1996 Volkswagen Polo GL review from UK and Ireland

Just usual wear and tear -nothing else. No money spent on servicing as of yet.

PROS:

Very reliable and safe run-about with excellent build quality for a '96 supermini. You obviously pay a bit more for a polo than the equivalent fiesta/corsa/punto/106 etc, but it feels so much more solid than the aforementioned cars. Only just started to get a barely audible squeak from the dash -not bad for an 11 year old car!The panels are very tight fitting and as for corrosion -just a couple of tiny spots under the rear wheel arches. Otherwise the metallic 'dragon green' paint looks as good as new. Alloy wheels have a little corrosion, but again, not bad for a 11 year old car. Comfort is good -the front seats give good support and are pretty adjustable and the steering wheel has tilt adjustment. Little extras include electric mirrors ans a rev-counter.Even a little touch like a rest for the clutch foot is a Godsend when you're on a long journey -by no means a 'given' on a mid '90's supermini. This car comes equipped with ABS and a driver's airbag. I believe that this generation polo has very good crash protection, mainly thanks to it's sturdy construction (a big improvement over the previous generation).Mechanically this car is sound.

Very lively little 8-valve engine:only 75bhp, but has excellent spread of torque across the rev range and is a lot more nippy than you'd expect. Equally at home around town or on the motorway: pulls away quickly from a standstill and is still eager at motorway speeds. Performance figures according to 'Parker's guide'...0-60mph: 11.8 seconds. Top speed:107mph.Engine output:75bhp.Engine torque:135 Nm (100 Ib/ft)

The handling is nothing special (I find it a little stodgy and under-steery ie. designed more for safety than thrills!) but is easily up to the job in hand.However, I still find this little car great fun to chuck around, the body-roll isn't too pronounced and the low-profile tyres at each corner of the car make cornering a doddle.Surprisingly, this car responds quite well to a hard drving style.

Loads of space for something KA-sized: can seat 4 average-sized adults comfortably and has a deep boot. Rear seats fold and I've managed to cram an adult's mountain bike in the back before (without removing it's front wheel!).Admittedly, it wasn't a breeze... but still possible, so great!

Personally, despite the dull middle-class pensioner-mobile image which a lot of people associate with the 'polo' name, I find this model quite nice to look at. The chunky compact shape with low-profile tyres/15inch alloys and a very subtle factory body kit looks pretty good to me. The 'dragon green' colour finishes off the whole look well.

CONS:

Yes, my car has proved very reliable so far, but I can appreciate that if anything does go wrong, it's going to cost more than most other superminis to put right. I don't think VW deserve such a high reputation for reliability these days, but my old polo just keeps going (maybe I'm just lucky).Unless you've got a new car, I wouldn't bother using the main dealers-independents are much cheaper and because there's still so many old polos about, spares are plentiful and don't cost the earth, but ultimately, a cheap and cheerful fiesta, for example, is going to be a better option if you're on a strict budget.

The cost of the insurance is expensive for what is is.Again, the equivalent ford fiesta/Ka etc is usually cheaper to insure.

Because the engine is an old 8-valve, the co2 emissions are quite high for 75bhp and so road tax is not as cheap as you'd hope for.

Fuel consumption is quite high -I've averaged 35+ with a light right foot, but put my foot down (I admit that I do like to chuck this car around a bit!) and it's closer to 30mpg!

Tyre/engine noise is quite intrusive at high speeds, but then again, I suppose, with low-profile tyres combined with a little 8-valve engine screaming it's heart out at high revs, it's to be expected!

I hope this review is helpful...