To compliment 24mpg

[YesItsARover]

I'm in line for a company car hopefully. I have 20k to spend at the VAG shop.

I want to keep my thirsty V6 for weekends. To that end, I need the most economical piece of VAG I can buy.
But, it needs to be a nice place to be. I can fully spec a Polo Bluemotion, and quite like the idea of putting a sticker that says "My other car does 20mpg" on it.

Anyone lived with an ickle slow Polo?

[zaphod42]

What kind of mileage are you doing?

[YesItsARover]

It's going to be around 1600 per month, half business half pleasure

[minicab]

Not a Polo, but my weekend car is a V8 Land Rover, and to justify it I now run an '11 plate Fiesta Diesel Titanium...

Because of the big spec (climate, uprated stereo, bluetooth, cruise, folding mirrors, voice command etc) I really don't miss the big car... The Fiesta has all the spec of much bigger exec cars, but returns me 64mpg on my cross country commute, and means I can quite happily splash some unleaded into the Disco at the weekends

I expect a fully specc'd up Polo would be similar.

Cheap to run, cheap to service, cheap to fuel, cheap to insure and tax... the little cars make a lot of sense.

[zaphod42]

Hmm, a bluemotion is ok, but it might start to grate at that mileage. Good town car and fine on B roads, depends how patient you are. They do excellent MPG and well screwed together.

[YesItsARover]

That's exactly what I wanted to hear guys. I can spec one with every toy and the taxable benefit is minimal. Besides, the idea of getting something rubbish is to like the weekend car more!

[johnpeat]

There's not many 'toys' on a Bluemotion really - you have a choice of 1 set of wheels, 5 exterior colours, 2 interior fabrics (sick and not sick) and he options are mostly ICE or safety/security/airbag related (only obvious must-have is Aircon).

A Polo is now bigger than a MK1 Golf so it will be plenty roomy but you don't have to choose the "ecoecoeco" model to get good mpg, there are plenty of decent diesels (from VW and others) if you fancy something a bit less "bottom of the range" too.

[minicab]

The only thing to watch with the Bluemotion is that the car rides slightly lower than the standard Polo on slightly stiffer suspension... which means the ride can be a bit jiggly on rough roads. Plus the ickle low resistance tyres can get interesting in the wet... make sure you have a good test drive.

Very useful if you ever do London though as they escape the C-Charge being under 100g/km.

If you don't care about London, you can get the 1.2 75PS diesel engine in a standard Polo, although emissions then goes up to 102g/km, still very low though...

[YesItsARover]

I like the no tax or congestion charge aspect, is that the same if I had the 1.2tdi in a Polo SE, for instance? I'm not worried about being able to have a red one with 19' chrome spinners, just the ICE packages etc.

[minicab]

YesItsARover said:

I like the no tax or congestion charge aspect, is that the same if I had the 1.2tdi in a Polo SE, for instance? I'm not worried about being able to have a red one with 19' chrome spinners, just the ICE packages etc.

Standard 1.2 tdi Polo would be £35 a year RFL and would incur the standard congestion charge... so if that's crucial, Bluemotion it would be.

Does it have to be VAG?

[YesItsARover]

Yes, and it also has to be new. Which is kind of against staying green, but nevermind.


It would have been a 535d if I could have something second hand, and damn the MG.

[Rob_F]

Polo? For 1600 miles a month? I've had a 1.2 petrol hire care and for it's size it seems really good but there's no way on earth I'd want to do that mileage in one.

The new Passat 2.0TDI has 140bhp and is under 120g/km. Can you get one of those for 20k with haggling? It'd be so much more comfortable, and on a serious note, probably stop you being so tired at work/home and therefore worth any extra tax...

[minicab]

535d M-Sport Tourer - drooool

New Audi A1 has a 99 g/km model, so either go with the Bluemotion Polo, or check out an A1 S-Line 1.6TDi

1.6 TDI manual 105PS manual 99g/km, 74.3mpg, Tax Band A, BIK Band 13%, RRP £17,865

The 105PS Audi will be much livlier than the 75PS Polo Bluemotion, is in the same tax band, and both get the free C-Charge.

Take a look at both

[300bhp/ton]

YesItsARover said:

I'm in line for a company car hopefully. I have 20k to spend at the VAG shop.

I want to keep my thirsty V6 for weekends. To that end, I need the most economical piece of VAG I can buy.
But, it needs to be a nice place to be. I can fully spec a Polo Bluemotion, and quite like the idea of putting a sticker that says "My other car does 20mpg" on it.

Anyone lived with an ickle slow Polo?

Fabia vRS, they're diesel aren't they? Look quirky and should go well vs mpg.

[YesItsARover]

I don't like the styling of the Labia. That should say Fabia but I like the autocorrect.
I could stretch and get an Octy VRS but the idea is to run alongside my other car.

A passat bluemotion is an option, I need to get definitive figures from my boss as to what I'm allowed.

[minicab]

300bhp/ton said:

Fabia vRS, they're diesel aren't they? Look quirky and should go well vs mpg.

MK1 was... the new vRS is a 1.4 TSI Twin Charge petrol unit The same one they put in the Polo GTi

[CaptainSlow]

Get the Octavia. For the budget you have there isn't anything better.

[GreatGranny]

Most smaller VAG models are available with the 1.6 engine. What about the Seat Leon? A size up from the Polo/A1 etc.. so much more suitable for 1600 miles per week.

[minicab]

The OP says 1600 miles per month, not per week...

Any jump up in size above the Polo/A1 size will take emissions above 100g/km, that means higher BIK, higher road tax, and it pays the full london c-charge.

I've done 1600 miles in the Fiesta in its first month, these cars now are so comfortable with all the creature comforts, you can do it easily. If you you need is cheap motoring, they're perfect.

EDIT: Worth saying too that I'm 6ft5 and 20 ish stone... and even I find the Fiesta comfortable. Polo/A1 will be the same I'd imagine

[66comanche]

For £20k you can get the Golf Bluemotion (with a fair few extras - cruise/6CD touchscreen/tinted & elec rear windows/multifunction screen). You can even get into the Passat Bluemotion (although with no extras at all!)