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-   -   VW Polo TDI Highline (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/118229-vw-polo-tdi-highline.html)

Dear Friends,
This is an ownership thread of my wife's new VW polo TDI.
Before we start with the new car, some details about our outgoing car.
She started learning to drive in '09 and bought her first car Alto LXI in October 09.
Drove it for about 2 years and 3 months and clocked 17K kms.


It is indeed a very nice car, very reliable, easy to drive and easy to maintain. But, it does come with its own set of issues (you get what you pay for, i guess..). Shuddering when the AC is on, life less gear box, weak brakes, body rattles, noisy suspension.
With the petrol prices going up almost every second month and our average running being 70 kms a day, it was clear that we wanted to switch to a diesel car.
We are extremely satisfied customers of Maruti Suzuki and so, it was a very natural choice to look for a diesel hatch from MSIL and the choice was easy; the new swift ZDI.
So, off we started our search for a new diesel hatch starting with a test drive of the new swift ZDI.

Next post: Test drives..

Cheers,
Deepak

Some requirements that we had for the next car:

• Comfortable - Powerful AC, Airy cabin, ride not too stiff
• Decent fuel efficiency
• Decent after sales support
• Decent ground clearance and boot space

With these requirements in mind, we shortlisted the following cars in the order of preference:

• New Swift
• Mahindra Scorpio LX
• New Bolero
• Ritz
• Polo
• Etios Liva
• Figo

Here are our experiences with the above cars:

• New Swift: Brilliant engine (refined, powerful, fuel efficient) and brilliant after sales support. Really small boot, less leg-room at the rear seat and that claustrophobic feeling at the rear seat. But, we liked the car.
• Mahindra Scorpio LX: Again, a brilliant engine. Good service network. Good GC and boot space. Was atleast a lakh beyond our budget. Wifey found it to be too big for her to drive around in city. And I wanted a 4wd which was atleast 2 lakhs costlier :D
• New Bolero: Built like a tank. But neither of us could find a comfortable driving position in it. Wifey's take - Already have a gypsy. So no more cars like Bolero.
• Ritz: Nice airy cabin. No ZDI. Din't somehow like the way it looks. When you have experienced the more refined swift, you wouldn't want the older Ritz somehow. So shot down.
• Polo: Loved the build quality, interiors, gearbox, suspension. BUT, found it to be under powered, noisy engine and lack of leg room in the rear seat. Was also a good ~80K expensive.
• Figo: Found it to be a neat car but somehow the previous experience with Ford Fusion din't want either of us to go ahead with it. So, a NO.

So, we booked the new Swift on Nov 30, 2011 at Mandovi - a white ZDI. It was a fairly easy process. Paid 10K and the ex-showroom price of the car was 6.48. Delivery month promised was June. Then we were off to US for a holiday. Came back in Jan to know that the ex-showroom price of the car has gone up to 6.75. Subsequent rumours of the car prices goin up, subsidies to be removed on diesel cars and what ever else + the once in a lifetime offer of VW on the Polo made us go enquire about the prices of the Polo.

Polo, at the time when i test drove, had an ex-showroom price of 7.25 and now with this once in a lifetime offer (cash discount of 50K) made the ex-showroom price of the car to be 6.75. So, at the price of a swift, am gettin a polo. And that is how, we ended up buying a polo.

Next post: Delivery experience

Cheers,
Deepak

Before we start, this once in a lifetime offer of VW would basically mean that you get to buy a 2011 manufactured car in 2012 and since you are buying a 2011 model car, you get a 50K discount.

After seeing the RCD310 equipped cars under testing, i was expecting that it would be launched in 2012. So, we were confused if we should go ahead with this 2011 model or wait for the 2012 ones.

We decided to go check with one of the dealers and it was VW DownTown. VW DownTown showed us a 2012 model and it had no difference in comparison to a 2011 model and they had no 2011 models in stock. So, we enquired at VW Palace Cross and they did have a couple of 2011 models. So, we booked one for us by paying 50K and i insisted that i wanted to see the car before it goes to registration.

The stock yard of VW palace cross is at Nelamangala. I did go there to inspect the car and thankfully it wasn't any display car. The person incharge there was more interested in my Gypsy than i was with the polo. He showed me his log book where the car was delivered to the stock yard on December 5. Relieved that it ain't any display car i went home happily and spoke to my sales advisor that i am ok with the car. The car got registered on Monday, 13 February and we agreed on 15 February as the date of delivery.

Here goes my woes with this dealer: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2696163

Neways, why spoil my ownership thread talking more about it.
So, I took a printout of this beautiful PDF document on Team-BHP about PDI. I and wifey had taken off from work that day.
Left to the showroom at around 1PM. I had picked up a nice parker fountain pen to my sales advisor and some bengali sweets for the folks in the showroom.
Reached the showroom at around 2. Had a look at our gleaming german beauty parked nicely at the basement of the showroom.
Our sales advisor came to the basement and told us that we had to complete some more documentation and stuff.
By the time we were done, the car was parked at the delivery bay. This is how she looked.



