[Sid13]

Polo petrol surely do have ample power for our cities and highways. But there is no substitute for bhp and polo is a relatively heavy car. So you will have to work through gears for sudden surge in stop and go and slowdown and go kind of traffic. Average mileage I get is 14.2 cities and 17.x on highways. Stability and handing is definitely on par with well sorted sedans. Additional stars for safety too.

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by pixantz

Hey ashishk29, I think the Polo TSi should have you covered and sorted. At a price though...

Price is a factor here. I'm looking for something that'll be upto 8L at the most. +/- 20k.

The TSI would've been perfect, but at nearly 10L OTR, that's a bit out of my budget. Also the fuel economy would be much worse, and that's a bit of an issue as the car will be used 60-70% in city.

Originally Posted by Sid13

Polo petrol surely do have ample power for our cities and highways. But there is no substitute for bhp and polo is a relatively heavy car. So you will have to work through gears for sudden surge in stop and go and slowdown and go kind of traffic. Average mileage I get is 14.2 cities and 17.x on highways. Stability and handing is definitely on par with well sorted sedans. Additional stars for safety too.

Safety is one of the main attractions for me. A 4 star NCAP safety rating is certainly way above most hatchbacks in the segment. The FE does seem ok. Thanks for the quick response!

[Vishyvish]

@ashishk29
Am a back to back user of the 1.2 MPI and the TSI. Have no qualms about the mileage. My drive to work in city is short, but the mileage is on par or better on the TSI. It all depends on the play of the foot. If you have adrenaline rushing (the TSI does it) the mileage goes for a toss. Keep a calm mind and the TSI is a cheese to drive in the city. As for the highway, it's a dream drive and yeah, you would have a smile plastered on your face when you see the mileage. Aye got 14+ on my last highest drive. In city traffic I get around 9 with AC, similar or more than the MPI. Have a test drive before you make the final call. All the best.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Hello all.
I went through nearly the entire thread, and am in a bit of a pickle.
I am planning on buying a hatch in a couple of months time. ... ... ... The Polo interiors have me absolutely smitten. I like them even better than the i20. And reading about the ride quality and handling, even more.
My only concern being, I am a bit of an enthusiast. While I'm not expecting a lot of power from the polo(75bhp only sadly), I'm just hoping it'll be good enough for city runs, and be good on the highways.
Also, what's the most average fuel economy figure on the polo? Is it better than the grand i10 or baleno? or worse? (Or god forbid, much much worse??)

I can't help you on cost of running as regards fuel. My wife used to record every purchase, along with mileage, in a little book we kept in the car. I never bothered to work out what it came to! I figured that I had decided to own and drive a car, and it was going to cost what it cost. I know roughly how much a month it comes to --- and I was shocked at the increase when I changed from diesel to petrol, even for a very low, not-even-every-day mileage. I've just changed back to diesel again: it is not only the economics, it is the driving style and experience too.

I had Hyundai, Nissan and Honda on my shortlist, and had mentally fixed Nissan Micra as favourite and i10 as most probable. I never even took the test drives: I went out bought a used VW instead! I have got a fine 2-yr-old GT TDI fot the cost of a new TOTR i10. Actually, picking from the bottom of the Polo range, one could get a VW cheaper than the top i10. And, if I remember rightly, it still has air bags, ABS and a body that makes a person feel [relatively] safe.

But if you want performance, look at the GTs: my 1.6 petrol Highline (2011 model) was a slouch compared to the 1.6 GT TDI. It is only my second day with the car, and I am having to give myself driving lessons: Whoa! gently with that clutch, Mr G, and no, you do not need to rev like that when starting off. In fact, you can keep your foot off the gas pedal! That would have stalled the old Polo.

Smitten? Yes, I know what you mean. I felt so let down by VW being unable/unwilling to repair and recover my car after the flood. I swore never again. But somehow, I didn't even get around to test-driving those other cars.

Doo not expect a heap of gadgets. Do not expect extras. Do not expect a fancy head unit. Do expect a more basic but great car. And, actually, my new-to-me baby is far better equipped than my old one was, and VW have added quite a lot of things to the features list in the two years since it was born, particularly with the new 2016 models.

