 I have only driven two other cars - a MG ZR and a Vauxhall Corsa.

However, my Grandad has had this Polo for eight or nine years now and it has always been reliable and cheap. It has been very well looked after and garaged and it really doesn't look its age, and also has only 42,000 miles on it. It is quite timeless and I certainly won't be embarrassed to be driving it at my age and as a student.

It drives smoothly enough once you get used to the clutch, which doesn't take long. I think it is cheap on fuel if you drive it sympathetically, as it requires the absolute minimum of revs and will change up the gears very quickly - but then I am used to driving a diesel.

It might not be hugely exciting, but at 1.6 litres it slogs up our steep Derbyshire hills in fourth or fifth gear. The steering is nice and the gears aren't bad, although reverse can be a little awkward to get into.

The interior is far superior to some cars - say, for example, my Mum's Fiat Punto.

Overall I think it does what it says on the tin and is a reliable and welcome first car or family car!

My car

CONS *Bad sound insulation *Did not start well in cold weather *Hard seats *Far too hard suspension *Heavy steering *Understeers *Locks up quite easliy *Poor traction in adverse road conditions *Changes into either 1st or reverse *3rd has no need *70mph and onwards had no pulling power *Extra weight made engine struggle

PROS *Boot space *High revving engine *Long 1st and 2nd ratios make 0-60 quicker than expected *Able to drive up a 20% high covered in ice *Decent engine note *Short speed in higher gears *Happy to run in top gear at 30mph *Short throw gear shifts make ging through the gears nice *No oversteer

My car

I have owned a 2001 vw polo 1.4s (75) for just over 2 years now and have found the car to be very comfortable and easy to drive, the interior quality is excellent for the class of car it is, the engine needs to be pushed for good acceleration which can become a bit noisy, but it exells around an urban environmet, (great for nipping around town)...

UNFORTUNATELY,

...Reliabilaty of my car has been a bit of a joke:

I have had a broken cam belt, costing hundreds in engine repair. Needed a new cluch at just 34,000 miles. The pedal box has broken and the cluch cable has been replaced. The car is still plaguing my bank account now as it still has something wrong with the cluch operation and I have recently been enformed that i need new disks and pads on the back brakes, not to mention the drivers side door lock doesnt work so you have to use the passengers door to lock and unlock the car!

MY VERDICT: great little car, providing you have infinite sources of money to keep it on the road.

My car

I own a auto VW Polo CL,5 door,1998 on R reg.I shall never again buy a VW. Two of the gears went, it does not always start, the brake warning light comes on when there is nothing wrong with the brake. Being disabled I wanted a reliable car. This isn't. Long live the Japanese.