Why I still feel proud of my decision to buy a VW Polo even after 8 years?
I feel really lucky and proud that I took a bold decision in 2013 and bought Volkswagen Polo
At that time, I was not a Car enthusiast but bought this car after friend's suggestion who worked in Daimler in Chennai. He told me that Volkswagen Polo is a very special car & very well built car. I felt like it is priced little on the higher side but my friend explained how good the quality is and hence it is little pricier as compared to A-Star, Swift and i20 (at that time).
Quality
After 8 years, my car has really held well. Engine, Clutch and Gearbox is in perfect shape. There has been no major repairs and car looks and feel brand new from inside out. Paint quality is impeccable, bumpers and metal sheet still feel very solid. Interiors are still tightly screwed and doesn't rattle even after 8 years.
Mileage
My car's engine is 3 cylinder, 1200 CC, 75 BHP MPi which has a mileage of around 13 kmpl in City and around 17-20 on highways.
Build & Safety
There has been no cost cutting anywhere. It has segment first laser welded roof for better safety, 100% galvanized steel body which has got 4 stars in GNCAP safety. It comes with 2 airbags and ABS as standard across all variants.
Practical Features
Polo is the only car which comes with features like anti pinch power windows, reach and rack steering adjustments, cooled glove box, all power windows (Comfortline), rear washer and wiper.
Expenses and Service Cost
Annual service average cost is around Rs 8000 for my petrol Polo. 6th service was little expensive and it cost me around Rs 22000 because I asked to change Shocker Mounts, brake pads and some AC repair work.
Other than that, I had to shell out Rs 2500 for petrol lid motor, Rs 4500 for rear window and Rs 2800 for parcel tray. No other repair work is done so far in the car.
Warranty
My car had 2 years warranty but latest VW cars comes with 4 years standard warranty and 2 years extended warranty. They give 6 years warranty on paint as well as anti-corrosion warranty too.
Cons
Rear space is a big negative and it has a hump too which doesn't let rear passengers enjoy the drive like in other spacious hatchbacks. Other than that, MPI engine is little sluggish and is not segment best. Prefer TSI engine if you want punch from the motor and not just a sedate drive. Also, I feel Polo should come with 6 airbags like i20 Elite and Figo/Freestyle in thsi segment.
Please leave in comments if you have any questions or suggestions.