1996 Volkswagen Polo CL review from UK and Ireland

The seals are in perfect condition yet some how water still manages to get into certain places in the cabin (this is possibly due to some areas of the body trapping water). This results in a very wet floor after heavy rain.

The rear wash facility on the rear wiper does not function. The liquid from the washer fluid container comes out, but does not come out of the rear washer. Instead the liquid is probably dispensed some where inside the car.

The airbag light is constantly on; this has been checked by Volkswagen. They insist that this is a minor electric fault and that the airbag does operate correctly. This is not totally re-assuring.

+ The car is generally very reliable so running costs are low.

+ The torque on the 1.4L engine is quite impressive.

+ The car is quite happy with over steer.

+ The power assisted steering on the Polo is a joy to use, very direct and not too light.

+ Decent depreciation due to the desirability of the Polo.

+ Build quality is generally excellent (no car is perfect).

+ Road holding is very good for a small car (it is nothing compared to the 1.8T Passat).

+ The seats are very comfortable and hold you reasonably well. The whole interior shows its quality against the interiors of cars such as the 106, Fiesta and Saxo.

+ The boot is deceptively large; it is very deep which means you can fit pretty much everything in there without any trouble.

The engine efficiency is reasonable (it is claimed to be in the region of 42mpg, but you have to drive very carefully to get above 40mpg)

The insurance is reasonable for a 1.4L (probably because it is only 60bhp as standard. If you place a decent ECU and an Ecotek valve on the Polo then this can be boosted to about 82bhp. The insurance is only a little bit extra). This is also because the CL has an immobilizer and central locking.

The car is build like a tank (this can be good if you are in an accident, but it can also make it a little cumbersome off the lights).

The suspension is adequate, maybe a little soft. As a result body roll can occur, but this is only an annoyance when you are feeling a little ‘thrashy’.

As with most super-minis, the rear passenger space is not necessarily ideal. Whilst it is still comfortable, it is not ideal for long journeys. The only super-minis to have more space for the backseat passengers would be the Corsa and the Punto.

- Gear ratios are not necessarily perfect as standard.

- The turning circle feels quite poor for such a small car.

- The brakes don’t have an overly reassuring feel to them.

- Visibility is good; although due to the shape of the car parking can sometimes be awkward (the bonnet has a very deceptive length to it).

- The design of the engine sometimes makes maintenance difficult (i.e. accessibility to some parts of the engine leaves something to be desired).

- Some areas are prone to trapping water and hence can rust. However, on the whole the body is very rust resistant.