Originally Posted by Sid13

Polo petrol surely do have ample power for our cities and highways. But there is no substitute for bhp and polo is a relatively heavy car. So you will have to work through gears for sudden surge in stop and go and slowdown and go kind of traffic. Average mileage I get is 14.2 cities and 17.x on highways. Stability and handing is definitely on par with well sorted sedans. Additional stars for safety too.

Dieselly-Easily! Is my new saying. I should sell it to a marketing guy. Slow down for s speed hump, cross it, and drive away, all in 3rd. Unless you want to race away, in which case 2nd does the needful.

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Price is a factor here. I'm looking for something that'll be upto 8L at the most. +/- 20k.

The TSI would've been perfect, but at nearly 10L OTR, that's a bit out of my budget. Also the fuel economy would be much worse, and that's a bit of an issue as the car will be used 60-70% in city.

This was my problem too. Mrs G was pressuring me to stay within the insurance settlement, and, although I knew that I wasn't going to, I could not justify around 10.5 to get a new GT on the road to myself, let alone her.

As well as swearing not to buy VW again, I also swore, post-Chennai-flood, not to buy used. It's not just Chennai: those cars will be all over India now. It just happened that a trusted BHPian's VW came along, and I knew, at once, it was for me.

So you could look at the used market. Even if you are buying from your brother, you are would be getting the car checked out by a known mechanic, right? Yes, of course right! So it could be an option.

Safety is one of the main attractions for me. A 4 star NCAP safety rating is certainly way above most hatchbacks in the segment. ... ... ...

Yes, me too. I want my wife and I to have the extra protection of air bags (we always wear seat belts) and ABS, whilst not being any sort of magic shield, adds a bit to the chances that those airbags won't be needed. There is no such thing as a completely safe car, that would be a tank, but, I have more confidence with the VW that, however bad the front end might look, the cabin may fare batter than a lot of other cars.

[the13thtee]

I just got to know that the Silver color in Polo has been discontinued through a dealership in Gurgaon. I'm looking forward to book a Polo 1.2 L Petrol this week (I'll test drive it today).

Petrol Polo owners please share your experience with the performance (Pickup and gear shifts), servicing cost and periods etc. I'll go forward with a RED Polo most probably. Cheers!!!

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Price is a factor here. I'm looking for something that'll be upto 8L at the most. +/- 20k.

The TSI would've been perfect, but at nearly 10L OTR, that's a bit out of my budget. Also the fuel economy would be much worse, and that's a bit of an issue as the car will be used 60-70% in city.

Safety is one of the main attractions for me. A 4 star NCAP safety rating is certainly way above most hatchbacks in the segment.

Hey ashishk29, I am a bit late to share my opinion here and not sure if its of any help, but here I go:

- GT's are a lot more expensive than the Polo MPI variants. But if you are the 'Mileage Conscious' guy, why not consider the Comfortline 1.5 TDI ?

- VW have equipped all the Polo variants with Airbags and ABS (?), so safety will never be an issue here.

- The 1.5 TDI will not give you the cosmetic features from a GT or Highline, but you will have everything else in place and a stonker of an engine, which again is way more frugal than MPI.

- If my guess is right, a Highline MPI must be round about the same as a Comfortline TDI. So, you may still get all you need in this trade off

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- VW have equipped all the Polo variants with Airbags and ABS (?), so safety will never be an issue here.

- If my guess is right, a Highline MPI must be round about the same as a Comfortline TDI. So, you may still get all you need in this trade off

Sadly only the trendline diesel is priced close to the highline petrol. And the comfortline doesn't get ABS. The comfortline diesel is a straight 70,000 more than the highline petrol.
I don't mind slightly mediocre fuel economy though. I could find some peace in terms of interiors and finishing to compensate for the otherwise poor fuel economy.

If I were to skimp on the features and finishing, I might as well go for a top end swift petrol which would be more economical than the polo, and yet come with all bells and whistles and would still be cheaper than the highline polo petrol.

