2018 Volkswagen Polo (ENG) - Test Drive and Review 

Marek, you're probably the only person who has given a proper assessment of the Polo and the cost to get decent spec. I looked at the Polo and was shocked at the cost for a decently specced car. Great real world review of the car.

Was seriously considering the car, went for a test drive and got couple of price quotes for different configurations. Liked the car, no issues with that. What really killed the deal was because with any extras the price shoot up a bit too steeply for my wallet and could not justify the price compared to the size of the car. Maybe some day I will afford stuff like this...

If you thought it was expensive 3 years ago, you should check the price in the UK in early 2022. It's not only unbelievably expensive but there is a very long wait if you are in the fortunate position to be buying new. I've just bought a 2016 Polo from a main dealer as they now retail cars that old due to short supply and strong residuals. Even at high dealer prices (but with a 24 month warranty) there was almost no choice

€26K thats too much for a Fiesta sized car. Good point about the spec comparison with the Dacia. a basic car is ment to be cheap and €13K is way off the mark for a supposedly good quality car (good luck with customer support from VW if you have any issues - at least here in the UK)

Strange. In the U.K. a decent spec is about £18k, which is competitive. Hardly more than a Fiesta or Ibiza. Better residuals mean it’s not really any more expensive.

Marek, another great review as usual, keep up the good work! I happen to have just purchased the new Polo, Highline edition, 115 hp, DSG, metallic paint, sunroof, electronic suspension (3 modes plus individual), 17 inch Pablona wheels/tires, rear disc brakes, 8 inch infotaiment screen, for just below 20 thousand euros, here in Greece. The same specs car in Germany is 25 thousand euros.This is to show that VAG has different pricing policies depending on the market and economic crisis etc in Greece have created a friendly economic environment for almost all small new cars. At 20 thousand its still pricey but you get a lot for your money. Has standard safety features you cant even find in larger cars, even ACC which in combination with the DSG auto box almost drives itself on motorways. Slows down to a standstill if necessary and starts up again and drives off without you having to press the gas pedal or brakes, just amazing and I'm saying that because I happened to test it! Highline models , at least in my case, have front seats lumbar support, the lever is on the top outer side of the front seats, awkward position so check yours and you may find it as well. Also my car has a full size spare wheel, although just a 15 inch, compared to none of yours which I find also strange! Its a small car with the feeling of a larger car, great sport comfort seats, great suspension, not as accurate handling and feedback as the Fiesta which I also tested before buying, great driveability on the motorways, without and windnoise, again in contrast with yours, well built, has more features than you can imagine for such a car and for the segment. Highline is the version I recommend as it has everything, for a relevant small premium you get a totally better car, even led all around (not headlights though which is extra but recommended if you can afford) and inside even on the front door handles!!Not a perfect car as you mentioned but still a great car. Only drawback is the limited all around visibility, small windows, small windscreen make up a sporty and nice look but not practical when comes to visibility. Parking sensors, rear view camera, auto park (another optional great feature for a small car) are a MUST depending on what you can afford.

26000 for a Polo? This is insane! What the hell?!?

In Poland, Marek, I am sure you know that you can buy VW Up! Tsi in High Up specification for 55000pln (say 14000Euro) with 16inch alloy wheels and most toys inside. It's a great little car and you don't need a Polo for the motorway, as the Up! in Tsi guise cruises happily on the motorway in 5th gear at 2500rpm, and you're doing 120 km/h. So I agree with you, the Polo is a gigantic waste of money.

I really like the new polo and the new fiesta. I'm from the UK where superminis make a lot of sense. In fact the fiesta and the corsa have been the best selling cars here forever.

Recommend me a car. VW Polo - tried and ruled out (horrible comfort, feels like Skoda Rapid which I can't stand). Peugeot 208, 301, 2008, 308 - tried and all ruled out (comfortable seats, shifting, suspension but those dials and some engine variants are deal breaker - 1.2 without turbo is like turtle on the run). Ford Fiesta - tried and it has good interior but terrible seats. Kia Ceed - tried and loved the interior, boot space but the engine in my price range (1.4 without turbo) is really slow and lazy. I'm out of ideas.

DSG is overkill for a city car, you can easily cut the price by 1500€. I also believe that VW is much more expensive in Poland than in my home country Slovenia.

