2007 Volkswagen Polo Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Volkswagen Polo as a used buy.

Volkswagen Polo is a small car from a German giant, but hadn’t done a lot in Australia until recent years.

Until the introduction of the cute little Volkswagen up! the Polo was the smallest Volkswagen sold in Australia. As is often the way the Polo grew in size over the years and later models are similar in size to older VW Golfs. This means that a late model Polo can be used as a family car if the kids are in their pre-teen years.The Volkswagen Polo has a solid feel that’s not the norm in Asian competitors of this size. Owners love them and say they feel safe and secure within them.Sales of the Polo were slow in its earlier days in Australia, but picked up after significant price cuts. Better styling helped as well, the new model introduced in July 2002 was more stylish than some of the somewhat bland earlier versions. The 2010 model further improved the looks and Polo is starting to become a serious contender in the small car market in Australia.Most Polos sold in Australia are hatchbacks, with either two or four passenger doors, but a four-door sedan, tagged as the Polo Classic, was imported from China during 2004 and 2005. The latter wasn’t a success due to dubious quality control.Another interesting model is the Polo Open Air of 1998 to 2000. Though a five-door hatchback it had a huge sunroof that could let in plenty of fresh air when fully open. It wasn’t a success either, so is comparatively rare on the used-car front.Handling was nothing special in the earlier days, with too much understeer. It can show up in anything more than moderate cornering and is presumably in there to maximise safety in the hands of clumsy drivers. This was improved in Polos from 2002 onwards.Most Polos in Australia have petrol engines, however turbo-diesels have really started to sell in good numbers in recent years. Petrol engine capacities in the standard models are 1.4 and 1.6 litres. Performance from the smaller engine is better than you might expect due to the little VW's relatively light weight. The 1.4 engine from the year 2000 was a more modern unit than the one it superseded and has a good combination of economy and performance.Interestingly, the petrol 1.6-litre engine used in the Polo Classic has a twin-cam setup, whereas the others have a single-cam head. In both cases there are four valves per cylinder.Transmission options are five-speed manual and four-speed auto until the new model of 2008. The Polo Classic sedan, pre-2010 GTI, and TDI diesel are only sold with the manual. From 2008 a six-speed automatic was installed, this expanded to seven speeds in 2010. Manuals remained at five-speed units.Polo GTI in its early versions wasn’t the pocket rocket its name might suggest, chiefly because the turbocharged 1.8-litre engine is running only modest boost. However, it works very nicely in mid-range torque. The real strength of the Polo GTI is its nimble handling. Firmer suspension and added precision through the steering means it gives you a lot of driving fun at a pretty modest price.Engine power in the latest Polo GTI, launched in November 2010, was increased from 110 kilowatts to 132 kW thanks to a new TwinCharger (supercharged and turbocharged) engine. Finally the Polo GTI had the grunt to back up its name.Volkswagen has undergone a revolution in Australia in recent years thanks to a smart new management team. This has led not only to better sales results, but also an increased number of dealerships, many with impressive high-tech facilities.Service and repairs are moderate in price, though they can be higher than for equivalent sized Asian cars. We have heard of no real complaints about the cost or availability of spare parts.A good amateur mechanic should be able to do a fair bit of their own work as the Polo has a simple mechanical layout and the underbonnet area isn’t too crowded. Have a repair manual at your side, and keep well clear of repairs that could affect the car’s safety.Insurance costs are about average for a car in this European class although you are likely to be charged extra, possibly substantially extra, to cover the Polo GTI because of its turbocharged engine.WHAT TO LOOK FORThe VW Polo is generally well built, however the quality of assembly on the Polo Classic sedan left something to be desired. Check the interior as it can be on the rough and ready side. Ensure the engine starts quickly and idles reasonably smoothly immediately it fires up.Older VW Polo engines aren't the most refined of units, but if one seems too bad it may be due for major repairs. Gearchanges should be light and easy, with no crunching when you shift down quickly. The clutch should be smooth and predictable in its operation. Look inside the boot for signs of harsh treatment as cars in this class sometimes get treated as small trucks by inner-city residents carting things around.Interior trim that has been continuously scorched by the Aussie sun through lack of undercover parking may fade. The dash top and luggage cover will be the first to suffer, look and feel for cracks, as well as for a dry feel in the plastics.CAR BUYING TIPTry to do any test drive with the car in stone-cold condition, after an overnight stop is ideal. Mechanical problems are often aggravated by cold weather.

