Faults:

The temperature sensor breaks and leaks coolant. Through capillary action, the fluid travels up the wiring to the engine control unit, causing severe short circuits.

Jerking and lack of power.

It is common for the engine to shut off on its own at traffic lights or struggle to maintain its pace.

The engine consumes more oil than normal.

The water pump can fail, causing overheating that—if not addressed quickly—damages the cylinder head gasket.

It often has difficulty starting when cold.

General Comments:

I was left with a good impression of the car during the time I had it; considering it’s a practical, everyday car, I couldn't ask for more.

The car doesn't have premium finishes, of course, but it still offers a good level of equipment. It struck me as well-finished, with controls that felt good to the touch—though that’s not an aspect I place too much importance on. In this regard, however, it felt much more consistent than other cars I’ve owned recently, such as the Opel Astra and Peugeot 106; those models excel in certain areas but have their ups and downs.

The car came with standard equipment—nothing fancy. No cruise control, start-stop system, sunroof, or automatic transmission, but it did have climate control, ESP, and the like. Perfectly adequate.

As for the driving experience, I was very satisfied. Despite being rated at only 85 horsepower, the engine pulls the car very well. It overtakes effectively without needing to drop two gears (you only have to downshift once), pulls decently from low revs—without stuttering or jerking—if you miss a gear change, and maintains cruising speeds of 130–140 km/h without straining.

And regarding fuel consumption: the average (50% highway at an indicated 130 km/h, 40% on national and winding roads at brisk—though not excessively illegal—paces, and 10% in uncongested city traffic) was 6.2 liters per 100 km. This was achieved without skimping on acceleration when merging or hesitating to rev the engine out through the gears. On the open road, I averaged around 5.2–5.5 L/100 km (the onboard computer’s reading matched the actual fuel added at the pump almost exactly), and on the highway, it didn't exceed 6.5. I had never achieved such low fuel consumption figures with a gasoline engine, let alone with a naturally aspirated one that seemed, on paper, to be "underpowered." In fact, when the rental agency employee told me, "Even though it’s not a diesel, it’s very fuel-efficient," it had made me smile.

In terms of stability and comfort, I found it very stable and quite comfortable. Not quite as comfortable as a comparable C3, perhaps, but certainly much more pleasant in corners thanks to reduced body roll. And very quiet—very quiet indeed. It’s on par with cars from higher segments, not just regarding the engine—which only becomes audible above 3,500 rpm—but also in terms of wind noise.

All in all, a very impressive showing for a compact hatchback.

Faults:

Things that have broken since I bought it:

- Front windscreen allows water in when raining.

- Lights on heater/vent switches gone, temperature adjustment at night is done in the blind.

- ABS sensor gone.

- Front suspension needed to be replaced.

- Clutch required replacing.

- Gearbox makes rattling noise, something loose inside. Usual shoddy VW gearboxes. Won't be long before it goes.

- Transaxle and gearbox came apart while in another country. Car wouldn't move. Spent a day trying to speak Danish. Had to leave the car in Denmark. Still figuring out what to do.

- Catalytic converter rusted to pieces.

- Car still veers to left, even after wheel re-alignment.

- Front brakes wore out very quickly, even though I hardly use them.

General Comments:

Good looking car, pleasure to drive, but a complete pain to own.

Would put me off ever buying anything from VAG again.