Weird. I drive a Golf 1.0 and get around 5 l/100 easily. Why is it so difficult with the Polo?

Good review, at least a MK 4 Golf came with a spare under the boot floor, Marek LED headlamps are now an option on the Fiesta by the way

In finland you can get 1,0tsi dsg highline with led and few other added gear around 21 500euros.

Dude you are the best

Thanks Marek... I stop to watch, not because you, price is mad... In Croatia you can buy Honda Civic 1.5 Sport even with cvt....And worst thing is that you feel that VAG is save money on lots of details...

Glad to live in the US.I bought a 2015 Golf SE,first year Mk VII was available in the US,Listed for 27770 usd,paid less,but i got the 1.8 turbo,170bhp,200ft/lbs@1650 rpm.6 sp auto.sunroof,17 inch wheels,torque vectoring,Fender audio,blah blah.Granted it's been 3 years and was totally made in Mexico,but nothing has broken in three years,still tight and very smooth.I would not spend that much either,probably an excellent vehicle,but I don't think the avg income in Poland is as high as it is the US,so it's a shame that people have to pay more for less when they make less as well.Bring back the Maluch!

I tried specing golf and polo. Midlevel cars ended up costing the same. Its good that you are one of the few reviewers who has noticed this. All others say that it is almost as good as a golf and see no point for golf anymore (to which i would argue against).

Great review.I like your style.

99k subs, keep it up, nice and honest reviews suitable for casual people. Polo is just too expensive for what it offers...

Well 115 HP for 23K is unacceptable. I believe they will continue to produce here in Russia a stupid sedan, which is still the most popular body type, with an old 1.6 petrol. Anyway, we'll see.

Hey.. Yes.. The VW Polo ain't cheap but isn't 25k either. I'll give my opinion about this since I just bought one. Here in Spain the Polo Sport is valued to 17.8k € retail specs. My order: Polo Sport 115 cv (85kw) petrol + Flash red custom paint wich is valued 270€ + 17" Bonneville rims valued 515€ + warranty extension (+2 years) valued 335€ + full LEDs valued 985€ + Digital cockpit valued 320 € + Keyless access (start button engine) valued 355€ Total price car straight from the factory delivered to my house = 17.1k €. They had some sort of problems in the factory and the car was delayed 2 months. Was supposed to be delivered in February and I just received it right now in April 21. After hard negotiations and really a threatening saying I won't buy the car after a 2 month waiting they apologised lowering the price to 16.6k €. You can get a very good looking Polo a lot cheaper than this guy says. Cheers

God this bloke a right moaner no way can you compare a Ford fiesta to a vw polo the polos in a different league to the Ford rattler in terms of quality this is the first negative review of seen of the polo of coarse all the other reviews are biased ha ha .

for 26 you can get the gti, with the nesecarry things

That looks so cheap, but it’s 26k that’s crazy you can buy a v6 Camry in the US for less

Expensive, yes. But compared to what ? When you look for a small and efficient car, well built, with enough place in the boot and the back seats, there's not a lot of choice. May be the Honda Jazz... less confortable. Because for me, a Fiesta doesn't share the same playground.

In Australia, a very similar spec'ed model costs ~14,000 EUR. I've been driving this car for 4 months now and it's been outstanding....even things at the end of the video (i.e. no spare wheel) are not true in Australia. Come to think about it, perhaps the takeaway is that you should live in Australia?

In switzerland this car Can easely Cost 33'000 Francs (about 31'000 Euros) and that is Not for The gti, cause that one costs Even more!

Great video once more, I really like your reviews but I have to disagree when it comes to the price, for 26k that car is a full spec polo highline for sure, if you go for a more "reallistic" model like you searched on VW website you can get good price for what the car offers, I don't kno in Poland but where I live, I just bought one well speced with the 1.0 95bhp engine for 20k which is a bit higher than the normal value for cars in this segment in my country, but not absurd. I think It's a solid car well built and worth to take a look at for It's grown up manners and superior cabin feel!

In South Africa Ford Fiesta is more expensive than the Polo in equal trim.

A well spec'd Polo GTI is just shy of 25k EUR in Bulgaria without discounts. And it is the cheapest 200HP new car you can find.

cut the active display, led, navigation and take manual gearbox 1.0tsi 95hp, highline is less than 15k. vw is sucking money on nonsense buttons and stuffs you don't need...

