[Styler]

Hello folks,

This about how I ended up getting a 10-year-old Polo to teach my 20 year old daughter driving and in effect saved around 8 Lakhs from buying a new Baleno.

This will give a good insight as to how you can get a cheap old car and restore it to a good condition in a reasonable cost.
For the last many years, I have owned 2 cars, one SUV for my trips to the mountains etc and one Sedan for City driving.

In the beginning of 2022, I owned a Grand Vitara 2.0L Nov 2007 for the last 5 years and a Toyota Camry Automatic, Dec 2007 for the last 10 years. Both were in pristine condition, but both had to go this year because of the NGT 15 year rule for petrol cars in Delhi.

Luckily a fellow member in our Grand Vitara Delhi-NCR group was shifting to Europe and offered to sell his Grand Vitara 2.4L Manual 2010, registered in 2012, done just about 55K kms. I immediately contacted him and closed the deal and got it home in Nov 2021. The Grand Vitara 2012 would be road worthy for 5 years, till August 2027 and I was happy to have got at replacement of at least the SUV that had to go. I offered to sell my Grand Vitara 2007 in our Grand Vitara group. A member of the group and a friend, a Doctor from AIIMS who had just shifted back to his home state Kerala immediately contacted me and offered to buy my Grand Vitara 2007. The deal was done, I got the NOC for transfer to Kerala for him. He was to come to Delhi to take the Grand Vitara in the beginning of 2022 but got delayed because of the Covid wave. Finally, he planned to come in March 2022 and just before that he asked me if I would like to sell my Toyota Camry too as his brother-in-law was interested. I sent him the pictures they immediately agreed to buy the Camry too.

Next, I was brainstorming what would be the replacement for the Toyota Camry. I was thinking of moving to a pre-owned German E-class or something as a worthy replacement for the Toyota Camry. Just then my 20-year-old daughter told me that she wanted a small car in which she could learn driving. My wife also insisted that she was never comfortable driving a big car like the Camry and she also would prefer a small car which she could also drive. I had to go with the majority and I started to look at options of small cars. My daughter told me that one of her friends drives a Nano and it is such a cute car, and I could find one for her. Having owned nothing but big cars in the last 30 years (From Contessa to Cielo to Scorpio to Camry to Grand Vitara 2.0 to Grand Vitara 2.4) going for a Nano was not for me. I started looking for other options of small cars. Just then the New Baleno and the Glanza 2022 were launched, and I liked the shape. I also liked it for its Naturally aspirated 4 pot traditional engine. Most other cars like the Magnite etc were coming with 3 Pot turbo charged 1L engines which I really did not like. Now the problem was that my daughter was coming to Delhi from her Collage in Pune in 3-4 weeks and she had put a gun to my head and told me to better get a small car before she arrives and teach her driving. The Baleno and Glanza had waiting, and a long one for the AMT. I paid the booking amount to one Nexa Dealer and then one Toyota Dealer when they promised immediate delivery of a manual car but both backed out and refunded.

The idea for a Polo
One day I was visiting my mechanics to get something fixed in the Grand Vitara and I saw a Red Polo at the workshop to get the suspension work done. I asked my mechanics Harvinder and Kumar (Car Repairs and Maintenance: Harvinder Singh & Kumar (Vasant Kunj, Delhi)) about how expensive the Polo parts were and if they were easily available. They told me most Polo parts are available easily in the aftermarket as there are a lot of Polos sold in India. I requested the owner for a test drive on the Red Polo and took it for a short spin. I was expecting it to feel light and a toy like as I felt when I drove a few small Marutis but was I wrong. I was impressed by the German Baby. It felt totally planted and had the handling was excellent. I called up my Denter / Painter and took his advice too about the cost and availability of Polo parts and he too confirmed Polo parts were easily available at a reasonable cost.

