VW Polo GTI and Car History
Discussion
Evening all,
Nearing 10 years as a PHer I have never done a Reader's Cars thread so thought I would add my own little, and largely un-PH, car history culminating in my most recent purchase.
Back in 2007 a couple of months after my 17th birthday I passed my test and was desperate to get out on the road after years of being obsessed with cars. Note that I have been a PHer since age 16, back then enjoying the Pie & Piston just as much as reading up on car news, opinions, arguments, etc.
Unfortunately, having only been working part time for a short time, I couldn't afford my own car, so I pleaded to be added to my mum's insurance and to be able to drive her car. Looking back, I really just have been desperate to just get out on the road as her car at the time was a Daewoo Tacuma. I won't post a picture here but I advise those of a nervous disposition to not Google it.
Anyway, a short time later I had scrimped and saved my wages and bought, from a friend of a distant relative, My First Car.
A 1997 Peugeot 306 1.6 Spinnaker, complete with 115k miles, a keypad immobiliser, aftermarket alloys, questionable marks on the rooflining and an unused condom buried at the back of the glovebox.
I was warned on purchase it had had 2 replacement head gaskets, but I didn't let that bother me. It ran like like a broken washing machine, had one really buckled alloy which caused alarming vibration at speed, and an odd steering trait on left-handers where a constant steering input would have the front wheels wandering like castors...
It liked a drink and one day the wipers stopped in the middle of a thunderstorm, luckily I was saved by Rain-x, and after just 7 months I had enough. It was collected and taken to the big scrapyard in the sky, replaced by something newer and hopefully more reliable.
A 2006 Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi SXi, bought with 36k miles and a massive step up (relatively) to the aging Peugeot.
I loved the Corsa, it's little torquey engine pulled it along fairly well and just the general lack of deathtrap traits made me warm to it. I covered over 30k miles in it over 3.5 years and it got me through my uni days as a much preferred alternative to the train. The highlight during ownership was a trip to LeMans in 2011 (coincidentally, exactly 5 years ago today that photo above was taken).
Leaving uni, I gained a full time job and with that i managed to justify an upgrade:
A 2011 Seat Ibiza 1.2TSI Sportrider 7sp DSG, bought with less than 3k miles and feeling like a much more solid and substantial car than the Corsa.
The photo above was taken on the day of collection and is one of only two photos I have of it. As I usually take lots of photos of my cars, this is a sign of my thoughts about it. I never really gelled with it. It was well specced with lots of 'big car' toys (at the time) like climate control, parking sensors, auto lights, etc. and it drove fairly well, having 102bhp and turbocharged torque the DSG made it seem faster than it actually was Going back to petrol after the diesel was my favourite part.
Alas, I was never a particular fan of the crashy ride, a typical trait of 'sporty' Seats, and the big wheels/elastic band tyres. At 11k miles it shagged its turbocharger and its fate was sealed as a car I wouldn't be keeping much longer. Luckily, at this point in my career I was offered a work van and decided I was in a position to have a less practical car for the non-commute journeys. PH was having and effect in me as my next purchase was:
A 2005 Mazda MX5 2.0 Sport, bought at 8 years old but with just one owner, 23k miles and a full Mazda service history. Seeing its condition and noting small details like 4 matching Michelins with good tread had me signing on the dotted line.
I loved the driving experience, especially keeping the revs up in the 4-7k region where it seemed to enjoy more than pooling around. The rear drive chassis and much better balance was immediately noticeable and being able to put the roof down just added to the experience.
I have two memorable drives in my ownership, the first being a run from Perth to Nairn avoiding the A9, up past Glenshee and Braemar, in October but with the roof down the entire way. Heater set to chargrill and the heated seats on made it a very comfortable place to be to enjoy the road.
The second memorable drive was where I took the photo above. My mate had just bought a 'bike, a Honda CBR600, and we decided to go a drive for the day. Down through Lanark to Peebles and Selkirk, along toward Moffat then turn right halfway along. The result is the road above, just at the Tala Reservoir. Funnily enough, a few miles down the road from this, we pulled into a passing place to allow the MX5 Scotland Owners Club to pass in the opposite direction.