Buyers of cars in the Polo-size class prefer Asian products that generally cost considerably less than the little German machine, but the Polo is slightly larger, it is a more substantial vehicle than its lower-priced rivals and comes with a much more solid feel that is likely to mean it will have a longer life.The Polo first went on sale in Australia in October 1996 but struggled in those early years, partly due to its being more expensive than Asian cars but also because of its rather bland styling.New-car sales picked up during early 2000 due to price cuts, better promotion and the introduction of a significant number of new variants.From the new model introduced in July 2002 the Polo became reasonably stylish, although it was still no fashion plate.What certainly hadn't been changed was the traditional German toughness of the body. The Polo is like every other Volkswagen in displaying impressive stiffness that bodes well for long life.The smallest Australian VW has such safety features as twin airbags, pyrotechnic front seat-belt retractors and anti-submarining seat bases.An immobiliser is built into the engine management system.Polo is a well-designed car and, while the front seats are fine for two large adults, the back is probably best left to children.The boot is better than average for the class, but certainly not spacious.Handling is nothing special; Polos are inclined to too much oversteer. It can show up in anything more than moderate cornering and is presumably there to maximise safety in the hands of clumsy drivers.The understeer was pulled way back in the new model of 2002, but is still there at extremes, which is exactly the way it should be in a road car aimed at the average person.Most Polos sold in Australia are hatchbacks, with either two or four passenger doors, but an interesting Polo Classic four-door sedan was imported, from China of all places, during 2004 and 2005. It wasn't a success due to dubious quality control.Another interesting model is the Open Air of 1998 to 2000. Though a five-door hatchback, it had a huge sunroof that could let in plenty of fresh air when fully open.A VW Eos it's not, but the Polo Open Air can be used a low-cost substitute.Volkswagen has undergone a revolution in Australia in recent years, thanks to a smart new management team. That has led not only to better sales results but to more dealerships, some with larger facilities.Service and repairs are moderate in price, though they can be higher than for equivalent-size Korean cars.We have heard of no real complaints about cost or availability of spare parts.Good amateur mechanics should be able to do a fair bit of their own work; as the Polo has a simple mechanical layout and the underbonnet area isn't too crowded.Have a repair manual at your side before lifting the bonnet, and keep away from any repairs that could affect safety.Insurance costs are about average for a car in this European class.You are likely to be charged extra, possibly substantially extra, to cover the Polo GTi because of its turbo engine. Under the bonnetAll the original Polos in Australia had petrol engines. Capacities in the standard models were 1.4 and 1.6 litres.Performance from the smaller engine is better than you might expect due to the car's relatively light weight, but try one for size to see what you think before settling on this little engine.The 1.4 engine from the year 2000 was a more modern unit than the original so is probably the one to aim for.Interestingly, the 1.6-litre engine used in the Polo Classic (the Chinese model) uses a twin-cam setup, whereas the others have a single-cam head.In both cases there are 16 valves per cylinder.Polo GTi isn't the real pocket rocket its name might suggest, chiefly because the turbocharged 1.8-litre engine is running only modest boost, and develops just 110kW. Where it does work nicely is in mid-range torque, making it reasonably fast but not flighty in its characteristics.Stiffer suspension and added precision in the steering means the Polo GTi gives you a lot of driving fun at a pretty modest price.Volkswagen Polo joined the diesel car revolution in Australia in November 2005 when a huge 1.9-litre engine was installed.Having 240Nm under the bonnet of a small car like this gives it surging acceleration that's great to sit within.These little diesel cars are still rare on the used scene, but you never know your luck.Transmission options are five-speed manual and four-speed auto in most models.The Polo Classic sedan, GTi and TDI diesel are sold only with the manual. Danger signsRust isn't common as factory protection is very good. If there is any rust, it's likely to be the result of poor crash repairs.If so, have the Polo fully inspected by a professional as anything other than minor repairs is a worry.Interiors generally stand up well, but Polos that have been kept in the open air may suffer from sun-dried dashboard tops and rear shelves.Engines aren't as smooth or sophisticated as those of many competing cars but be suspicious if it's too rough.In particular, listen for engine noises when you work it hard.Look for smoke from the exhaust when it's under maximum acceleration.Make sure a manual gearbox doesn't crunch on fast downchanges. Check that an automatic transmission is positive in its shifts and isn't slow at going into Drive or Reverse from Park or Neutral.Check that the brakes pull the car up evenly without an excess of pedal effort.