[keralshobhit]

Hey,
I am proud owner of Volkswagen Polo GT TDI 1.5, and have been extremely happy with my decision even after clocking 30K odd km. It is one hell of a cruiser.
Anyways let me get to my question, i am planning to take her down to Paro, Bhutan during coming Holi holidays. I will be needing a roof rack in place for it. I have searched a lot about Thule as a company, but i am not sure about the quality.
1. Do i need to get roof rails first to get the roof rack in place or rack has everything along with.
2. Anyone who has tried this before on POLO, kindly help.
3. Any suggestion for a place in NCR, where all things can be sorted at one place.
4. I need some good Fog lamps ( Few more) for that extra light i need at times. Any suggestions on that, i am not a LED fan due to glare issue.
5. Any thing else which i may need for a trip like this, all suggestions and input will be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Shobhit Kumar

[bharath79]

Hello All,

I am a relative new comer to Team-Bhp but have always been following up various discussions. However I have my own query related to my car.

I have a Polo TDI Highline from 2014 right when it was launched. Most things about this car are great indeed and the drivability of this car in city is truly the gem in the crown.

But it took me some time to realize that this may not have a great Back Support (the seat). There is very minimal Lumbar support and it seems to tire me out on my journeys to the office. A daily journey is about 45 Kms.

Do the others experience this too? Or is it simply because it is a Manual Transmission and involves a lot clutch and gear operations that is causing the discomfort. I mean is it any better in the GT TSI? Also are the Ventos any different in this aspect?

Please let me know your experiences

Thanks & Regards
Bharath

[sephiroth]

Originally Posted by bharath79

I have a Polo TDI Highline from 2014 right when it was launched.

this may not have a great Back Support (the seat). There is very minimal Lumbar support and it seems to tire me out on my journeys to the office. A daily journey is about 45 Kms.

Do the others experience this too? Or is it simply because it is a Manual Transmission and involves a lot clutch and gear operations that is causing the discomfort.

I have a recently acquired Polo GT TDI (6 months old) and I did have back pain the first month I used it. My daily drive to work and back is 56 kms. I did fret over the fact that I might have made a significant investment in a car that is not good for my back.

But some tweaking of the seat settings (height, back-n-forth, recline angle) and the steering wheel have made it all disappear. I have done 16000 km over the 5 months since then including a 7700 km road trip around the country experiencing no fatigue/back pain.

I maintained a particular setting for 2-3 days to evaluate how it affected my back and knees (some settings such as too close to the steering wheel gave me knee trouble). What worked for me was seat all the way up, back to the extent that my knees don't bend more than 20-25 degrees when resting on the dead pedal and the seat reclined back around 10-15 degrees from the vertical. The steering I pulled as close to me as possible. I'm 5ft 8in for reference.

[vivek0418]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Hello all.
I went through nearly the entire thread, and am in a bit of a pickle.
I am planning on buying a hatch in a couple of months time. Currently in the research phase.
I test drove the grand i10, the baleno, jazz, figo. I'm also planning on not going bust on the budget, so not considering the i20 as of now. Average running about 25km a day max, and that too won't be using the car daily. (Hinjewadi me car is suicidal) hence thinking of a petrol.
The Polo interiors have me absolutely smitten. I like them even better than the i20. And reading about the ride quality and handling, even more.
My only concern being, I am a bit of an enthusiast. While I'm not expecting a lot of power from the polo(75bhp only sadly), I'm just hoping it'll be good enough for city runs, and be good on the highways.
Also, what's the most average fuel economy figure on the polo? Is it better than the grand i10 or baleno? or worse? (Or god forbid, much much worse??)

I have a Polo petrol, bought last August and driven 1000km till now. I have had a very pleasant experience with it so far

It has very good ride and handling. I feel fully in control of the vehicle, specially due the steering which gives quick and accurate response. It gives an average of 15 to 16 in the city and more than 18 on highways.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sephiroth

I have a recently acquired Polo GT TDI (6 months old) and I did have back pain the first month I used it. My daily drive to work and back is 56 kms. I did fret over the fact that I might have made a significant investment in a car that is not good for my back.

My wife and I just made that significant investment knowing that we are both comfortable in Polo seats.

bharath79, I think you need to re-evaluate your seat adjustment and sitting position. I'm sure you can make it work for you too.

I maintained a particular setting for 2-3 days to evaluate how it affected my back and knees (some settings such as too close to the steering wheel gave me knee trouble). What worked for me was seat all the way up, back to the extent that my knees don't bend more than 20-25 degrees when resting on the dead pedal and the seat reclined back around 10-15 degrees from the vertical. The steering I pulled as close to me as possible. I'm 5ft 8in for reference.

The manual is a really good place to start! One thing I actually learnt from the Polo manual, my last Polo, is it is wrong and potentially dangerous to sit too close to the wheel. It's to do with airbags. Please see the manual itself, as my memory will not quote accurately, but you will find:

1. The wheel should point towards the chest, not the face.

2. There should be a minimum of 10 inches [?] between you and the wheel.

Our Polos give us reach and angle adjustment on the steering wheel. Along with seat hight, it gives us good scope for finding comfort.

This is how I adjust to the driver's seat of any car:

1. Move the seat backwards/forwards until I can floor the pedals without straightening the legs. Of course, one should be able to reach all gear positions without moving the body.

2. Adjust the seat back angle. I like to sit quite upright, but fully forward, in the Polo, is too much.

3. Adjust the hight of the seat for visibility and comfort.

4. Adjust the wheel, as above, and also so that I can get my hands between it and my legs. Both hands should be able to turn the full half-circle from 12-o'clock to 6-o'clock comfortably and easily.

Of course, it is not a completely one-to-four process, as all the adjustments need to work together,

[sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

My wife and I just made that significant investment knowing that we are both comfortable in Polo seats.

Unfortunately I found a test drive is sometimes not sufficient to gague how good the support is. My initial month with the car I always felt comfortable while driving, only to experience back pain once I got out. Hence the 2-3 days trial at each seating position. 2-3 days were sufficient for me to be sure the effect was not from residual pain from a previous bad setting either.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

1. The wheel should point towards the chest, not the face.
2. There should be a minimum of 10 inches [?] between you and the wheel.

Adjust the wheel, as above, and also so that I can get my hands between it and my legs. Both hands should be able to turn the full half-circle from 12-o'clock to 6-o'clock comfortably and easily.

I've invariable ended up doing these, although I do not recollect it off hand from the manual.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Adjust the hight of the seat for visibility and comfort.

Specific to the Polo I have a feeling this was the primary reason for my back pain. At the lowest seating position, the angle of the legs resting on the dead pedal/clutch always left me with too little under-thigh support causing more stress on the lower back while engaging the clutch. A high position took care of this.

[bharath79]

Hello All,

Thanks you for the replies. I will try different seating positions as suggested.

There was another reason that got me thinking about this very much. I have travelled recently in an Innova, Fiesta Classic,Excent (I10 Sedan), Punto and as soon as i sat in these cars i could feel Lumbar support. It was almost as if it was shouting at me to tell me that this was not that obvious in Polo. I never felt like that in a Polo. That is why this query in the first place.

Regards
Bharath

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sephiroth

Unfortunately I found a test drive is sometimes not sufficient to gague how good the support is. My initial month with the car I always felt comfortable while driving, only to experience back pain once I got out. Hence the 2-3 days trial at each seating position. 2-3 days were sufficient for me to be sure the effect was not from residual pain from a previous bad setting either.

Originally Posted by bharath79

It was almost as if it was shouting at me to tell me that this was not that obvious in Polo. I never felt like that in a Polo. That is why this query in the first

I hope you guys get comfortable with your Polos.

It ids true that it takes a few days, and sometimes the pain of a bad seat, or bad bed, is felt afterwards. When I say bad, I really mean not right for the individual, however right it might be for another. It is no use at all being told that somebody else is comfortable!