Used automatic car for my wife: VW Polo or Honda Jazz

I am leaning towards the Volkswagen Polo for obvious reasons, but I am also aware of the DSG issues that might creep up in the future.

BHPian vjbox recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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 km - Rs 7.8 L asking price.
2. 2017 Polo GT TSI (Red) - 1st Owner/32k km - Rs 8.2 L asking price.
3. 2016 Jazz - Top end (Brown, I guess) - 1st Owner - 35K km - Rs 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 centre 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!

Update: 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 km/h 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 isn't 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 Rs 7.6 lakh as of now and I am pushing for Rs 7.25 lakh. 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 Rs 7.5 lakh for such a car assuming it's in top shape, So the asking price isn't too far off?

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

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.

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 years 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 Rs 7.5 lakh 2017 Polo DSG as follows:

Tangibles of about Rs 1 lakh:

• Factory warranty of 4-years' worth Rs 50K
• At 25K km, the tyres are at least Rs 15K worth less than the new car.
• Assume upcoming expenses like brake pads, battery, service, etc. another Rs 25K

Intangibles of about Rs 1.5 lakh:

• Resale/shelf-life benefit would be substantial
• Total peace of mind about history of the car
• 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 Rs 5 - 6 lakh. 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.

Here's what BHPian AJ56 had to say on the matter:

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 km 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.

Here's what BHPian HEMIOrange had to say on the matter:

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.

Here's what BHPian anb had to say on the matter:

My friend sold his GT TSI and bought Jazz CVT for peace of mind. After driving the Jazz for one year, he lost peace of mind. So he sold the Jazz and bought a new Polo GT TSI again. PS: No offence to existing Jazz owners.

The maintenance of Jazz isn't cheap either with 6 months service / 5 k intervals compared to 1 year/15 K service interval of Polo. Polo with new lower service costs will be even cheaper to maintain. Quoting post from a Jazz owner from another thread.

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