1996 Volkswagen Polo Reviews - Page 4 of 4

Front disks and pads replaced at 40000 miles and again at 85000 miles, more my fault that I had to replace the disks also, still the pad wear didn't give me any warning.

Gearbox started giving a loud "whining" sound at 50000 miles when in 4th and 5th gear driving at speeds greater than 50MPH, however I only replaced it with a second hand one at 70000, I have had no issue with the gearbox since.

Back exhaust pipe wore out at 100000 miles.

Overall the Polo is an excellent reliable car. It looks good, has superb build quality (not one rattle out of the dash) and has never left me down.

The little 999cc engine is super for its size however it you seat more than 2 adults in the car it gets seriously sluggish. Avoid the initial 1litre engine the 1043cc variant as it's a very sluggish engine.

Suspension and handling is not bad (not near as good as the Fiesta), however the tyre's that come standard are really too small, its best to change the set and go up 2 sizes.

On long journey's the car does tire you out as you feel every bump in the road, plus at speed road noise is significant.

A good car that runs without issue, however does that justify its high purchase price second hand when compared with other cars in its class?

Absolutely nothing has gone wrong with this car. Still going perfectly after 100,000 miles. Everything in perfect condition.

Very solid and extremely well built car. Very reliable and economical.

Performance isn't amazing with the 1.0 litre engine, however fuel economy is excellent (this is more important than 0-60 acceleration to me) and the engine is extremely reliable and still quiet after 100,000 miles. Servicing costs were also extremely reasonable.

The interior is attractive and very comfortable. All the fittings are still as good as when the car was first bought.

Overall, the Polo is by far the best hatchback. I've driven several different superminis including a Fiesta, 206, and Clio - the Polo beats them all hands down.

My next car will definitely be a Volkswagen.

Fuel Gauge works sporadically only.

The car is nifty around suburban areas and competent in extra urban areas.

The interior is sufficient, but not too flash.

It is easy to maintain both internally and externally.

Right.... mid box had to be replaced, spark plug cap had to be replaced - arcing to the engine, therefore only firing on 3.

Has alloy wheels, tried to put the "get me home" wheel on, but the bolts were too long, needed washers to stop them going in too far, and hitting the drum brake.

Still a great little car, out of all the small super minis, it looks the best. If you are buying one, get at least a 1.4 L engine, as the 1.0L is lacking a lot of poke.

Number plate light bulb went, rear window washer pipe came loose..... not much really.

This was a small car which genuinely feels like something much larger. It spent most of its days charging up motorways where the high speed cruising was effortless and comfortable. Its solidity and reliability were always reassuring as were the ABS brakes, which proved a real lifesaver one night on a rain soaked M40. It was not the most economical car I have owned (only about 32 MPG on the open road) and it is quite expensive to buy compared to its rivals, but I concluded it was the best, and the best always has to be paid for.

Coolant pump leak.

Severe wear on inside edge of both front tyres after only 16,000 miles - camber and alignment checked and were both fine - very odd!

Excellent small car.

Leaky shock absorber on delivery (not spotted during PDI). Mudguards were dealer fitted - design fault on exhaust blows onto nearside rear mudguard & melts it. VW fitting exhaust deflector & replacement mudguards..

Otherwise, no faults after 20,000 miles.

Comfortable, torquey 1.4 petrol engine. Highly geared for economy - 2000 revs at 55mph. Deceptively deep boot. Only wish it had somewhere to mount rear speakers.. Turns heads even on mid-range model. Good residual value & solid feel. Done well in recent DoT crash tests - joint top in class with new Fiesta. Nice dash. Great steering, brakes & suspension, light clutch and gearchange. Does the job it was designed for nearly perfectly.