[vjbox]

Dear Members, so I now need to get daily driver for my wifey and was thinking of picking up a used Polo automatic (GT TSI) and also have the Jazz CVT in mind. I am leaning towards the Polo for the obvious reasons but also aware of the DSG issues that might creep up in the future. I know the Jazz is a well rounded package but we aren't too worried about rear seat comfort as this would only be driven with at best 2-3 people on board. I also want the car to be able to take occasional highway trips and hence Polo sounds like a better bet? A couple of options that I am checking out today and would appreciate feedback/advise on these ( all negotiable)

1. 2017 Polo GT TSI (white) - 1st Owner/ 24k KMS - 7.8 L asking price
2. 2017 Polo GT TSI (red) - 1st Owner/32k KMS - 8.2 L asking price
3. 2016 Jazz - top end (brown I guess) - 1st Owner - 35K KMS - 6.9 L asking price.

I am leaning towards the Polo despite the potential issues that might occur, mentally preparing to deal with them down the line as they arise. I will be verifying the records today, taking it for a spin with my wife and if I like will take it to the VW service center to get it vetted thoroughly. Might rinse and repeat the same with Jazz as well.

Would appreciate some directions here/ what sort of price can I shoot for and what to look out for?

Thanks!

[androdev]

Get Polo TSI with new AT. I am sure used Polos with new AT have already hit the used car market. It is not a bad idea to buy a brand new Polo with a loan and have the benefit of new car with warranty, etc.

Jazz CVT is also good option if it purely for the city commute but it looks like you wish put it to some highway usage as well.

Avoid DSG for routine urban commute in dense traffic. Not worth the risk.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by androdev

Get Polo TSI with new AT. I am sure used Polos with new AT have already hit the used car market. It is not a bad idea to buy a brand new Polo with a loan and have the benefit of new car with warranty, etc.

Jazz CVT is also good option if it purely for the city commute but it looks like you wish put it to some highway usage as well.

Avoid DSG for routine urban commute in dense traffic. Not worth the risk.

Thanks for the advise Androdev. So took the Polo and Jazz for a spin today. Wife wasn't impressed one bit with the Jazz and found it boring (she is sort of become a car person these days you see). The engine is pretty much dead at low rpms and you got to work it to at-least 45-50 KMPH to pick up pace after which it seems to wake up. Polo on the other hand impressed her so much and she was sold with the driving dynamics, quick shifting gears, the zippy ride and the overall build quality. You could hate me but it looks like the scale is tipping towards this DSG Polo for her . Not too keen on a new Polos as she isnt too confident to drive a spanking new car for now. Now, I have asked for a thorough check up at Sundaram VW tomorrow/ this week to decide to pull the trigger and the final price based on the report.

Seller is staying hard at 7.6L as of now and I am pushing for 7.25L. While I am willing to take a bet on the Polo, my question is whether the said price makes sense. VW guy tells me they would offer at best 7.5L for such a car assuming its in top shape, so the asking price isnt too far off?

[androdev]

It is hard to arrive at a precise value for the car, 50K difference between offer price and asking price is not that bad and just negotiate based on upcoming expenses like service, tires, battery, etc.

My suggestion is to do some window shopping of new Polo TSI AT. Look at the cost of that, monthly EMI impact, etc. I feel your savings are not substantial enough at 7.5L to buy a used Polo that would be out of warranty and comes with a risky DSG. A new Polo comes with a more reliable AT, 4 yrs of factory warranty and the general mastercard-priceless vibes of buying a new car.

A new Polo AT at 10L can be justified compared to 7.5L 2017 Polo DSG as follows:

Tangibles of about Rs 1L:
1. Factory warranty of 4 years worth Rs 50K
2. At 25K km, the tires are at least Rs 15K worth less than the new car.
3. Assume upcoming expenses like brake pads, battery, service, etc. another Rs 25K

Intangibles of about Rs 1.5L:
1. Resale/shelf-life benefit would be substantial
2. Total peace of mind about history of the car
3. New car feel good factor, choice of colour, etc

If you are on a strict budget, you might as well look for a 2015-ish Polo with similar low mileage for 5-6L. Once the car is out of warranty, better to take advantage of higher depreciation due to age (not mileage). Either go for substantial savings by opting for a used car, or buy a new car.

[Akshay6988]

Originally Posted by vjbox

1. 2017 Polo GT TSI (white) - 1st Owner/ 24k KMS - 7.8 L asking price
2. 2017 Polo GT TSI (red) - 1st Owner/32k KMS - 8.2 L asking price

I don't know much about used car market, and I don't know prices of the new Polo variants either. But I do feel rather than buying one of these used car at such price, you're better off getting a brand new Polo, get maximum possible warranty (in your budget) on it and have less headache . As Androdev mentioned above, 2-3 lakhs INR wont make huge impact on your EMI/finances. At the end of the day, new car is well a new car, "pre worshipped" will never give you that feeling.

[AJ56]

Don’t get the Jazz, it has the same 1.2L 89hp engine as my Amaze and it seriously lacks in performance, it’s very slow to 100 and you need to rev to 4000+ rpm before any substantial power is made, I need to floor it in the city to overtake, let alone highways. Mine has a 5 speed torque converter but I’ve driven the CVT and it’s even worse in terms of response.

Polo is an excellent choice barring the transmission reliability of the dry clutch DQ200 all Polos came with till very recently. Before you spring for a new one, test drive extensively to see if your wife is happy with the torque converter as it’s slower and not as crisp as the dual clutch earlier models had.

2017 models will soon be 5 years old in 2022, these were around 10L on road 5 years ago, the selling price should be lower (7.8L is too high) irrespective of the kms it has. I’m not sure exactly but I also believe these didn’t get cruise control which is very useful on highways, it was later added in a facelift so check for that when looking at model years. Cheers.