Initially I thought I will look for a Polo GT TSI automatic and that would be perfect. I called a friend who owned a Polo and he told me that the DSG Gearbox in the GT has not been too reliable, and I should be very careful if I chose to buy a Polo with a DSG. This was a good advice as I know if something goes wrong with an Automatic Gear Box it can become a pain. Moreover, the Polo GT TSIs were very rare and hard to find. Another thought was that if my daughter learns driving on an Automatic, she will never be able to drive a Manual. The Polo with the MPI 1.2 Engine and Manual Gearbox will be the simplest of vehicles and even if something goes wrong it will be easily repairable. For these reasons the hunt began for an old Polo 1.2L MPI.

I was clear I do not want to buy from a dealer and would buy from an individual even if I will have to get work done. Time was running out and I needed a car ready in 3-4 weeks before my daughter arrived. I saw a few listed on Facebook in Delhi and checked them out. I liked one 2012 Comfortline which had done around 55K kms just because of its beautiful and rare sky blue colour. The Engine and AC seemed in good condition, and it was running fine. It was a 10 year old car and the owner told me he just got the Clutch overhauled and the Brake Pads replaced a month ago. The tyres and battery also seemed to be in decent condition. I had inspected the car myself and did not want to go into checking service history etc of a cheap 10 year old car. The owner quoted 2.5 Lakh and I offered him 2 Lakh. The deal was struck at 2.25. I was thinking I will spend 50-75K on it to get it to my level and for 3 Lakh for a German Polo which would last us 5 years is not a bad deal.

I visited the person's house paid the full amount and got the papers etc and started driving back home. It seemed the car was not driven for some months and hardly much in the last few years due to Covid. The Car was giving 3 long beeps 20 seconds after turning on ignition and I assumed it would be due to some error which I will get fixed. I scanned with an OBD2 Scanner and found some errors relating to Throttle Body. I opened the throttle body couplers and cleaned them up, and then cleared the errors.

Over the next 3 weeks the following things were done in this sequence:

1. Driver Side Power Window Switch replaced Rs 900

2. I took the Car to my Denter / Painter - Ramesh and Rakesh (Denting, Painting & Bodywork : Ramesh and Rakesh (Vasant Kunj, Delhi)) and we took a walk around of the car. There were lots of minor dents / scratches on several body parts. It was decided we will get the complete car re-painted. The complete Repaint along with replacement of Front Bumper, Radiator Frame, Fender Linings costed Rs 25,000.

3. The Headlights got mist inside so I got both the Headlights buffed and sealed Rs 800.

4. Ordered a Side AC Vent which broke on the 2nd day itself from Boodmo and replaced it myself - Cost Rs 750

5. Went to my local AC person, he replaced the AC Filter and topped up the gas and charged me Rs 800. The AC was chilling perfectly.

6. I had heard stories of how VW Service Centres rip people off but still wanted to get the first service done there along with complete check-up, get a few things replaced and the three beeps (VW Polo - Maintenance and Service cost and dos/don'ts) problem fixed. I told them strictly that they need to do only the things that I tell them to. No Dry-cleaning, No De-Carbonising, and nothing without my approval. The following things were done there:
# Service with Engine Oil change, Oil Filter change, Fuel Filter Change.
# Main Fan Belt Replaced
# Centre AC Vent Replaced (It was broken by the Drycleaner after the Denting / Painting Job)
# Windshield Washer Bottle Replaced and pipe fixed.
# Throttle Body cleaned
# Coolant flushed and replaced.
# Polo Logo Installed at the back.
The bill came to about Rs 15,000 but they could not diagnose and fix the 3-beep problem. They told me that the Instrument cluster was replaced, and it was most probably because of that. Replacing the Instrument cluster there would cost over 10K, and I saw no reason to do that.

7. Next with the list of things to be done with the Suspension and Axels I gave the Car to my trusted local mechanics Harvinder and Kumar (Car Repairs and Maintenance: Harvinder Singh & Kumar (Vasant Kunj, Delhi)) with Rs 20,000 and left it up to them to do whatever is required. The following things were done there:
# All four Shocks and Mountings changed. They got Monroe Shocks for around 1800 each.
# Link Rods Replaced
# Lower Arm Bushes Replaced
# Front Right Axel Boot Replaced
# Brake Callipers Greased and Disks Turned at a lathe workshop.
# Some other minor issues of wiring etc were sorted out.
All this was accomplished in the Rs 20,000 I gave them.

8. The last thing was to visit my Accessory Shop - Ahuja Car Deck (Honest and Trustworthy Accessory Shop - Ahuja Car Dec, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi). I had recently got an Android 4GB/64GB Head Unit with Wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play and reverse Camera installed in my Grand Vitara 2.4 Litre. When my daughter visited us last, I had asked her what difference she saw in the old Grand Vitara and new, and the only difference she saw was that the new one had a Touch Screen with Spotify and Apple Car Play. I immediately knew we need this in the Polo too.

The following things were done at the Accessory Shop :
# Unplug 9" Android 4GB/64GB Head Unit (The Android Head-Unit buying guide) with Wireless Apple Car Play and Reverse Camera Rs 20,000
# Set of 4 X 14" Wheel Caps Rs 600
# RD Brand Central Locking with Remote Rs 3,000
# Roof Antenna Rs 250

I was overshooting my budget for this car, but I really wanted to replace the ugly black plastic like faux leather seat covers on the Polo. My Accessory guy suggested that the Polo comes with excellent original Seat Covers and we should remove one black seat cover and see the condition of the Factory fitted ones under it. As luck would have it the Original Factory fitted Seat Covers came out to be in excellent shape and I did not have to spend on seat covers for now.

Total money spent at the Accessory shop Rs 23,950/=

9. The number plates were faded so ordered new HSRP Plates for Rs 900 + Frame for 400.

10. Apart from this I spent Rs 3000 in the RC Transfer through an Agent, and I promptly got the new RC in my name in 7 days. The Insurance is transferred to my name and is valid till August 2022.

Final Cost
So, ladies and gentlemen after spending a total of around Rs 3,15,000/= I have a near perfect Polo with Suspension, Brake, Clutch work done. Engine, AC, Tyres, and Battery in very good condition.
I might spend 20K to get 15" Alloys with tyres after a few years.
My daughter got a surprise when she arrived from collage and liked the Polo. She has almost learnt driving on the Polo.


Ownership Review
Here are my observations after driving the Polo 2012 Comfortline for a couple of months.

1. It is a solidly built German vehicle with class. The quality of the plastics of the Dashboard etc are excellent and as good as new. In comparison my Camry had dashboard made of soft plastic and was full of scratches.
2. The Polo now has got features like All 4 Power Windows, Central Locking with Remote, Height and Reach adjustable Steering Wheel, good comfortable seats.
3. The Car has excellent handling and drives planted.
4. The AC is excellent for a small car and chills the cabin in no time.
5. The small 3 pot 1.2 MPI engine might not be as refined as the current generation engines, but it is a hoot to drive. It has great pick-up and one can easily touch 100kmps in third gear in no time. I have rarely used the 5th Gear.
6. The car is heavy and safe compared to the tin box I was about to buy for 11 Lakhs on and had a lot of waiting.
7. I'm 5 11" tall and still feel comfortable driving the Polo. In fact, I love driving it over my Grand Vitara for short runs in the city.


Styler

[rsidd]

Nice. I have a 12 year old Punto, similar sky blue ("foxtrot azure"), about 103,000 km. I considered a new car for a while, but decided not to sell: its resale value is too low but it is a great car and spares are easily available. Plus I mostly cycle these days for my regular commute. Car is mainly for family trips.

When my son turns 18 maybe he'll learn driving in this car (better to learn in a stick-shift, as you say).

[carthick1000]

Wow, that was one wholesome post I read this morning.

• Get a used German engineered car at a bargain
• Fix all wearables, tearables and scratchables at a mix of FNGs and ASSs
• Spruce up the interior and make it liveable
• Get it all done under half the car’s bargain price
• Gift it to daughter
• Teach her driving
• Make wife too happy
• Write a post on team-bhp and make others too happy

Thanks for sharing. Wish you and your family a lot of safe and fun kms!

[Ferruccio]

I am the "Product Guy" that spec'd and priced the VW Polo. I chose a brand new Nano XTA to teach the Missus and 2 daughters to drive. Mission accomplished, the Nano (nicknamed Jerry, after Jerry the mouse of Tom & Jerry) does duty as the family runabout. While I (naturally) love the Polo, Jerry is better suited for crowded bazaars where parking is at a premium. The high seating position, abundant glass area and the super-powerful AC on the Nano makes it better for new drivers.

Also, the Missus tried to demolish a brick wall with Nano in a full frontal assault. Cost me only Rs. 15k to get it back to running condition!

[ritedhawan]

It is always a good practice to learn to drive a car which is used instead of a new one as the learner--depending upon the time he\she takes to practice the fundamentals-- during the course of learning may make mistakes e.g. a slight nick on the rear bumper while backing up the car, hard push on breaks to the utter amazement of the driver who may be at the rear end of the learner car, clutch modulation while getting the car to move from standstill etc. These fundamentals need to be grasped before one is suitable to drive with ease on our roads; confident enough to succeed in getting a permanent license. A small car i.e. Polo in this case will bear the multiple mistakes in its stride and more importantly should not be heavy on the pocket.

However, I believe that one should always learn to drive on a proper used sedan instead of a small car and it should be manual. I don't know why in India its always a small car that is being used to learn to drive. If someone were to master the same fundamentals on a used sedan instead of a small car and once he\she succeeds in getting a permanent license. He\she would have no difficult in getting to the grips of a small car and as for a car longer than a sedan; those lessons learned while driving a used sedan would help immensely. Whilst someone who learned on a small car would have a learning curve to surmount just because the vehicle size increased.

[ike]

Very enlightening post in terms of how much value there is in getting preowned cars. One question though, would it have been better to wait till your daughter finished learning to repaint the car? That way there's no need to get it tinkered again. But I agree that it would have somewhat compromised the "new" car feel.

[rajk15]

Originally Posted by ritedhawan

It is always a good practice to learn to drive a car which is used instead of a new one as the learner

However, I believe that one should always learn to drive on a proper used sedan instead of a small car and it should be manual. I don't know why in India its always a small car that is being used to learn to drive. If someone were to master the same fundamentals on a used sedan instead of a small car and once he\she succeeds in getting a permanent license. He\she would have no difficult in getting to the grips of a small car and as for a car longer than a sedan; those lessons learned while driving a used sedan would help immensely. Whilst someone who learned on a small car would have a learning curve to surmount just because the vehicle size increased.

This is exactly what I believe. Learnt driving in our beloved ‘07 Esteem- the best car to learn driving IMO, each and every corner of this car is visible. And yes once you learn driving a sedan, hatchbacks/SUVs are easier to drive (I hope ). However, I also believe whatever makes the learner comfortable is the best car to learn driving from.

[itsmeparvathy9]

A Polo is a great car to learn driving in and I applaud you for the fact that you were able to spruce up an excellent car for your daughter for half the money would have required to spend on a new car. Kudos to you!

[ritedhawan]

This is exactly what I believe. Learnt driving in our beloved ‘07 Esteem- the best car to learn driving IMO, each and every corner of this car is visible. And yes once you learn driving a sedan, hatchbacks/SUVs are easier to drive (I hope ).

I learnt to drive in our '95 carburetor Esteem. I honed my skills while driving the used Esteem. Additionally, the car was accidental. My younger brother who since childhood had been eager to learn to drive cars owned by my father and was the first among siblings to succeed in getting the Driving license. He had a major accident while driving the car, fortunately he came out unscathed while the front of the car took the damage. Our preferred mechanic did a wonderful job of restoring the car. Nevertheless, the chassis of the car took a hit and from that point onwards it lived with a deformity: The car used to drift on its own post 80+km\hr! It felt like a boat on water after the aforementioned speed was surpassed and yet I loved every bit of it.

Later I drove my brother's Tata Indica and had no issues coming to grips with a small car. I got a used Opel Astra once I had honed my skills and succeeded in getting Permanent license. I drove the Opel Astra extensively and then upgraded to 2007 Honda Accord AT. Currently I drive a used 2008 Honda Accord. The choice of a used sedan for learning to drive helped me immensely, I had no issues coming to grips with small or large cars post my learning experience.

[ajayc123]

It's a very nice story, and you have accomplished a wonderful outcome. You seem to be having a knack of vehicles and a good network of trusted FNG and accessories guys.

It's a good idea to learn driving on older vehicles, and start using new higher end vehicles after gaining experience. I will be putting this idea to good use as my kids are going to start to learn driving in the next couple of years.

[hserus]

The three beeps are a low fluid warning indicator. As you changed engine oil and coolant, also check brake oil, gear oil and windshield washer fluid levels.

[turbowhistle]

Congratulations! Your daughter must be so happy, the car looks great and most people won't be able to tell it's a 10 year old car. It helps that the new Polo still looks almost the same as gen 1 and VW has kept the lines pretty clean.

I am just wondering it the market is too high now or you paid little bit more for the car. I remember enquiring about the Polo in 2013/2014 when we were looking for a new car and I had got a quote of 5.8L for the same comfortline variant. Considering the age, I guess 2L would have been more than enough for the car.

Neverthless 25k is not a really big amount and it doesnt matter in the grand scheme of things. The car looks in great shape now and should last couple of years easily. Just beware that it will tough to upgrade from this German baby as your daughter won't settle for anything less

[aveoman19]

The Polo is a brilliant car. A very close friend of mine has had the Polo since 2015 (which she bought used) and she is still not willing to let her go. Wishing your daughter many happy and safe miles on her new acquisition!!

[sanskar3888]

This is what i dream of as a 21 year old! And when i start earning is what i am going to do. Buy a used, not very mint example of a nice car and bring her up to my level for relatively cheap while also DIY everything that i can. And I will drive it until i can afford a D segment sedan. This was a joy to read.

[MaheshY1]

Originally Posted by Styler

...
I might spend 20K to get 15" Alloys with tires after a few years.
...

I think you should skip the alloys. Such style items never hold their value. Moreover, with that 1.2L normal petrol engine, you're better off with 14-inchers. 15 will affect the performance, drivability, and efficiency because of the higher rotating mass. To put it simply, 1kg on the wheels is like 5kg in the boot.

I'm riding a Gixxer 150 with 1 size wider tires (1cm). And I can feel the difference. The top speed is down to 105 from 115 on stock rubber. FE is down by 5kmpl also. I haven't timed the acceleration but it's noticeably worse than before. I'm just waiting to wear out this set and for next one, I'm planning stock front tyre and for rear, 1 downsize compared to stock.

I added 1cm wider rubber. You're adding 1 inch extra metal! With the 1.2L turbo diesel, this would be okay. With the 1.5L diesel or 1.0L/1.2L turbo petrols, even 16 is not a problem.

Test drive another Polo 1.2L petrol with 15-inchers and yours back to back before you decide.

Fun Fact: Hyundai Venue 1.2L gets 15-inchers only no matter how high up the variant chain you go. Only turbo gets 16-inch wheels, because it has the torque to handle it. I can't imagine what performance that turbo will give with 14-inchers.