I normally like your reviews and was keen to see what you thought of the Polo but I think you dwelled a little too much on the value and seemed overly negative. That boot looks luxurious compared to the new Fiesta and other rivals.

Do you used other minis prices for comparison also from de pages? Because there are price differences between countries.

Well built & well made car but expensive and oh so dull. I'm glad I've gone for a Ford Fiesta 100hp 1.0 ecoboost titanium instead of the polo as my next car. Also the Fiesta now has the option of LED headlights, one of the options I chose

In 2008 for a 13k€ you could buy VW Golf or Ford Focus or Opel Astra. Yes in base spec but some of them came AC or electric windows. Is it possible to buy base spec Passat for the 26k € in Poland?

I remember a time when I could spec a Golf for that kind of money ....

I very nearly bought a new polo two weeks ago. But ended up buying a used mini Clubman. Got much more car for the same money

great review

Well i even expect grabbhandles in Any model but that will raise the price to much, especially in a WV you can go easily in Bugatti price range territory with such luxurious accessories.. Thank you for your good and sincere reviews!

Thanks for the review, been waiting for this :) I currently have a 2016 Polo GT and I am thining about getting the new Polo GTI instead. I'm currently leasing which is a big thing here in Denmark, and it looks as if it won't be that much more expensive per month to get the GTI - What options would you definately choose and what would you skip?

I agree, that the new Polo kind of sits between some chairs. It might well be the largest and most luxurious supermini around. But if space and luxury is, what you want, then why not buy a larger car for the same money? The whole point of a supermini is to offer simple, fun and affordable transportation for people without children, and the Polo seem to have forgotten that a bit. Something like a Peugeot 208 is so much cheaper and more simple, that its a better supermini, even its a worse car.

Heh i was close at getting a new Polo GTi with everything on the list, it was 40k euro in Norway, would had gotten it, if it was not for not they tempted me with a 3 year old Audi S1 for 35k Euro i could get with in a week, over 3 months wait on the polo GTI And yes, cars cost a lot in Norway xD

Great and honest review.

My SUV with strong diesel engine, all wheel drive and quite good equipment was payed less than 23 grand brand new.. I can buy two Dacia Logans with 1.5 dci and still have few grands left for the price of this Polo and start Uber business or something like that. Its almost funny how expensive Polo is..

If you want practically and fuel economy, just buy a Honda or Suzuki. This is way too expensive for what is essentially a B segment city car.

asking price is way too high for the new polo. in croatia, for the price of polo tsi 95 hp with trendline trim (13800 E) you can add 200 euros and buy bigger and better equipped hyundai i30 1.4 100 hp with classic trim.

When you crash in VW Polo, you are ok. When you crash in any Dacia, you pray to survive pretty much. Not sure how they can still make cars that bend like waffles during crash tests.

I think Ibiza looks slightly better and it is significantly cheaper. Interior quality of Polo is better, but it doesn't justify the price.

Intertainment system and dash board nice......rest.......i'll choose KIA Rio.....

26k? even without metallic colour,sunroof and auto braking?and on 15 inc alloys? bad vw:P

What a terribly dull and uninspiring car. Even Toyota makes more interesting cars than VW these days. Great review as always

A good car. I ordered one.

Nobody buys this trim with these options, at list price. There's always a special series with decent equipment and more affordable price on sale. Edition1/Match/sound/connect and so on are the good sellers. I think VW is struggled with the cost of the MQB (A0) platform. Event the new Ibiza was very expensive at its launch last year.

The Polo is a fantastic B-segment car, but it it pretty expensive, and I feel like Peugeot Citroen have better choices

Just buy Seat Ibiza. Polo in Serbia costs as much as Golf. For 20500 euros i can buy Golf with 1.4 150 hp petrol or Seat Leon 2.0 184 hp tdi with Golf GTD engine. Or 1.0 115 hp VW Polo. Its insane.

Sorry but your réflexion on this review is not Good. The question is not: does it worth 26k€ ? But : is this car a good car to buy. Moreover i’m not sure everyone Will order a 26k€ highline version. If price matters What about a bugatti veyron 1M€ car vs a lamborghini aventador 350k€ with almost the same performances and options? This Is so stupid. Finally, u Can not compare to an old car with greater performances to, because performances is not the subject with a Polo. Efficience is.