As already mentioned in the above thread, the car was fitted with mud-flaps and door mats. We got them removed at the showroom.
We tried to put some sense into the accessories guy at the showroom saying that we were not interested, but he wouldn't want to listen.
After all of this ordeal, we finished our PDI and everything was fine with our car.
Our sales advisor came and handed the keys to us with a bouquet of orange flowers.
He also clicked a nice polaroid picture of us in front of the car and kept it in the car.
We whole-heartedly thanked him and the other folks at the shoroom for all the help and gave him our small gift and also the sweets to everyone.
And at around 5!!, it was time to take our new car out of the showroom. Both of us left straight to the Ganesha Temple at Basavanagudi.

Next post: Initial driving impression..

Cheers,
Deepak

Ok, before i pen down my very initial driving experiences with the Polo, some information on the Polo.
Generally the Polo Highline is shod with Apollo Acceleres 185/60 R15 with alloys. My car was somehow shod with JKs of the same size.

Some issues that i've faced:
I do not know if these tyres are actually super hard or if it was inflated (much) more than necessary.
The ride was quite bouncy and the front suspension used to make a thud even on small undulations on the road.

Other than that, the steering was making some noise. Upon checking this with the service guys, they told me that it is b'coz of the car being parked for a long time.
They told me that it shall get better once i put some miles on the car.

I also had an issue with the fifth gear in the car. It wasn't as smooth and wasn't notching as postively as the other gears.
This too, the service guys said, that it shall get better with some miles on the clock. Maybe, it was some learning and unlearning that was needed from my side.

I find the stock head lamps to be not sufficient at all. Especially in Bangalore, where a lot of roads are being rebuilt, it is quite hard to notice where the road divider is.

There is no light for the boot area and this is making it really hard to find my bag when i park the car in the basement car park at my office. I wonder why they don't have a light there.

Other than the above initial glitches, the car has been fantastic!
As already mentioned by other members, we also found the clutch travel to be more than other cars that we've driven. But it isn't really an issue for us.
The stock music system is sufficient for the two of us since we are no major audiophiles.

Another point, none of these VAS features were enabled on the car. It still isn't enabled on the car. Have to get it enabled in the next weeks.

Next post: Accessories/Add-ons..

Cheers,
Deepak

The list of accessories/add-ons on the car till now:

• Tyres upgraded to Yokohama S Drives - Got those super hard JKs changed with Yokohama S Drives.

So, used the tyre upsize calculator Tire Size Calculator - tire & wheel plus sizing and figured that the best upsize would be to 205/55-R15.
Went over to millivisions (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html) and got my stock tyres exhanged to S Drives. I exchanged only 4 b'coz of the spare tyre being a 14"er on steel wheels. Got them installed at Vijay Wheel Alignment and also filled them with Nitrogen. Made a world of difference to the ride quality. No more of those thud sounds when going on a pot-hole. Most of the small undulations were soaked up by the car so well.

A glimpse of how the car looked after the tyre upgrade:

• 3M paint protection
• 3M CR sun films all round

You could have a look at the different sun-films available in the CR range here 3M India: Choose your film
I chose the CR-70 on the front windshield and CR-40 on the windows.
I got it installed from Sidhu at the 3M outlet in HSR Layout http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html
I also got the paint protection stuff done at 3M.

Some pictures of the car with the sun-films

• Kagu 3D Mats

I bought these from our ultimate detailerz (Nirmal) - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html
Nirmal was the one who actually suggested Karlsson. I bought the Max Spyder beige mats for the Polo. I just love the way these mats are designed.
I also picked up a Jopasu duster, cleaning solution and some sponge for washing the car.

• Karlsson scandinavian leathers on the seats

Got leather seats done at Karlsson. You could find more information about them here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html.
We chose the thickest leather - the scandinavian leather which is about 1.5 mm thick. We wanted a simple design and as close to the colour of the original fabric.
So, we chose the beige colour for the seats. Black colour for the doors and steering grip.

Some pictures of how the car looks with the leathers and Kagu mats.

Right now, the car has done about 2000 kms already.
The initial glitches i was facing with the fifth gear and the steering noise are all gone now. The car feels brilliant with the tyre upgrade and leather seats. The sun-films keep the car quite cool. Even at 12 in the afternoon, we are able to drive the polo with AC in between cold and zero and with the blower at 1.

And after 2000 clicks, i still find the engine to be noisy/loud compared to swift.

I cleaned the car last weekend and clicked some pics. Here they are, for your viewing pleasure :D







Now coming to the most important question: Kitna Deti Hain?? (What's the fuel economy)
The car is returning a fuel efficiency between 16 and 17 in Bangalore city limits. The car is driven always with the AC on.
I had been to K-Gudi on one of the weekends. On the highways, it returns around 21 to 22.
I am not a spirited driver. I am very soft on the throttle. Maybe, a kilometre less for the spirited ones ;)

Need advice on headlights upgrade: I do not want to do anything with the factory wiring. So, do i have any options with keeping the factory wiring?
I did read about the night breakers from Osram and Philips. Are they good? Do they have better light throw compared to the stock ones?
Can they be fitted without an additional relay? And which one, Osram or Philips? Or are there any other options?

