A great first car, until it blew on me (VW Polo (pre 1990))

Member Name: failme

Product:	VW Polo (pre 1990)
Date:	23/10/04 (1436 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheapness, Durability, Handling

Disadvantages: Steering, Comfort

My Polo was the fanciest of the Mk2s, a 1989 Coupe S, with its 1272cc 55bhp (!!!!!) engine. I mock, but it was decently fast - keeping up with much more powerful cars was a doddle. Thank the very light weight (720 kilograms) for that. The 0-60mph time is around 12 seconds which isn't spectacular but the torque gives it some shove in the sprints that really matter (i.e. powering up hills and overtaking). Economy is great too, with 40mpg+ possible even with my exceptionally heavy right foot.

Also a part of the Coupe S package is lightly tinted windows, 13-inch "Hockenheim" alloy wheels, rev counter, sports seats with Golf GTi-wannabe check trim. Mine even had the ultra-rare sliding metal sunroof. I'll give up on the equipment for now as it's decidedly Spartan...

It makes a good first car (I should know, it was my first car...) with cheap running and insurance costs (as little as £50 a month for me, an 18 year old with Pass Plus). Plus it's decently quick and will teach you a few things about handling without biting you. It's so much more preferable to the usual boring Nova/Fiesta default choice.

Comfort is at a premium, the car really isn't designed for taller drivers (i.e. me), and the seats are uncomfortable even on short journeys.

The handling is fun and adjustable with quite a lot of roll and with a little provocation you can make the tail slide (that's the FUN part), but it can get snappy if you ask too much of it (wet second gear "L"-bends at way too much speed, for instance...). The only down point is the steering which is vague and doesn't respond quickly enough at higher speeds. The ride isn't too terrible given the age of the basic design and the slightly lowered suspension compared to the standard Polo.

Build-quality is adequate, with a couple of annoying rattles even though this is the last of the German-built Polos. The car in general is very hardy though and will withstand a lot of punishment - I've been off-roading in it, slid into a ditch and trees avoiding another car, hit a foot-high steep bank - and still it went like nothing ever happened.

Eventually my hard driving got the better of the car; the timing belt slipped and bent the valves, but the car served me very well over six months as a thrashed runaround and a first car, especially considering how cheap it was.

Summary: