| Volkswagen Polo - a car in its (Optimus) Prime? | | | | that really should be collecting its pension each |
| Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Even at this | | | | week and leaving the business of driving to the |
| relatively early stage of my life there's loads of | | | | youngsters. However don't make the mistake I've |
| things I wish I could've done a bit differently or | | | | made of taking for granted a great situation and |
| encountered a bit sooner. A prime example would | | | | not fully appreciating it. |
| be the family holidays I used to go on. I was quite | | | | Despite the age the Polo's heritage harks back |
| fortunate in that the three of us have seen most | | | | too, the latest model is no old man when |
| of Europe and lots of America. I remember all | | | | competing in today's market. Currently not the |
| sorts, from jumping into a Volkswagen Polo hire | | | | baby of the Volkswagen family thanks to the Fox |
| car in Ibiza, long before I was aware of what | | | | and Lupo, the Polo emits a certain quality not |
| those who aren't on a family holiday do in Ibiza, to | | | | found in all super minis. The styling is as you'd |
| sitting in a Delorean at Universal Studios in Los | | | | expect from a car designed to attract all |
| Angeles. | | | | spectrums of taste and is therefore subtle but still |
| Whilst I always appreciated my holidays, now I've | | | | good-looking. A personal favourite are the rear |
| got a job, a mortgage and have to pay for such | | | | light clusters that wouldn't look out of place as |
| luxuries as holidays myself, I wish I could've made | | | | Optimus Prime's eyes in the Transformers sequel. |
| a bit more of the family trips than I did. It's a | | | | Essentially being a shrunken Golf, the Polo handles |
| similar story with music (which for the biography | | | | all situations very well, whether it's city speed |
| is as much a love of mine as cars). I lap up all | | | | humps or countryside cornering. The entry level |
| sorts of audio, but my two big regrets are | | | | engines are a tad underpowered which mean |
| missing the boats that are Nirvana and Smashing | | | | more driver involvement to get going - great if |
| Pumpkins in their prime. The former came to a | | | | you're in the mood for working the engine, not so |
| climatic end when I was only ten, so there's not a | | | | if you want to get from A to B quickly and |
| lot I could do to change that, but the Pumpkins | | | | peacefully. |
| are a different kettle of fish. | | | | The interior is the usual grade 'A' fare as you'd |
| I've known of them for years but it's only this | | | | expect from a German manufacturer, with a |
| week I've truly discovered their brilliance. The | | | | chunky steering wheel conveying the quality of |
| problem is, I'm about twelve years too late from | | | | the cabin as a whole. On a personal note, I have a |
| their prime so for all the excitement of hearing | | | | thing for blue neon lights so the Polo is heaven, |
| their stuff, I know I'll never get to see them play | | | | with the majority of the instrumentation bathed in |
| live (or at least not in their original guise). It really | | | | its soft glow. Rear legroom is good as is the boot |
| is frustrating considering the dross that is popular | | | | space so it ticks all the boxes for a family |
| in today's music (I sound like my granddad!) | | | | shopping trip. Safety features also abound, with |
| So where am I going with this whimsical tale of | | | | stability control and brake assist found on all |
| missed opportunities in my youth? I think the | | | | variants. Residual values tend to stay high with |
| message is simply: just because something's been | | | | Volkswagens, so if you do come to sell, this |
| around for a while, don't take it for granted or | | | | should be the least of your headaches. |
| assume the newer variations on an old theme are | | | | It's a busy crèche the baby Volkswagen |
| better. A prime example of this is the very car I | | | | finds itself in, with the Peugeot 207, Renault Clio, |
| sat in the back of years ago in Ibiza - the | | | | Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa all fitting |
| Volkswagen Polo. | | | | contenders for your money. Just remember |
| The Polo has been around an astoundingly long | | | | when you're looking for a new car, not to |
| time for a car - first hitting showrooms way back | | | | overlook the elder statesman, else you'll miss a |
| in 1975. It's easy therefore to denounce the Polo | | | | great car in its prime. |
| as nothing more than a car over thirty years old | | | | |