VW Polo GTi 1.6 (2001)

[dirty boy]

I've been shown where there is a garaged example with 29,000 miles on the clock.

Had a few services, but only MOT'd the last few years (driven to the MOT centre and back - no other mileage)

It's in excellent condition obviously, but what sort of value would it command?

Also, anyone have any thoughts on them? I'm considering a Renaultsport Clio 172 at the moment, but the Polo GTi could be an interesting prospect...

Cheers

[tbc]

i'd say worth is around the £2k- £2.5k mark

if it's it good nick and the mileage is genuine with a FSH then it'd be near £2.5k

[dirty boy]

tbc said:

i'd say worth is around the £2k- £2.5k mark

if it's it good nick and the mileage is genuine with a FSH then it'd be near £2.5k

Cheers.

If that's the case, then it's the same ballpark as a 172 Clio...

Clio is probably a bit faster more exciting, but I'd guess the GTi a bit rarer..

Hmmm

[Vince70]

dirty boy said:

tbc said:

i'd say worth is around the £2k- £2.5k mark

if it's it good nick and the mileage is genuine with a FSH then it'd be near £2.5k

Cheers.

If that's the case, then it's the same ballpark as a 172 Clio...

Clio is probably a bit faster more exciting, but I'd guess the GTi a bit rarer..

Hmmm

And has less chance of falling apart than the Renault.

[Changedmyname]

Mind the chocolate gear boxes,they are prone.

[KarlMac]

Gearbox is prone to get a bit noisy at motorway speeds. Some pedal boxes are liable to failure, plastic impeller in water pump fails.

Thats about it really.

Not as quick as clio, nicer place to sit and will probably not lose money on it.

[fido]

From VW's bad era. Well it's your money .. but i'd rather spend it on a Honda Accord with 150k on the clock.

[dirty boy]

fido said:

From VW's bad era. Well it's your money .. but i'd rather spend it on a Honda Accord with 150k on the clock.

A what point is a 150k Honda Accord a decent substitution for a Clio or Polo?


I'm not asking about Volvo estates and Mercedes saloons.

[KarlMac]

fido said:

From VW's bad era. Well it's your money .. but i'd rather spend it on a Honda Accord with 150k on the clock.

Thats like going to the shop for bread and milk and coming back with an accordian.

[205alive]

KarlMac said:

Thats like going the shop for bread and milk and coming back with an accordian.

[aka_kerrly]

The Polos are good cars and quite entertaining to drive, the 6 speed ones feel more responsive and lively but they are 'just' 125hp compared with the Clios 172hp.

The Clio will have plenty of fans on here and generally speaking they do appear to be quite reliable which is rather un French but they are definitely without a doubt French hot hatch FUN.

My only criticisms are that the driving position felt a bit awkward - the angle of the steering wheel relative to the seating position isn't ideal and the pedals are a tad close, the cambelt is a pretty expensive job and on Cup cars the suspension shocks are expensive to replace and don't last all that long.

Aside from that I'd have a £2500 Clio which ought to have around 50-80k on it and MUST have receipts for cambelts!

[Captain Muppet]

fido said:

From VW's bad era. Well it's your money .. but i'd rather spend it on a Honda AccordCivic Type R with 150k on the clock.

Edited to make some sort of sense.

[rallycross]

They are quite nicely specced for a small warm hatch, well built, but does not drive anything like a Clio sport which is much more fun but not as nice to sit in. Value will be £2k to £3k with such low mileage if genuine.

[B'stard Child]

Previous owner comments

KarlMac said:

Gearbox is prone to get a bit noisy at motorway speeds.

Whole car gets noisy at M-way speeds - that what happens when you have short gearing and a revy engine - wind noise is the bigest problem over 70mph as door and window seals get tired and then general shape isn't excatly great for aero silence

Gearbox also prone to breakage although I'm of the opinion that unsympathetic useage is a big factor my old one would have still been on it's original box if the new owner hadn't be so paranoid and incorectly diagnosed an dying gearbox based on noise instead of a PS pump which was actually the cause of the noise

KarlMac said:

Some pedal boxes are liable to failure,

Recal sticker for the pedal box should be on the boot floor underneath the carpet - not many didn't get done as they really were badly designed

KarlMac said:

plastic impeller in water pump fails.

Not uncommon on many cars since they stopped making proper pumps but when I did the cam belt on mine last year before I sold it the genuine VW pump I fitted had a metal impellor so maybe they've stopped selling st plastic ones

KarlMac said:

Thats about it really.

Not as quick as clio, nicer place to sit and will probably not lose money on it.

They don't have the residual value of a Lupo GTI it seems but a good one is still quite sought after

They also don't have the dynamic appeal of a 205 GTi so if you are used to the French flair for handling you may be a little disappointed - you certainly won't get a Polo GTi to steer on the throttle like a 205 would.

Other issues

- Electric windows can be a bit problematic

- central locking is done with vacuum and the pump can wear out if constantly running due to an air leak

- Trim has a soft rubberised coating and it's not hard wearing but the small bits around switch gear and door pulls was still avlaible when I replaced mine

On the plus side I could get better than 40mpg out of mine on sensible motorway runs and it never dropped below 35 round town and I do a lot of short trips - stick your foot to the floor in 5th at the legal limit and it'll stop accelerating when it gets fairly close to double the legal limit (on a private road of course)

I loved mine but I'd had a succession of Polos and had always been an ambition to have a GTi version

Pics borrowed from the last how dirty is your car thread......

[B'stard Child]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Above thread has a link to a polo specific forum that has some good 2000-2001 Polo GTI info on it

[chryslerben]

aka_kerrly said:

The Polos are good cars and quite entertaining to drive, the 6 speed ones feel more responsive and lively but they are 'just' 125hp compared with the Clios 172hp.

The 2001 model the op is on about would be a 6n2 chassis they never made one with a 6 speed transmission only the lupo got the 6 speed

[dirty boy]

I'm quite tempted.

Should be a decent little motor, will have to see what price comes back at me.

[KarlMac]

One more thing, although it shouldn't be there on your example, is that the RXII alloys were prone to a spot of rot, especially if they've been kerbed. Can be a blessing as you have an excuse tk refurb and colour code.

If you get it have a butchers at uk-polos.net.

[B'stard Child]

KarlMac said:

One more thing, although it shouldn't be there on your example, is that the RXII alloys were prone to a spot of rot, especially if they've been kerbed. Can be a blessing as you have an excuse tk refurb and colour code.

My favorite pastime refurbing BBS RXII's

There is a how too on UK Polos that I wrote years ago

KarlMac said:

If you get it have a butchers at uk-polos.net.

Good little forum for Polo fans

[hardcastlephil]

We had a 2001 Polo GTI for a while, hated it with a passion!

Admittedly it had done 85k but it felt like 285k! As noted gearboxes, c/l pump etc all prone to going. Cabin inside is average as best and the handling was also nothing to write home about.

I've never had a 172, but personally..... run for the hills!!