Item: Used Volkswagen Polo 2018-present
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

If you’re looking for a something fun,&nbsp;have a go in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>; it's&nbsp;one of the best handling small cars and can even embarrass vehicles from the class above it when it comes to driving fun. You won’t have quite as much room inside as you will have in the Polo, though.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/used-review/n987">Seat Ibiza</a> is another fun-to-drive tiddler and has a greater number of engine options than the Polo. The 158bhp 1.5 TSI Evo engine, in particular, will appeal to those who want something with a bit of extra pep.

Don’t rule out the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i20/hatchback/used-review/n957">Hyundai i20</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/rio/hatchback/used-review/n17562">Kia Rio</a>, because many will still be within their original warranty period – a significant attraction for used car buyers.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/polo">used VW Polo</a>, or any of the other small&nbsp;cars&nbsp;mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Seatbelt buckle</h3>

Certain Polos&nbsp;manufactured between 1 May 2017 and 12&nbsp;October&nbsp;2018 were subject to a recall that relates to&nbsp;a design flaw with the rear seatbelts;&nbsp;the weight of the middle passenger shifting to the side during a high-speed emergency lane change could unbuckle the seatbelt of the person sitting next to them.&nbsp;Contact your local VW&nbsp;dealer to make sure the car you're considering has had a spacer fitted between the two buckles to solve the issue.

<h3>Handbrake</h3>

The travel in the handbrake might increase due to the adjuster working loose on examples built between 12&nbsp;October&nbsp;2017 and 22&nbsp;October&nbsp;2018. Find out from your local VW&nbsp;dealer if yours is affected&nbsp;because it'll need to have the handbrake adjusted and a locking device added to prevent future issues.

<h3>Oil in the brake servo</h3>

There's a risk that oil might get into the brake servo of some Polos made between 8 October 2019 and 6 February 2020 through various vacuum lines. The whole system will need to be checked over by a VW technician in case there's oil in the system, and parts will need to be replaced if there is. Speak to your local dealer for further information.

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The Polo finished in 15th place out of 21&nbsp;entries in the value and small&nbsp;car class according to the latest What Car? Reliability survey. Although that sounds poor, it still achieved a strong 94.1% score that compares well in this highly competitive sector. Volkswagen as a brand had a middling result of 20th out of 31 car manufacturers.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">If you want to read more results from our Reliability Survey, click here.</a>

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Hatchback

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

POLO

The classy and spacious Volkswagen Polo is one of our favourite small cars, and a great used buy too

Used Volkswagen Polo 2018-present

<h3>MPG</h3>

Thanks to its small engines, the Polo shouldn’t cost you much to run. The least powerful 64bhp 1.0 petrol returns&nbsp;an official average of 58.9mpg, while the 74bhp version of that engine is a little better at 60.1mpg.

The turbocharged 1.0 units are better still, with the 94bhp variant managing&nbsp;62.8mpg and the 114bhp 60.1mpg. At the other end of the scale is the 47.9mpg of the 197bhp 2.0 unit found in the GTI. If you’re interested in the diesel, the 1.6 TDI has an economy figure of 76.3mpg.

<h3>Road tax (VED)</h3>

All Polos will be charged under the current flat-rate fee&nbsp;for a year's worth of road tax. This is currently £150 a year. To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3>Servicing</h3>

Servicing costs, meanwhile, tend to be slightly lower than&nbsp;you’ll pay with a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/corsa/hatchback/used-review/n799">Vauxhall Corsa</a>, and insurance groups for all models aside from the GTI are relatively low, thanks to standard automatic emergency braking that helps to prevent or at least lessen the damage from low-speed collisions.

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The classy and spacious Volkswagen Polo is one of our favourite small cars, and a great used buy too

Prices for a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> Polo at the time of writing start at £10,000 for a 2018 version bought privately or from an independent dealer. Increase your budget slightly to £11,500 and you'll easily be able to find a 1.0 TSI SE with relatively low mileage. A diesel-powered Polo will cost you at least £12,500 or more because there are far fewer examples out there when compared with a petrol one. Anyone looking for a GTI will need to dig deep and find at least £16,000 for an early one without any history of accident damage.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">Check the value of a used Volkswagen Polo with What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Specification</h3>

We’d suggest looking for a Polo in SE spec because it has all the equipment you’ll need and you don’t need to spend a fortune to get it. Higher-spec Polos are fine as long as you can find them for similar money to an SE version.