I found myself having less opportunity to get the roof down and enjoy the car, getting annoyed at the noise on long journeys and general impracticality, so I made the best decision just months before spending (too much) on my wedding: I ordered a my first Brand New Car!
A 2016 VW Polo GTI
A small promotion and a healthy dose of man maths helped me justify this one. Now I know that the Polo GTI has been widely discussed on PH of late, but I had always liked them. My work van is a Fiesta and I am not a fan of the looks so I didn't want an ST as I know that's the main question people will ask.
I went a bit too silly on the configurator but as my first, and probably only, brand new car i decided to go for it. Red, 5dr, manual, upgraded alloys and some toys. Now in my third week of ownership and despite not being my daily drive I have still managed to clock up 950 miles, I can't get enough of it.
Now that it's run in I can start using all of the power, having only used c.75% to date apart from one blast to try and explore its full potential. Very powerful for its size and I really can't see myself ever really being able to justify more power on the road (I reserve the right to retract that statement in a few years when I can afford to run something more powerful!).
This is a long termer for me now, being more practical it is future-proof...ish and should be trouble free for a good few years yet. No immediate plans but I have now bought a roof rack and bike holders so hoping to use it to go explore the country. In coming years maybe a remap and some subtle modifications but it'll be post-warranty before any of that it is considered.
I will try and keep this updated with any new photos, memorable trips, etc. as I am hoping to return to LeMans next year in it. Thanks for reading!
Nearing 10 years as a PHer I have never done a Reader's Cars thread so thought I would add my own little, and largely un-PH, car history culminating in my most recent purchase.
Back in 2007 a couple of months after my 17th birthday I passed my test and was desperate to get out on the road after years of being obsessed with cars. Note that I have been a PHer since age 16, back then enjoying the Pie & Piston just as much as reading up on car news, opinions, arguments, etc.
Unfortunately, having only been working part time for a short time, I couldn't afford my own car, so I pleaded to be added to my mum's insurance and to be able to drive her car. Looking back, I really just have been desperate to just get out on the road as her car at the time was a Daewoo Tacuma. I won't post a picture here but I advise those of a nervous disposition to not Google it.
Anyway, a short time later I had scrimped and saved my wages and bought, from a friend of a distant relative, My First Car.
A 1997 Peugeot 306 1.6 Spinnaker, complete with 115k miles, a keypad immobiliser, aftermarket alloys, questionable marks on the rooflining and an unused condom buried at the back of the glovebox.
I was warned on purchase it had had 2 replacement head gaskets, but I didn't let that bother me. It ran like like a broken washing machine, had one really buckled alloy which caused alarming vibration at speed, and an odd steering trait on left-handers where a constant steering input would have the front wheels wandering like castors...
It liked a drink and one day the wipers stopped in the middle of a thunderstorm, luckily I was saved by Rain-x, and after just 7 months I had enough. It was collected and taken to the big scrapyard in the sky, replaced by something newer and hopefully more reliable.
A 2006 Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi SXi, bought with 36k miles and a massive step up (relatively) to the aging Peugeot.
I loved the Corsa, it's little torquey engine pulled it along fairly well and just the general lack of deathtrap traits made me warm to it. I covered over 30k miles in it over 3.5 years and it got me through my uni days as a much preferred alternative to the train. The highlight during ownership was a trip to LeMans in 2011 (coincidentally, exactly 5 years ago today that photo above was taken).
Leaving uni, I gained a full time job and with that i managed to justify an upgrade:
A 2011 Seat Ibiza 1.2TSI Sportrider 7sp DSG, bought with less than 3k miles and feeling like a much more solid and substantial car than the Corsa.
