Volkswagen Polo hatchback (2009-2017) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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The car runs beautifully, the ride and comfort is excellent, build quality is excellent, feels like you are driving a much larger car. The interior is lovely and would recommend this car for sure, I am well pleased. It has put the fun back into driving for me,

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Superb car. Brilliant to drive, and when the turbo kicks in, wow!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Fairly nice car to drive but considering it’s only just 4 years old and done 38,000, i’ve already had to replace the water pump, the air con has died and the radio unit is faulty and switches itself on and off all the time. I'm not particularly impressed.

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No Red thumbs down

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Great for driving to work each day. Also does the job for everything else in between. Trim is generous.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I had a 2006 Polo 1.2 with 60bhp as my first car which i learned in and drove happily for my first year of driving, loved it. So after a year i decided now i had 1 years No Claims i wanted to upgrade! So another Polo seemed the natural choice. Came across this Polo in SE L top spec trim and Flash Red paint and just couldn't say no. Within the first month of owning the car the EGR Valve went which i later found out was extremely common with this engine and in some occasions VW replaced under goodwill. However having bought the car privately i was on my own so forked out £800 at a local independent garage. The car was 5 years old yet had only covered 37000 miles which on first glance looked good, however all the short journeys meant the engine was just full of soot and clogged up. My advice would be be wary of buying this 1.6TDI engine if you do below 15k miles a year or do lots of short journeys, as the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) needs to regenerate itself every 100-200 miles and if you turn the car off while its doing it it dumps unburnt Diesel into the Oil and a light comes on on the dash! So I often find myself sitting on the drive for 10 minutes after getting home just for it to finish this process. You can tell its regenerating as the car stinks outside and the RPMs sit at 1000. It has been doing this a lot more since the TDI Emissions Fix Update was applied. I have also had a few electronic issues such as interior lights not working and the AUX is a pain. All in all the Polo is a good car, but to be honest the new petrol engines are just as efficient as the diesels. Just go for a petrol, wish i did!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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This is the second polo I have owned from new, the number of "niggles" across both cars is too long to list, brakes, headlights, wipers, on and on, I thought the previous one to this was just a "friday afternoon" car, but this one has been the same, I have just traded it in, not for another Polo.

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No Red thumbs down

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Never ever again!!! A brand new car plagued with problems and rubbish customer service. 4 yrs old this week 17,500 miles and the power steering pump has gone at the fine tune of £750 for the part. Had to have new battery due to faulty electrics, passenger side window fell in randomly whilst driving and the Bluetooth needs an update which requires inserting a USB lead in which vw tell me will cost over 100 pounds. So my advise is don't bother

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No Red thumbs down

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Lovely car. Well built, comfortable to drive even on long journeys and so smooth. I love the gearbox it just easily glides into gear so smoothly. Very light steering and spacious inside. Generous boot space with interior light. Reliable nippy and a good sound system. The nicest car I've ever owned. Stylish . I love it.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Lovely car. Well built, comfortable to drive even on long journeys and so smooth. I love the gearbox it just easily glides into gear so smoothly. Very light steering and spacious inside. Generous boot space with interior light. Reliable nippy and a good sound system. The nicest car I've ever owned. Stylish . I love it.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I bought this car as I like the solid, non namby-pamby, smart and sophisticated look. Also it is a small car without looking really girly. I wanted the Golf but too expensive for me at this point. Mine is 3 door in sea blue, petrol. The colour is unusual. The vehicle is very smooth to drive and has that quality German drive with not many bumps, outdoes the jerkier cars on the road like the Fiesta and Corsa any time. I think the car has plenty of space and feels much bigger than it appears from the outside. To travel in it is smooth, quiet, comfortable and spacious like the Golf. There are few other superminis in my opinion, with this bigger car feel. So far my 6 year old Volkswagen Polo has had no problems in the year I have had it.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Had my car since April 2014 and it has been a pleasure to drive. Whether that be at 30 round town or 70+. The ride is quiet with no knocks or rattles and the stereo is high quality. Only problems I have had is with a resistor on the heater fan which was fixed under warranty and the fact I have had 5 punctures on my run flats but with the tyre insurance is has cost me £50 all in. All in all it's a VW and does what it says on the tin.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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While I've only owned the car for less than a year, it's been a fantastic car to own so far. Process of ordering the car was brilliant, and staff at Lancaster VW St Albans were particularly helpful and informative all the way along. The car one issue when I picked it up - the USB slot wasn't working, but that was remedied quickly and free of charge - they couldn't do enough for me. The car performs very well considering its engine size, and it's settled and refined on long motorway trips. It's got all the kit I need for what I use it for and feels very well put together. All-in-all I'm very happy with it and hope it continues this way until it's time to change it for something else!

