Polo Dune - commuter or town only
Polo Dune - commuter or town only
Author
Discussion

Zarkingfardwarks

Original Poster:

1,041 posts

266 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
no I am not turning gay...


I really like these, they have small car frugality and a bit more space.

BUT

1.4 diesel seems to have less than 70BHP - are these town babies or could I do my mway commute (100 miles per day mostly mway)

and are they any good ?

Synchromesh

2,428 posts

195 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
I've got the non-dune 9n (9n means the model from 02-05, which I assume you're referring to) Polo with the 1.4 100bhp petrol and would say it's far better suited to town and a/b roads than the motorway. Although it's very refined, quiet and stable on the m'way (a weight of 1300kg is no bad thing here) the engine lets it down. More precisely gearing of 20mph per 1000 revs put it at 4k rpm at a 0.8 lepton cruise. However, I haven't driven the 1.4 tdi but if it has longer gears or the 6 speed 'box from the 1.9 tdi it would be perfectly capable. Take one for a test drive on the motorway and decide for yourself though.

va1o

16,113 posts

236 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
Remap?

Synchromesh

2,428 posts

195 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
va1o said:
Remap?
Hardly worth it on that engine.

If I were the OP I'd be looking at the Polo GT (130 tdi) instead. They do command a hefty premium though, meaning a mk4 Golf is probably a better bet...

EDLT

15,421 posts

235 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
Not driven a dune, but an ordinary Polo is fine on the motorway as long as you stick to 70mph and resist racing the repmobiles.

soad

34,652 posts

205 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
What on earth is a dune version then? I'm truly confused, sorry

Beefmeister

16,482 posts

259 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
This is the Polo Dune:




I actually think they're pretty cool looking cars. It goes against everything my head tells me is right, but i like them.

The 1.4 TDi in the Polo is insanely economical. I had one as a hire car, and it averaged 58mpg over 600miles on the motorway.

va1o

16,113 posts

236 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I can see the appeal of the Dune, the regular Polo is just boring and common, and the majority are all base trim with no options so as dull as anything. Dune is a bit rarer and more interesting.

What about an Audi A2 as an alternative?

AndrewW-G

11,968 posts

246 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
Didnt Rover do something similar and get laughed at?

sday12

5,067 posts

240 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
va1o said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I can see the appeal of the Dune, the regular Polo is just boring and common, and the majority are all base trim with no options so as dull as anything. Dune is a bit rarer and more interesting.

Hey Yeah, if driving a Polo doesn't make you look like a cocksocket, just dress it up like you're going to the moon.

PaulFontaine

629 posts

183 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
I wish they sold these in the US actually and I am NOT a VW fan at all. Are they AWD?

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

211 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
AndrewW-G said:
Didnt Rover do something similar and get laughed at?
Ah, the late Streetwise...

Take a 25, stick loads of black plastic to the outside, raise the suspension, try to sell it as some urban warrior thing, that'll sell to the trendy youth market, the youth are the future, they'll save the company. Erm...

The Polo Dune, however, that seems to work.

PaulFontaine

629 posts

183 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
Actually while I would buy an audi a6 station wagon (estate) I would buy the audi all road so go figure.

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

211 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
PaulFontaine said:
Actually while I would buy an audi a6 station wagon (estate) I would buy the audi all road so go figure.
Whut?

red_rover

852 posts

249 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
A poor man's Streetwise.



Best served with the indestructible and torque happy 'L' series 2.0 diesel.


Papa - why on earth do you say so mockingly that it was the car that was supposed to save Rover? Who ever said that it was supposed to save Rover? The Streetwise was just a model specification like the Polo Dune. But Rover did it first.


Add to that - the Streetwise appeared to mainly mocked on forums. The general public must have thought differently as it was quite a sales success for Rover. You also see a lot more Streeetwises than the VW Dunes or Citroen C3 faux offraoder copy.

Edited by red_rover on Tuesday 19th July 18:34

Deerfoot

5,245 posts

213 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
PaulFontaine said:
I wish they sold these in the US actually and I am NOT a VW fan at all. Are they AWD?
Nope, just FWD.

AntDen

3 posts

182 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
quotequote all
Beefmeister said:
This is the Polo Dune:

I actually think they're pretty cool looking cars. It goes against everything my head tells me is right, but i like them.

The 1.4 TDi in the Polo is insanely economical. I had one as a hire car, and it averaged 58mpg over 600miles on the motorway.
How fast were you driving?! My Polo 1.4 TDi Sport (for sale tongue out) will average over 70mpg on a motorway cruise like that, and doesn't often drop below 60 in the real world...

This is reading at the moment (mostly motorway miles, 30-40 or so were on 60 limit country road):



And I'm sorry, but my Sport outdoes the Dune on looks, even in Summer Blue tongue out

Beefmeister

16,482 posts

259 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Yeah, those 600 miles were done at c.90-100 leptons.

Hitch78

6,118 posts

223 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Polo Dune is gay. No two ways about it.

Zarkingfardwarks

Original Poster:

1,041 posts

266 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
maybe it is but if it can manage 70+ it will enable me to spend more money on manly products or getting my head shaved, football shirt and singing lessons so I can go "IINNNGGEEEEERRRRLLLLANDDDDDD" like a proper man.