The photo above was taken on the day of collection and is one of only two photos I have of it. As I usually take lots of photos of my cars, this is a sign of my thoughts about it. I never really gelled with it. It was well specced with lots of 'big car' toys (at the time) like climate control, parking sensors, auto lights, etc. and it drove fairly well, having 102bhp and turbocharged torque the DSG made it seem faster than it actually was Going back to petrol after the diesel was my favourite part.
Alas, I was never a particular fan of the crashy ride, a typical trait of 'sporty' Seats, and the big wheels/elastic band tyres. At 11k miles it shagged its turbocharger and its fate was sealed as a car I wouldn't be keeping much longer. Luckily, at this point in my career I was offered a work van and decided I was in a position to have a less practical car for the non-commute journeys. PH was having and effect in me as my next purchase was:
A 2005 Mazda MX5 2.0 Sport, bought at 8 years old but with just one owner, 23k miles and a full Mazda service history. Seeing its condition and noting small details like 4 matching Michelins with good tread had me signing on the dotted line.
I loved the driving experience, especially keeping the revs up in the 4-7k region where it seemed to enjoy more than pooling around. The rear drive chassis and much better balance was immediately noticeable and being able to put the roof down just added to the experience.
I have two memorable drives in my ownership, the first being a run from Perth to Nairn avoiding the A9, up past Glenshee and Braemar, in October but with the roof down the entire way. Heater set to chargrill and the heated seats on made it a very comfortable place to be to enjoy the road.
The second memorable drive was where I took the photo above. My mate had just bought a 'bike, a Honda CBR600, and we decided to go a drive for the day. Down through Lanark to Peebles and Selkirk, along toward Moffat then turn right halfway along. The result is the road above, just at the Tala Reservoir. Funnily enough, a few miles down the road from this, we pulled into a passing place to allow the MX5 Scotland Owners Club to pass in the opposite direction.
I found myself having less opportunity to get the roof down and enjoy the car, getting annoyed at the noise on long journeys and general impracticality, so I made the best decision just months before spending (too much) on my wedding: I ordered a my first Brand New Car!
A 2016 VW Polo GTI
A small promotion and a healthy dose of man maths helped me justify this one. Now I know that the Polo GTI has been widely discussed on PH of late, but I had always liked them. My work van is a Fiesta and I am not a fan of the looks so I didn't want an ST as I know that's the main question people will ask.
I went a bit too silly on the configurator but as my first, and probably only, brand new car i decided to go for it. Red, 5dr, manual, upgraded alloys and some toys. Now in my third week of ownership and despite not being my daily drive I have still managed to clock up 950 miles, I can't get enough of it.
Now that it's run in I can start using all of the power, having only used c.75% to date apart from one blast to try and explore its full potential. Very powerful for its size and I really can't see myself ever really being able to justify more power on the road (I reserve the right to retract that statement in a few years when I can afford to run something more powerful!).
This is a long termer for me now, being more practical it is future-proof...ish and should be trouble free for a good few years yet. No immediate plans but I have now bought a roof rack and bike holders so hoping to use it to go explore the country. In coming years maybe a remap and some subtle modifications but it'll be post-warranty before any of that it is considered.
I will try and keep this updated with any new photos, memorable trips, etc. as I am hoping to return to LeMans next year in it. Thanks for reading!
These will quite happily sit at over and above the NSL.... 
Only thing is tyre noise as the standard Bridgestone S001's are a bit noisy.
My wife has one with (I think) every option ticked! Never seen a car without blanking buttons before.
The Fiesta is more "fun" but the Polo is more refined and a better car to live with daily I'd say.
Only thing is tyre noise as the standard Bridgestone S001's are a bit noisy.My wife has one with (I think) every option ticked! Never seen a car without blanking buttons before.
The Fiesta is more "fun" but the Polo is more refined and a better car to live with daily I'd say.
Refinement is hard to judge after coming from an MX5, it was always going to be an improvement. But it is very good and is a comfortable and quiet place to be for a long period of time. On all but the smoothest Tarmac there is a fair bit of tyre roar as mentioned above.