<h3>Engine</h3>

If you don’t cover big mileages, there isn’t much point going for a noisy diesel. We’d stick with the mid-range 94bhp 1.0 TSI because it’s a flexible engine and shouldn’t cost you too much to run.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> Polo 1.0 TSI 95 SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought by single people or couples with no children – but the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen&nbsp;Polo have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

As with all used car purchases, check for any signs of accident damage such as uneven panel gaps. Also look for any parking damage, such as scuffs to bumpers and kerbed wheels, because only the higher-spec versions get front and rear parking sensors.

If you happen to be buying an entry-level S model, bear in mind you won’t be able to connect your smartphone to the infotainment system without the&nbsp;App Connect option, so have a thorough look at the spec sheet of the car before you buy.

The used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/small">small car class</a> is brimming with choices,&nbsp;all vying for your hard-earned. There's the fun-to-drive <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/used-review/n987">Seat Ibiza</a>;&nbsp;the great-value&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/corsa/hatchback/used-review/n799">Vauxhall Corsa</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808">Skoda Fabia</a>, and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i20/hatchback/used-review/n957">Hyundai i20</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/rio/hatchback/used-review/n17562">Kia Rio</a>&nbsp;with their long warranty cover. However, none of them can match the class of the Volkswagen Polo, which in this latest form is even more spacious inside and brimming with tech.

The engine range starts with a&nbsp;non-turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit with 64bhp, 74bhp, or later 79bhp. There's also a turbocharged version of that engine that increases power to 94bhp or 114bhp in higher-specification Polos. Meanwhile, there’s a 197bhp 2.0-litre unit in the Polo GTI hot hatch, as well as a 1.6-litre diesel with 79bhp or 94bhp.

Every the entry-level Polo S comes with air-conditioning, automatic emergency braking, electric front windows and an 8.0in colour touchscreen. If you upgrade to SE trim, you get 15in alloy wheels, electric rear windows,&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>&nbsp;to connect your smartphone to the car’s infotainment system. Beats edition includes some styling upgrades and a 300W stereo, while SEL has front and rear parking sensors, sat-nav and auto wipers. If you want a sportier-looking Polo, R-line has bespoke bumpers and side skirts, along with sports seats inside. Then there is the GTI, which should appeal to those who want a rapid little sports car.

From 2020 both S and SE were replaced with Match which basically gets you everything SE had but adds front and rear parking sensors and tinted rear windows. A United trim&nbsp;also entered the range; it sits below SEL and comes with niceties such as cruise control, heated front seats, sat-nav, and auto dimming rear view mirror and auto wipers.

To drive, the Polo falls on the side of safety and comfort rather than entertainment. If you're looking for fun, go for an Ibiza or a Fiesta. But the Polo is tidy enough; steering is light and precise, body control is good and the ride is nice and smooth – even on 17in wheels. Where this car score big time is for long distance driving with remarkably low wind and road noise at motorway speeds.

People in the front won't have much cause for complaint when it comes to space, thanks to generous leg, head and shoulder room. In fact, it&nbsp;puts you more in mind of the space offered by&nbsp;family cars from just a few years ago. There are also plenty of places to store oddments in the glove box, centre console and large door bins.&nbsp;Interior quality is good and everything feels and looks like it’s a step above the rest.

Rear leg room and boot space have been improved significantly over the previous Polo and the new car easily trounces the Ford Fiesta for interior room. It’s worth remembering that SE cars and above come with the highly useful variable-level boot floor that removes the annoying load lip, unlike the entry-level S model.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/polo">used VW Polo</a>, or any of the other small&nbsp;cars&nbsp;mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Volkswagen Polo 2018-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Volkswagen Polo hatchback?