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After 40,000 miles needed new timing chain! Apparently not that uncommon for Polos (£500). Also needed new water coolant bottle because of leak. Always something needing done to brakes.

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No Red thumbs down

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Bought as needed small motorway runner, had quite a budget so thought I would buy a brand new car for my first! Tried the Fiesta, Ibiza and a ton of of others, but the Polo wins by a mile on the Motorway side of things. Car is quiet, comfy, and refined. I've drove this from Manchester to Germany and no issues at all, maybe except the fact I didn't buy enough Red Bull! I have had a gearbox replacement, I have the DSG 7 Speed box in my Polo and it basically grinder itself to bits, took into VW and they were great about it, had my car back in two days and feels amazing, done another 25'000 miles and no issues at all, VW have since recalled all DQ200 (DSG7) cars to get these boxes checked. Engine is nice, peppy enough for 70+ on Motorway and gets me decent MPG for my 65mph work commutes. I normally average around 44-48 and that's a little urban driving too. One thing I must say if you put your foot down the milage rand will take a good few miles away from you as punishment! Admittedly not as fun as the fiesta, but that doesn't mean you can't chuck it around, grip is good, and predictable, and with the DSG is easy to power out and have a bit of fun with, the Polo can put a smile on your face when you/it wants. Another reason why I bought the Polo, quality, the interior is lovely, it's like a mini MK6 Golf! Touch points all feel soft, as does the upper dash, doorsills are soft, and overall, it's just a nice place to be, especially in jams, stereo sounds nice, not tinny, nor does it have too much bass. VW have concentrated on making a solid all rounder, not a good driving car, or something with supersoft suspension for comfort, they made a quality product, and it does everything well.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I bought this car from a main dealer at 1 year old.A refined and economical runabout that has never returned less than 44mpg or more than 48mpg.Can sound a bit breathless under hard acceleration but cruises happily and peacefully on the motorway at an indicated 85 and still returns 44mpg. I had problems with the central locking/door locks which were fixed under warranty after two previous attempts, by replacing the whole system. Without this problem- five stars. Happily, my local main dealer is above average.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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No breakdowns yet

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No Red thumbs down

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Faultless

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Yes Green thumbs up

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NOT HAD THAT LONG SO NO OPINION SO FAR

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Good reliability

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No Red thumbs down

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Battery went flat - dealer found a voltage leak. Reset electronics and it worked ok. Nothing actually fixed so still waiting for it to happen again. Flooded badly once from cold starting.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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1 - shock absorber and boot lock replaced under warranty

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No Red thumbs down

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a new car so i do not expect much go wrong

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No Red thumbs down

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Never had a problem and the car is always reliable

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Seems very Unstable, bought the car 5 months visit dealer 4 times. First time loud noise from handbrake, second time rear speaker failure, third time went to fixed the rear nearside wheel liner, because it stick out dealer mention it, it was a weather defect. Failed first mot because when pulled handbrake car will still have moment. All these are minor fault so cannot put it unreliable.

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Rattles, vibrations, turbo failure, minor electronic faults - all fixed under warranty.

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No Red thumbs down

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Absolutely no problems in the six months or so that I have owned the car.

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No Red thumbs down

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car 3 weeks old and been in garage for 8-9 days total for problems pulling to the left

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No Red thumbs down

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Typically Volkswagen - everything fits perfectly, turn the key and she goes - simples! The only fault is it lacks excitement.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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NEVER LETS US DOWN

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Non whatsoever

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Yes Green thumbs up

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all ways works, well made

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Ther was an engine management problem within 2 months of owning the car. Was a faulty sensor.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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no problems and dealer helpful

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Only problems in first 3 years:- Fuel feed leaking, fuel gauge faulty and radio speaker faulty.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Piston rings had to be replaced after 4000 miles because of excessive oil consumption

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Works well every time, all the time. It only goes the garage for the yearly service.

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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ok

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No Red thumbs down

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Never had a moment's trouble.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Has yet to let me down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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car has not suffered any breakdown but a number of niggling faults that have been fixed under warranty.

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No Red thumbs down

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.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Would not engage reverse once (Automatic gearbox)

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No Red thumbs down

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rear brakes gone after first 11,000 miles other than that A1

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No Red thumbs down

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Locks freeze up at any sign of frost.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I`m coming to the end of my 3 years with this car and wont be sad to see it go. The first 18 months this car was brilliant, it looks good in the Nimbus grey, boot space is excellent and the under boot shelf is handy for storage. The gearbox was smooth and was very nippy for a little 1.4 engine. But, even with its regular servicing the car feels older than it is. The powers dramatically gone and when slowing can hear the lower gears clunking. When I back out of the drive the brakes seize if I dont drive it for a week. The car has only done 14,000 miles in 3 years and serviced when the handbook tells me to, but the car just doesnt feel as good as it should. Which is a shame, so going for a Fiesta now, the wifes had 5 so far and each one has been problem free and she drives 10,000 miles a year.