[d3mon]

I think you are rejecting the Jazz because of the lackluster performance. I'd suggest you take a look at the Amaze Diesel CVT. I drove one recently and it completely blew me away. I can guarantee that you'll not reject it for its performance. There is almost no rubber band effect (unless you mash the A pedal fully), the performance is extremely strong, especially in the city and the noise level is not that bad when you are accelerating calmly.

You'll get Honda reliability + Diesel mileage + awesome performance in this combo. On the flip side, you'll have to live with a poorer build quality and higher NVH.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by androdev

Either go for substantial savings by opting for a used car, or buy a new car.

This line basically sums up the logic.
Even more important in case of the Polo GT.

Absolutely agree on the used car vs new car economics in this case, cost of consumables and the potential risk of the DSG issues.

I would also suggest a new Polo in this case.

[asit.kulkarni93]

At these prices, the Polo GT with DQ200 barely makes sense. You are better off with a new Comfortline AT Polo. It's far more reliable than the 1.2 TSi with DQ200. Perfect for city use too.

[HEMIOrange]

I would recommend the jazz, IMO nothing is above peace of mind. There are several stories on the internet to convince me for my opinion, not that a VW is bound to fail, but if it does, then the aftermath is not that good.
PS: No offence to existing owners or the brand.

[vjbox]

Thanks Androdev and members for the kind advise. This has really put some sense for me and I think putting in 7.XX on a 2017 model does not seem like a wise choice. Budget isn't concern for this daily driver but we don't want that to be a brand new car as my wife isn't yet a seasoned driver. I thought if I am getting her a daily driver/ beater, I might as well get a potent car which can do some heavy duty work for longer journeys too and I could take it on occasional days too leaving the Volvo behind.

Ok now another option has sprung up from our forums classifieds but its a 2013 model (44k) with an asking price of 5.4L (which again I find higher). But since its from one of our members, I am checking it out and I am told its well maintained for its age. Thoughts whether this option might make sense assuming it can be had for a good price?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by vjbox

.. Thoughts whether this option might make sense assuming it can be had for a good price?

I can relate to your dilemma because I have also been hoping to buy a compact AT for my wife which I can also enjoy. For some reason, things never progressed beyond planning stage but I have spent enough time researching this space I would have pulled the trigger on a v40/A-class but wife wants an abuse friendly car and I was indefinitely waiting for VW to give Polo with paddles and fancy lights, etc. VW killed Polo DSG altogether and MB/Volvo discontinued their hatchbacks.

I think I know where you are coming from :-) My suggestion would be to either keep it simple and buy a new Polo AT. Or take up Polo DSG as a 'project' car with some funds set aside. Look for a good deal on a 2016+ DSG , add paddle-steering (an absolute must to enjoy a DSG) and slowly take up other things if interested. That would be a great two-in-one car and it is something I might also do at some point as I recently drove Kushaq 1.5 DSG and preferred Polo DSG over it (due to compact size and fun quotient)

Bottom line is, don't get a DSG if you don't have the intention to get the best out of it (paddles are an absolute must have). It will be a great stablemate to your v40.

[Guna]

Another option is a pre-owned Ecosport petrol AT. Titanium + came fully loaded and will be great to drive. In the current scenario you may be able to get one within your budget.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by androdev

I can relate to your dilemma because I have also been hoping to buy a compact AT for my wife which I can also enjoy. For some reason, things never progressed beyond planning stage but I have spent enough time researching this space I would have pulled the trigger on a v40/A-class but wife wants an abuse friendly car and I was indefinitely waiting for VW to give Polo with paddles and fancy lights, etc. VW killed Polo DSG altogether and MB/Volvo discontinued their hatchbacks.

I think I know where you are coming from :-) My suggestion would be to either keep it simple and buy a new Polo AT. Or take up Polo DSG as a 'project' car with some funds set aside. Look for a good deal on a 2016+ DSG , add paddle-steering (an absolute must to enjoy a DSG) and slowly take up other things if interested. That would be a great two-in-one car and it is something I might also do at some point as I recently drove Kushaq 1.5 DSG and preferred Polo DSG over it (due to compact size and fun quotient)

Bottom line is, don't get a DSG if you don't have the intention to get the best out of it (paddles are an absolute must have). It will be a great stablemate to your v40.

I think you nailed my state on its head Androdev. There is always a hidden motive when we start to scout a car for the spouse, yes ? Trust me there are a lot of A180s for throw away prices in the used market and similar to you I was hunting for a used/ well cared Mini that my wife is a big fan of. But thats not a car I would give her for daily abuse. Its something I would upgrade her to after this acquisition is a success and she becomes a better driver.

I am pretty much in the project car mind set with the used Polo like you said. I have very well made my wife aware of the consequences and she has also bought it given she likes the car in and out. Now I just need to find a value for money option say around/ under the 6L mark (14/15/16 MY ?). I fully intend to derive the most out of it aside from my wife's usage so I am sure I have no qualms there.

Wholly agreed that it would be a nice mate to the V40 CC and I won't crib too when switching to it and still have fun! Will keep posted on the hunt. Thanks again for the guidance here.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by HEMIOrange

I would recommend the jazz, IMO nothing is above peace of mind. There are several stories on the internet to convince me for my opinion, not that a VW is bound to fail, but if it does, then the aftermath is not that good.
PS: No offence to existing owners or the brand.

Sure, none taken HEMIOrange. I do see many happy Jazz owners including a close friend of mine who is all praises about it. Its just that its not as spirited or engaging as the Polo and the fun of owning one is just clouding the issues that could occur down the line. I know its a gamble with a used Polo DSG but I am ok if it serves us well at-least for the next 2-3 years.