Cheers,
Deepak

Thread moved from Assembly line to ownership section. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the car!

You have 2 red devils in your parking lot. :D

Congrats and a nice write up.Hope you have all the features activated through VAS.
Wishing you a pleasent ownership and miles of safe driving!

Cheers!

Good to know that the initial glitches have all been resolved, or more pertinently, have gone away on their own.

Very impressive looking car and very tastefully done mods (leather, tint). We definitely look forward to more photos over time.

Impressive mileage. You really do drive with a light foot. I struggle to get that because I just cannot keep the car at about 2,000 rpm in top gear. I literally feel the need to mash the throttle. Trust me when I say that hurts mileage. No way more spirited drivers will get 1 kmpl less.

Read up on the lights here in TBHP. Sorry, too lazy to look for the relevant threads. Anyway, both Osram and Philips are good bulbs. Just make sure you are using the same rating as your existing ones and you don't need to change any wiring or fuses. You will definitely see some improvement, but if that is not enough, then you will need to upgrade to higher rated bulbs and change the wiring with it.

Neat ownership thread! Congrats on the car.
The tyres look meaty! Love the seats too,

Is there a difference in ground clearance between various models?

Most elegantly done interiors and exteriors. Your car looks way better than an 'ordinary' polo inside out. Love the blood dripping glossy finish on polos. Enjoy buddy.

@Deepak,

Congratulations on the new ownership, the car looks smoking hot.

Was surprised to see two SUV in your choice list of hatchbacks. Although the interior looks very neat but is more prone to getting soiled. Hope you will ensure that it stays crisp and neat.

Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Thanks Vidyut, Revintup and Ganapathy. I am glad that you like the way it looks now :)
The glossy finish is after the 3M paint protection. So, all credit goes to Sidhu!

Thanks Volkman.
I shall try to get them activated in the next weeks.
The problem with this palace cross is that their service center is at Hesaraghatta, quite far from city.
I shall try to get it done at DownTown maybe.

Oh, is it? I din't expect it to reduce more than a kmpl.
Sure Ganapathy. I shall read up threads of fellow polo owners and try to get them changed according to their suggestions. It is quite difficult to drive with the stock bulbs in the night at speeds more than 60kmph. So, i really want to get these changed.
Thanks JK! :)
And NO, There is no major difference in the ground clearance across models.
If you check the diameter of the car tyres:
On TrendLine and ComfortLine - Tyres are 175/70-R14 - overall diameter is 23.64" - (600.5mm)
On HighLine - Tyres are 185/60-R15 - overall diameter is 23.74" - (603mm)
On my car - Tyres are 205/55-R15 - overall diameter is 23.87" - (606.3mm)
So, the difference in the tyre diameter is only ~0.1" or about 3mm
Hope, this answers your question.

Thanks Ghodlur!
Yeah, We like to drive to far away places and Gypsy isn't as comfortable as Scorpio.
So, i tried to make my wife buy the Bolero/Scorpio (actually, the 4wd one) :D
But, in the end, she was ok with buying the Scorpio LX 4wd if i sell off the Gypsy.
She realized that i ain't tradin my Gypsy for anything. So, off went the two SUVs from the list.

OT: I am now all set to make the Gypsy more comfortable and a superb tourer.

Cheers,
Deepak

Yup nice looking car and it has been done really well. Full credit to the 3M and Karlsson people as you said. They have done a good job and no doubt they will get more customers after people here see your photos, so feel free to put up lots more clap:

Just to give you an idea of how mileage can be affected, my HH Achiever gives me about 50 kmpl if I ride it carefully. My normal riding style has it at about 40 kmpl and my highway riding (red line all the time in whatever gear unless there is a traffic jam, speed breaker or signal) is about 30 kmpl. Also, there is a case of a TBHP member who was getting about 4 kmpl on his BMW 320d as he drives it very enthusiastically. I will say one thing, the more light footed you drive, the better off you are in terms of cost as the mileage can see a huge drop. Kudos to youclap:

Just curious, don't you have fog lamps on the car. Thought I saw them in the photos. If so, try driving with those on and see if it makes any difference to your night vision.

Just curious, do you think the Gypsy can be made very comfortable as a tourer. I guess it would be OK on good highways, but can't see it being very comfy on bad or even uneven surfaced roads.

Mod Note : STRICTLY no more than 2 smilies per post please.

@Starter, very nice post. our experience (both at showroom and later post delivery) are important lessons for me. I am EXACTLY in your situation (when you started the post), wife has a 2009 Alto LXi, done 14000 KM and her driving is set.

Now my choices are between a Swift VDi and a Polo TDi (Trend of Highline is still left to showroom inspiration). RNS Motors, Yeshwanthpur is about 3 mins from my office, VW, PC is about 20 mins.

VW Palace Cross seems to have some customer relationship issues. :mad:

Neither of us drive much (I got my Fluidic Verna 1.6 SX in August, 2011 and STILL not done 6500KM!!) so it may seem strange to look at a Diesel, but as you observed Petrol prices are complete runaway now.

In my situation, which do you recommend as a better decision?

BTW, I will MOST CERTAINLY get the accessories/tyre upgrdes the way you did! :D