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No Red thumbs down

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Quite happy with the car, but would like a car with lower or zero tax and better fuel consumption .

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No Red thumbs down

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Brilliant, beyond my expectations. Vw build quality is excellent

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Its a good runabout car, not designed for top performance but it gets you about town easily enough and can hold its own on the occasional long journey when required

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No Red thumbs down

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Vw polo 6n, what can i say? Picked it up for less than 400, runs perfectly, and got nothing wrong to say about it. Practical and feels safe. Old but doesn't seem to want to stop running. A***!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Perfect first car, small yet practical love it to bits

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I am satisfied - it is a cheaper car with lower running costs that the one i had previously but speed/performance is (obviously) reduced.

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No Red thumbs down

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Practical, reliable and stylish for a good price; quite economical to run.

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No Red thumbs down

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Fab

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Best car of its size ever built

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I enjoy my car. It has a nice sophisticated look, and everything feels and looks well put together. I have the fantastic 1.2 tsi engine, so the car sounds, drives nicely, and the refined ride just puts the icing on the cake!

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No Red thumbs down

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Polo is nice and its a good price, but the one i reveived hasn't been very reilable. Speakers on doors went on me, wiper motor fuse blew, clutch and gearbox stick, rigid mudflaps are constantly scraping on the road surface when going over any sort of bump! Would buy the golf next time.

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No Red thumbs down

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Overall very good, however, the gearing is somewhat high and blunts the flexibility - a six speed box would resolve this. The breaks could be better.

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No Red thumbs down

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A big improment on the previous model which i would never have bought, all the qualties of a golf but more afrodable

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Brilliant little car. Downsized from a 1.4 corsa sxi to a 1.2 tsi polo sel due to reduced fuel costs (which aren't as big as we thought - but that may be due to the fact it's so much fun to accelerate fast in it!!) Build quality is fantastic, drove down to cornwall which took 5 hours, it felt like 1 because it was so comfy to sit in. We took a while (18 months of searching) to buy this car because we were determined to get a good deal! We were able to get £1500 off eventually. Would definately buy another volkswagon as the quality is brilliant.

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No Red thumbs down

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The volkswagon polo is the best car i have owned to the present day The design is very nice, it is really great to drive, also very comfortable indeed.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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A fun car

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Quite good cheap car

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No Red thumbs down

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Relibable

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No Red thumbs down

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Well built, reliable, economical and enjoyable to drive.

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No Red thumbs down

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Good car just needs more than 85bhp will try new audi a1 5 door 122 bhp when it comes out later this year

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No Red thumbs down

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Big, spacious car compared to the chisel nosed, mk1 golf of years ago. This 'new' polo is a superb car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent small car, has the feel and quality of a much bigger car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent little runabout. Very easy to drive in town as well as parking. Good visibility and practical shaped boot.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Brilliant

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Yes Green thumbs up

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A typically reliable solidly built volkswagen. Not overly exciting to drive but safe

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No Red thumbs down

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Vag cars are using cheaper parts not due to the problems compaired to models 10 years ago.

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No Red thumbs down

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It is a concept car and i am delighted with it.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Tough, reliable, quiet-running small car-would buy another.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Highly practical cheap reliable car. What else do you expect from a vw i have had 8 of them

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have owned many vw over the last 30 years but the tsi 1200cc engine make it a star! Its overall a better cat than the golf mk 5 it replace. Down sizing worked for me.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Does what i require

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No Red thumbs down

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Worst car i have ever bought for creaks and rattles, i thought i was buying a quality car and paid a lot for it but very disapointed with the build quality and the length of time it took to fix the problems,have had skodas before this and have already ordered a new one to replace this expensive mistake!

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No Red thumbs down

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Comfortable, economical, pleasant place to be with enough performance from 1.2tsi engine. Owning experience marred by intrusive rattles about b pillar and air conditioning pipes - now fixed under warranty.

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No Red thumbs down

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Good car does exactly what it says on the tin. Not hugely exciting, but for a small engined hatchback that's not what i bought it for. Generally good build quality, and does feel like a golf, although the seat is creaking a little!

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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Very, very satisfied

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I am an unashamed vw addict and rate their cars as 1st class in every department.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Great car , just wished i could of bought gti model

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No Red thumbs down

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I believe that my car is a brilliant concept car. It is built for a purpose and that is to save fuel and to give out small emmissions. I believe that it meets those criteria and is great to drive and ride in.

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Yes Green thumbs up