Polo SE

[Berko1]

do not buy a polo - bought one that was 3 years old and the engine failed on it after a year. VW would not help and I ended up spending £1800 on it before selling it for a grand less just to get rid of it. Thought that buying VW meant quality but it didn't in the polo.

A friend also had to replace the clutch at 3 years old.

[Board Game Geek]

Cheers for the replies.

We'll see how she gets on with the Polo later today.

Personally, I recommended the Pinzgauer but she was having none of it.

Having read up on these, they look like the ultimate 4x4 (or 6x6) and nothing can compare to them.

[DimPrawn]

I always buy 2nd hand.

Biggest depreciation in first few years. Lookup bath-tub curve and infant mortality.

[Xenophon]

and not as big as a Hummer.

I'm a single guy with a dog. I think I need a Hummer.

Bigger is better.

[minsky1]

Blue Motion the one to go for. Will have good residuals due to CO2 banding.

Having bought two new Golf's in the last 6 years (one a 1st generation R32) I cant say that the VW dealers are any cop.

Toyota or, dare I say it, Merc dealers are a league above, and it counts for a lot when your average new car has more faults than a second hand shed.

[Clippy]

How about a Suzuki Shift?

[Bagpuss]

Your lady should try a Honda Jazz, I had one as a coutesy car last week, great little car.




JD Power Survey 2007 - Superminis – the top 10
Friday, May 11, 2007



Honda tops the supermini table once more, and again it's closely followed by the Skoda Fabia and Toyota Yaris. There's less to smile about for Citroen and Ford.

Supermini league table.

1 Honda Jazz
Rating 86.4%
Overall ranking 3rd
You simply can't fault Honda's recent record in this category: this is the company's fifth consecutive supermini victory, and the Jazz's fourth.

Mind you, it's easy to see why – the Jazz was rated as at least above average in every class, and very good in most.

Owners loved the low running costs – fuel, servicing and insuring the car didn't break the bank. They also gave top marks to the car's styling, and Honda's dealers were consistently rated as the best in the class, as was every aspect of the interior: whether it was its comfort, versatility or simply the design, owners were full of praise.

Quality and reliability were top-notch, too. True, it's not quite enough for the Jazz to regain the top spot in the overall standings it held in 2004 and 2005, but it's still a clear winner in this class.

2 Skoda Fabia
Rating 84.2%
Overall ranking 7th
The Fabia has been a strong performer in this class, and this year's results are a further demonstration of its strengths. Owners said running costs were excellent, and were full of praise for Skoda's dealers.

Only the Jazz scored higher ratings for its ride and handling, and Fabia owners also appreciated the practical interior and comfortable seats. Last, but not least, they found nothing to complain about with quality or reliability.

3 Toyota Yaris
Rating 83.6%
Overall ranking10th
As in 2006, the Toyota Yaris sits with the Fabia and Jazz as the top three superminis. Like the other two, the Yaris had the distinction of being rated as at least above average in every category.

It scored its highest marks for its low running costs, but owners were also impressed with the dealers and, in particular, the dealers' facilities.

They also had no complaints about the car's quality or reliability. Their only slight disappointment was that the cabin wasn't as practical as they'd have liked.

4 Mazda 2
Rating 81.6%
Overall ranking 20th
The 2 could have been in the top three if owners had been keener on the car's looks, and not found its fuel and insurance costs high.

In pretty much every other respect the car scored well, with its best scores given to the quality of its exterior fittings. Its build quality and mechanical reliability were well above average, and owners also enjoyed driving the 2. They also said its cabin was practical and comfortable.

5 Mini
Rating 81.1%
Overall ranking 28th =
No other supermini rated as highly for its looks, and owners said only the Honda Jazz had a smarter cabin. The Mini also emerged as great fun to drive with a great stereo. The relatively poor practicality was the only thing its interior was marked down on.

However, owners also thought the fuel consumption was much too high, found it difficult to book their car in for a service, and its build quality and reliability were no better than average.

6 Volkswagen Polo
Rating 80.7%
Overall ranking 33rd=
The Polo has maintained sixth position in its class this year, rated as no worse than average in any category. In particular, owners thought the car was good looking, its engines were smooth, and the stereo and ventilation were good.

However, the VW dealers were less well received, and owners said the running costs were merely average, while a higher-than-average number of problems with the suspension and switchgear lowered the car's score.
7 Nissan Micra
Rating 80.5%
Overall ranking 35th=
This is a sound performance, and the Micra is below average in only one area, with a large number of problems reported with the exterior fittings. The interior build and dealers were merely average, but at least the car proved tough mechanically.

Among the most popular aspects of Micra ownership were the small bills for fuel and insurance, its styling and the good ride and handling.

8= Hyundai Getz
Rating 80.1%
Overall ranking 42nd=
After jumping into the overall top 20 last year, the Getz has dropped back again to just outside the top 40. However, this remains a decent score, and the Getz can even claim something unique in this class – a very good rating for mechanical reliability. Plus, that's on top of good scores for its build quality.

Also popular were its low servicing costs and its looks, but the dealers were rated as only average.

8=Misubishi Colt
Rating 80.1%
Overall ranking 42nd=
The Colt gets a mixed bag of results on this, its debut in the survey. Although the bodywork was sound, there was a high number of complaints about the suspension. The seats and trim gave more problems than any other car's.

However, in other respects, Colt owners were very happy. They liked the car's good fuel consumption and low insurance costs – if not the servicing costs – and said it was one of the more practical and comfortable superminis.

10 Kia Picanto
Rating 80.0%
Overall ranking 45th=
The Picanto's mixed results are much like the Mitsubishi Colt's. However, unlike the Colt, the Picanto's best ratings came for quality and reliability, with the cabin and bodywork particularly good.

Owners also loved the low insurance costs, and thought the dealers – if not their facilities – were average.

Also rated as average were the car's looks, while owners said the cabin was not particularly practical. However, what they criticised most were the engine and transmission, leading to a below-average score for how the car drove.

[Bumfluff]

Any opinions on the Polo SE ?

Missus is test driving one later.

Will she come back alive or will I be making a claim on her life insurance ?

Seen it advertised this week comes really well spec'd actually looks good value.

[Board Game Geek]

That what I read, about the resale values.

Not terribly important in this case.

Her company give her a £280 / month car allowance, so she's looking for cars at the moment.

[DimPrawn]

A Skoda will be cheaper but a VW with low mileage will hold its value well. Too dull to say anymore.

Not as fast as 911 Turbo and not as big as a Hummer.

[Board Game Geek]

Any opinions on the Polo SE ?

Missus is test driving one later.

Will she come back alive or will I be making a claim on her life insurance ?