Mazda 3 2.0 165hp in top equipment is less than 26000 euros :O

First I like then I watch

Marku, klient korporacyjny wybierze wariant 1.0/70 koni z klimą za niecałe 50k PLN. I mamy odpowiedź kto to kupi i za ile. Ew. Klient prywatny który, potrzebuje taniego auta kupi też coś z segmentu B. Więc pewnie wybierze 1.0 95 z klimą manualną i lakierem metalik za coś koło 60k PLN

26k for Polo? vw is crazy

27k

28k?

Who needs in such a car DSG, elec. folding mirrors, reversing camera (in such a small car, haha), virtual cockpit, ... makes the car artificially expensive, ...brainless who buys that.

Well if you consider Seat (i wonder why you still havent reviewed Cupra?!) and Škoda that are bassically VW with 5-10% more plastic, but costs up to 35% less it makes no sense. Example i built Seat Cupra ST 4wd DSG with all bells and whistles and i costs between 50-55k euros, similary Golf R Costs 60-65k euros, really? 4.2m car vs 4.5m, golf Variant you say, well around 65k-70k apsurd! Not to mention Škoda models which are all larger than any Volkswagen and far more superior if you consider value for money. If you look objectively Volkswagen doesnt make any sense, just buy Škoda or Seat. ;-)

Heck you may as well get a 2018 leaf for that cash

Ibiza? As a cheaper alternative...

Soon 100ke subscribers

I have the previous generation Polo which is a great car, but this new one is just meh :/ the previous Polo was a smaller Golf, this new one is a worse Golf

seriously? 26000 for a Polo? .. I wouldnt even buy that granny style hatchback for 12000

You must be smoking angel dust if you buy a polo for over 20k in Spain I can buy a basic sharan for 27k

I don't understand how stupid people are : 1- If you wan't the newest car with a lot of options : YOU PAY ! ! ! Wait for 2-3 years and you can buy a limited edition special model with a lot of options standard for a fair price (this is called marketing ! ! !) 2- Fully specced, high powered VW's and Audi's are among the most populair with carthieves and burglars (think nav , airbags etc. ). Buy a Skoda ! ! ! 3- In 10 years or less : you step in your car, type your destination and your car brings you fully automatic to where you wanna go. ( what a horror scenario) I still wan't to feel i,m in charge of the car. When I drive ,I drive. I don't play with a mobile-phone. I wan't a car with powersteering, rev counter, electric front-windows and- mirrors, centrol locking with remote control, airco (not climatronic) and that's about all I need. For navigation you buy a TomTom. Who needs a rain-sensor, you can turn the switch yourself. Who needs lane-departure-warning : keep your eyes on the road and not on your phone. I realise that most people won't agree with me, so be it. My car doesn't cost 26.000 euro's.

the car companies should just stop doing overpriced offerings and giving percentages later on. It´s not 1950. Everyone has internet and is able to buy at a place 500km away. This strategy is just useless in 21st century.

25000

Volkswagen offers good quality but the car looks sooooo boring. I prefer the Seat Ibiza, same car but more emotional, better looking and cheaper than the Polo.

Lol. You can buy a decently equipped Lexus CT for 26k. Nice try, VW.

08:50 Agreed: absurdly expensive for what it is... (but that is VW's pricing policy which is why VW does not succeed in the USA). However, I do like it a little but won't buy it. Think the NEW Focus for 26,000 may be a better buy! [edit] forgot... and EVERY colour, except a hideous "Urano grey" is a extra-cost option - even red and basic white cost extra. Talk about being cheap - VW must be the cheapest car maker out there...!!! After BREXIT hope no one buys VW's overpriced, boring-looking, dull to drive, shitty aftercare service, cars (shitty dealerships from personal experience) with below-average reliability! BUT the British motoring press love them - only because they have soft touch plastics here and there!

so funny price for that shit..

the new polo has to mani dam creeses I HATE THAT

Dull, boring and as ever overpriced. There are better cars out there. Also other manufacturers don't have as much controversy as the VW group

I'd rather buy a donkey than this overprized, dull and lifeless shithouse on wheels.

Omg..🙄 SOOOOO negative it's embarrassing to watch!! 😱

It's so boring....... so uninspiring..........