Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2
The entry-level Volkswagen Polo is cheaper as a cash buy than the Renault Clio. It does come in more expensive than the Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia but it's predicted to hold on to its value better than any of those rivals, which makes PCP finance deals surprisingly attractive.
In any case, you’ll pay less for the Polo than for the hybrid-powered Honda Jazz or Toyota Yaris, or the premium Audi A1.
Reliability
The Polo didn’t fare well for reliability in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing below all of its rivals except the Ford Fiesta. Volkswagen as a manufacturer did slightly better, but still only managed 20th position out of the 30 brands included. That puts it above Peugeot and Ford, but below Skoda, Renault, Seat and Audi.
The Polo comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, as well as the option of extending the warranty to four or five years for a reasonable price. That's par for the course, but if you want better cover, Hyundai and Renault offer five-year warranties as standard, while Kia offers a seven-year warranty.