To be honest, I only briefly considered the ST. I went to look at them and as mentioned above I drive a Fiesta van for work, I just can't get past the looks and interior so I didn't take it as far as a test drive. I wasn't looking for the epitome of driving fun as I just don't get the opportunity to fully enjoy it that often. At 7/10ths I would say the Polo is probably just as capable even if it lacks that last element of fun. For future practicality, the lack of a 5 door option was rhe final nail in an already sealed coffin anyway.
To be honest, I only briefly considered the ST. I went to look at them and as mentioned above I drive a Fiesta van for work, I just can't get past the looks and interior so I didn't take it as far as a test drive. I wasn't looking for the epitome of driving fun as I just don't get the opportunity to fully enjoy it that often. At 7/10ths I would say the Polo is probably just as capable even if it lacks that last element of fun. For future practicality, the lack of a 5 door option was rhe final nail in an already sealed coffin anyway.
Really like the look of these and sound half decent too. Tempted by the recent lease deals at sub £200 a month, i'm guessing you've bought this from the dealer rather than lease? Will be interesting to see 2 year lease cost vs depreciation on these. Vw's hold their value well. And i'd have one all day long over the fiesta... Did you consider the 208 gti? Really like the look of those. Enjoy OP! Keep this updated 
Yes it's bought (well, PCP) as, with the options I wanted, this was the cheaper option. I am not a massive fan of white and didn't want a 3dr. However, the lease deals will give you 99% of the same car I have for around £200pm, and I would happily recommend if you are content with the base spec.
I had a 208 hire car a while back and didn't like the small steering wheel/high dials, so that ruled out that the Pug. However, I think the half-red, half-black versions look amazing.
I had a 208 hire car a while back and didn't like the small steering wheel/high dials, so that ruled out that the Pug. However, I think the half-red, half-black versions look amazing.
Thought I'd post a little update now that I'm 5 months into ownership - the biggest difference is that I am driving the car a lot more now. A change of work circumstances meant I lost the van and am now commuting 80 miles a day in the GTI.
I really can't fault it to date, it's been great even on the monotony of the daily M8-Edinburgh Bypass grind. Average MPG is running around 42/43 which is a lot more impressive than I'd expected.
The only two annoyances I have are rattles - the first sounded like the jack or spare wheel were moving around in the boot. It turned out to be the folding rear seat hadn't latched properly, so I gave it a good slam and it has been quiet since. The second, only I seem to be able to hear, and is coming from the seatbelt height adjuster, but it's relatively quiet.
I dinked a wheel on a kerbstone a couple of months back which was sickening, but that was entirely my own fault. Other than that, the finish of the paintwork is still really good considering I've paid no more attention to it than a fortnightly wash.
Now and again I get to enjoy the car on a weekend and it's still got the pace and handling to enjoy a good B-road, with the "Sport" mode suspension flowing well on smooth roads and not being as stiff as I had expected from previous reading (admittedly though, it is too bouncy to use regularly, but just enhances the experience on the rare occasion I use it).
To end, here are some gratuitous photos...
I really can't fault it to date, it's been great even on the monotony of the daily M8-Edinburgh Bypass grind. Average MPG is running around 42/43 which is a lot more impressive than I'd expected.
The only two annoyances I have are rattles - the first sounded like the jack or spare wheel were moving around in the boot. It turned out to be the folding rear seat hadn't latched properly, so I gave it a good slam and it has been quiet since. The second, only I seem to be able to hear, and is coming from the seatbelt height adjuster, but it's relatively quiet.
I dinked a wheel on a kerbstone a couple of months back which was sickening, but that was entirely my own fault. Other than that, the finish of the paintwork is still really good considering I've paid no more attention to it than a fortnightly wash.
Now and again I get to enjoy the car on a weekend and it's still got the pace and handling to enjoy a good B-road, with the "Sport" mode suspension flowing well on smooth roads and not being as stiff as I had expected from previous reading (admittedly though, it is too bouncy to use regularly, but just enhances the experience on the rare occasion I use it).
To end, here are some gratuitous photos...
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