The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo has junior Golf looks – but should you buy one over a used Fiesta?
The Polo of 2009-2017 was a landmark model for Volkswagen because this was the one where it finally cracked the supermini code.Today, this fifth-generation Polo can be had for as little as £1500 – a bargain, especially when you consider this was the car that eclipsed the hitherto pre-eminent Ford Fiesta in so many of the ways that really matter in everyday use.Four generations of Polo had arrived between 1975 and 2009, and all had fallen short on performance, refinement, style and fun.So Volkswagen and its then design boss, Walter de Silva, sought to change this by injecting the Mk5 Polo with added ‘Golf-ness’.As a result, the Polo looked just like a shrunken Golf, with a hint of Scirocco to give it a sharper front end – and, crucially, the little VW also carried over all of the Golf’s positive attributes, which helped make it a class leader at the time.A switch to the PQ25 platform – which also underpinned the Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza – meant the Mk5 Polo arrived with a new chassis, suspension and suite of engines.But while it was well mannered and easy to drive, it didn’t drum up the level of dynamic fun offered by the Fiesta or Mazda 2. It was too grown-up for that… In fact, when we first drove the Mk5, it felt more like a junior Golf than a sprightly supermini, complete with a pliant ride and fine composure for such a small car.Its broad engine line-up contained a mix of petrol (TSI) and diesel (TDI) three- and four-cylinder engines.We would ignore the early, rather sluggish triples and go for the superb 103bhp 1.2-litre petrol turbo four-pot for its real-world 50mpg potential, torque and smoothness, making it ideal for both urban jaunts and motorway cruises.The TSI became a three-cylinder in 2014 but remains a solid used buy for its economy – and you can have one with either 89bhp or 108bhp.A used oil-burner might seem a little crude in 2024, but the real-world economy of the Polo’s diesel line-up is impressive.You will need to drive it long distances to avoid any DPF-related issues, though, and they do sound a little rough at idle. Avoid the clattery 1.2 TDI and opt for the smoother 1.4 TDI BlueMotion, with its 70-80mpg economy.The Mk5 Polo was refined inside and had a generous level of standard equipment, so it felt far more upmarket than the contemporary Fiesta and Citroën C3.That said, steer clear of the more austere S and S A/C models. Instead, pick an SE model, with its alloy wheels and electric rear windows, or the even posher SE L, which had leather-finished cabin trim and smarter 17in wheels.A 2014 facelift freshened the Polo’s look – and we would recommend paying the extra dosh for a post-2014 example, with its sharper-looking bumpers and headlights.Being 54mm longer and 32mm wider than its predecessor, the Mk5 had the space and practicality to go with its premium interior.In fact, the Polo trumped the Fiesta for accommodation in the back, thanks to impressive, adult-grade quantities of rear head and leg room.Refined, practical and efficient, the fifth-generation Polo remains a supermini triumph today. And given that you can have one for as little as £1500, it makes more sense than a used Ford Fiesta.
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