Faults:

The car pulls to the right very badly.

Passenger seat release to rear keeps falling off.

Exposed wiring underneath glove box keeps showing despite trying many types of adhesive.

General Comments:

This car has one of the nicest 1.0 units I have ever come across. I am a car trader and I intended to sell it on however it runs so well that I have kept it.

The rear space is excellent and the stereo is pretty good.

Tyre wear is excessive for such a small car with fornt tyres being changed after 5000 miles.

It is a classy looking car for the money and it looks solid in comparison to a fiesta or 206. If only small pieces of trim would stay in place. I would suggest buying this car for town driving, but for motorways, go for the 1.4.

Faults:

Head gasket was leaking slightly at about 16900 miles, but was replaced straight away by the dealer.

Water pump was also replaced at about

17500 miles after a squeaking noise was heard from the engine.

Ignition switch was replaced at about 18700 miles when the car failed to fire up.

At the same time the clutch pedal was adjusted as there was a lot of "play" at the top of the clutch.

General Comments:

Although the car is the bottom of the range, it still feels much more expensive with the high quality of the interior finish and the exterior trim.

The engine is willing and can give give many "suped up" Novas a run for their money. I have had 100 MPH out of it even though VW say it should do 94MPH!

The dealer that I dealt with has been extremely helpful and always sorts out the problems fully.

The only problem I have encountered is that accessories that I have ordered have taken a while to reach me due to VW moving there parts depot to a different location.

Ride and handling is great and there is hardly any hint of body roll around corners.

Fuel economy is also very respectable with 50mpg being achieved quite often.

I am very pleased with my purchase and look forward to my next few years driving this car.

Faults:

Ignition switch broke at 40000 miles resulting in a 3 day wait for dealer to fix (1/2 hour job)

Passenger trim come loose.

General Comments:

Car handles quite well and is pretty good looking (compared to previous Polos)

Overall am pleased with ride although seats are a little harsh for long journeys.

Petrol Consumption is low and interior design is appealing and modern.

Service from dealer (VW franchise) was absolutely terrible, initially no driver's handbook. When fault occurred staff had a don't care attitude and only fixed it when we complained to manager.

Faults:

Cam belt idler replaced at 4000 and 9000 miles.

Exhaust rattle from 3000 miles.

Headlamp alignment motor failed at 5000 miles.

Squeaks from the dashboard (fixed by the dealer), driver's window (not fixed).

Badly fitted brake pipes vibrated against the underbody from new.

Random engine pinking / running roughly, making a "rasping" noise. VW say they cannot find any problem after 3 attempts.

Starter key switch failed at 16000 miles.

General Comments:

Performance around town is OK with the 1 litre engine, but is a bit wearing on longer runs.

The seats are moderately comfortable, but a bit hard on the back on long journeys.

The dash layout is good, but the ventilation system is not very flexible and the vents are not very adjustable.

Very poor reliability - several niggling faults and poor build quality, and a less than competent dealer.

Faults:

EPC warnings every now and again, never been solved by the dealer (seems to be related to the brakes).

General Comments:

As my first 'proper' car I am pretty pleased with the Polo GTI. I went for the Polo over the Golf or Lupo GTI for a variety of reasons. I felt the Lupo to be a little too small and not as good looking (although the twin central exhaust is very nice on the Lupo). The Golf at insurance group 14 meant premiums of £1500 (early 20's with no no-claims bonus). The Polo GTI at group 12 is much more affordable; recently renewed my premium and at 22 years old with 1 years no claims got it for under £700.

The Polo GTI is still rare on the roads today and should hold its' second hand value fairly well.

I have done over 11,000 in the first year of ownership and after the first service the performance has increased notably. Rumours that all VW GTI engines get an electronic de-restriction after their first year seem to be confirmed.

The handling is not brilliant, but it will do anything you ask of it. As in one review I read (paraphrased), you 'drive' the Polo GTI, but you don't 'bond' with it. The harsh ride can sometimes be a bit of a bore on bumpy back roads.

Other reviews compare the Polo GTI unfavourably with most of its' competitors. Although not as fast as the Saxo VTS, it is streets ahead in specification and refinement. The Clio 172 was a good choice until the recent restyling effort by Renault that have made it rather ugly.

To sum up, the Polo GTI is a good long-term buy that will beat 90% of other cars away from the traffic lights, looks good and gets noticed.