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Hatchback
The Polo feels very grown-up for a little car, but it’s more about comfort than fun. Road and wind noise are largely shut out and the ride is cushy, for example, but it lurches through quick corners.
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Inside, there's enough space for four adults, but the accommodation isn’t class-leading. At least the boot is sizeable, although it has a high lip, which is a pain to lift heavy loads over. And, while we're talking about pain, in the cheapest models the seat height is fixed and it’s too high for some; and, the seats are generally soft but fail to give all-round support. At least the steering adjusts for reach and rake. Perhaps the Polo's biggest problem is that prices are high. But, they're offset by slow depreciation and a decent showing for safety - twin airbags are standard and the Polo gained four stars out of five from Euro NCAP for protecting its occupants in a crash. However, its one star of a possible four for pedestrian protection is poor.
Running Costs
Although dear to buy, Polos shouldn’t cost much to run and, come trade-in time, you should recoup a fair bit of what you originally paid - the Polo’s glossy image means it loses value more slowly than most. Spares are reasonably priced and servicing will be, too, provided you steer away from main dealers and their sky-high labour bills. All models need servicing annually or every 12,000 miles, which is par for the course, and the What Car? Reliability Index, compiled by a leading warranty company, says repairs on Polos are reasonably priced. Insurance and fuel economy are fine, too. The 55bhp 1.2 slips into insurance group 2 and everything else is group 5 or less, except for the 128bhp 1.9 turbodiesel, which is group 8. All manage 40mpg with ease and the diesels promise 50mpg on a long, gentle run. Bear in mind, though, that the FSI petrol needs to be filled with super unleaded.