Volkswagen Polo Review

• Typical used price (UK): £10,000–£18,000 (2018-on current Polo, depending on engine, age and spec)
• This car: £12,799 (VK22JYT, HPL Motors Oldham)
• Insurance group: 8 (very low)
• Fuel economy: 54.3 mpg (combined)
• CO₂: 119 g/km (Euro 6)
• Best for: Buyers wanting a grown-up, high-quality small car that's cheap to run and easy to live with

Is It a Good Choice?

If you want a small car that feels genuinely grown-up, the Volkswagen Polo is one of the smartest used buys around. It's long been the benchmark in the supermini class for one simple reason: it feels a cut above. The cabin is beautifully built, the driving experience is quiet and refined, and the whole car has a solidity that makes rivals feel cheap. For buyers who want something small but don't want to feel they've downsized, it's ideal.

This example is the 1.0 TSI Life, which pairs the eager turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine with the popular Life trim. It's well equipped where it matters, with an 8-inch digital cockpit, an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control, Front Assist emergency braking and LED headlights. With 37,700 miles, a low insurance group and VW's trademark quality, it's a lot of nearly-new small car for £12,799.

Pricing & Running Costs

The current Polo has been on sale since 2018 (with a facelift in 2021), so there's a wide used choice, and prices have settled to make it strong value. How much you pay depends mainly on age, mileage, engine and trim.

Typical UK Used Price Ranges:

• Earlier cars (2018–2020): roughly £10,000–£13,000
• Later facelifted cars (2021–2023): roughly £12,000–£17,000
• Newest cars and the sporty GTI: typically more again

At £12,799 with the turbocharged 1.0 TSI engine and the well-equipped Life trim, this 2022 car is sensibly priced for its age and mileage. The Polo is also genuinely cheap to run, which adds to the appeal.

Running Costs:

• Fuel: the turbocharged 1.0 TSI is economical, with an official 54.3 mpg (see MPG, Emissions & Tax below).
• Insurance: group 8 — very low, which makes it cheap to insure and a great choice for newer or younger drivers.
• Servicing: a well-proven VW Group engine means sensible maintenance costs, with one point to budget for: a cambelt (see Safety & Reliability).
• Road tax: a flat annual VED rate applies (see below).
• Clean air: as a Euro 6 petrol it's compliant with London's ULEZ and other Clean Air Zones.

Performance & Driving Experience

The 1.0 TSI is a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine producing 94bhp, and it suits the Polo well. It's willing and flexible, with enough low-down pull to feel brisk in town and relaxed on the motorway, and a likeable, characterful three-cylinder thrum. It's not fast, 0–62mph takes 10.8 seconds, but it never feels strained in normal driving, and the five-speed manual gearbox is light and precise.

Where the Polo really stands out is refinement. It's quiet, settled and comfortable in a way few superminis match, soaking up bumps nicely and staying hushed at speed, so it feels like a bigger, more expensive car on a long run. The steering is light and accurate, making it easy to drive and park, and while it's not as overtly sporty as a Ford Fiesta, it's more grown-up and relaxing, which is exactly what most buyers in this class want.

Key Performance Figures:

• Power: 94 bhp (95 ps)
• Engine: 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol (3-cylinder), 999 cc
• Drive: front-wheel drive, 5-speed manual
• 0–62 mph: 10.8 seconds
• Top speed: 116 mph

Interior & Technology

The Polo's cabin is its trump card. It's smartly designed, logically laid out and built from good materials, with a quality and solidity that genuinely feels a class above its rivals. This Life model has an 8-inch digital cockpit in place of conventional dials, an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB-C sockets front and rear, so it's thoroughly up to date.

It's worth being clear about what the Life trim includes and what it doesn't. On the safety and tech side it's generous, with adaptive cruise control and Front Assist as standard. On comfort it's a little more basic: it has manual air conditioning rather than climate control, cloth seats and no built-in sat nav (you use your phone's navigation through CarPlay or Android Auto instead), and this car isn't listed with a reversing camera. Some of the lower cabin plastics are harder than the smart upper dashboard, but everything feels solidly built and easy to use.

Space & Practicality

For a supermini the Polo is impressively practical, and it's one of the roomier choices in its class. There's good space up front and enough room in the back for two adults to sit in reasonable comfort, which isn't a given in this class. The boot is a generous 351 litres (among the biggest in the supermini class and notably larger than a Ford Fiesta's or Vauxhall Corsa's) with a wide opening and 60:40 split-folding rear seats for longer loads. It's a genuinely usable small car for a couple, a small family or as an easy second car.

Dimensions:

• Length: 4,074 mm
• Width: 1,751 mm (excluding mirrors)
• Height: 1,451 mm
• Boot: 351 litres
• Seats / doors: 5 / 5

MPG, Emissions & Tax

Low running costs are a big part of the Polo's appeal.

• Official economy: 54.3 mpg combined. In the real world, expect high-40s to low-50s mpg in mixed driving; very economical for a petrol car, helped by the small, efficient turbo engine.
• CO₂ and tax: 119 g/km. The first-year VED was settled when the car was new, so it now sits on the flat standard annual rate (check the current DVLA figure).
• Clean Air Zones: as a Euro 6 petrol it's compliant with London's ULEZ and other UK Clean Air Zones, so there's no daily charge to drive it in those areas.
• Insurance: at group 8 it's very cheap to insure, which keeps overall running costs low.

Safety & Reliability

Safety is a strong point. The Polo was awarded the maximum five stars by Euro NCAP when tested in 2017, with an excellent 96% for adult occupant protection and 85% for child occupants, and, unusually for the class at the time, autonomous emergency braking was standard. This Life model builds on that with Front Assist emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and Travel Assist as standard. The rating dates from 2017 and has since expired as Euro NCAP's standards have tightened, so it's best compared with cars of a similar age.

NCAP Ratings (Euro NCAP, 2017):

• Overall: 5 Stars
• Adult occupant: 96%
• Child occupant: 85%
• Note: autonomous emergency braking is standard; rating dates from 2017 and has expired

On reliability, the Polo has a strong record, and its 1.0 TSI engine is a well-proven VW Group unit used across the Polo, SEAT Ibiza and Škoda Fabia. One thing to be aware of is that this engine is cam-belt driven, so there's a scheduled belt replacement to budget for over the car's life; it's worth checking whether it has been done or when it's due. Otherwise the main points are the usual ones for a modern turbo petrol: keep up with servicing and oil changes. Reassuringly, the Polo's build quality is excellent, and this car comes with HPL's 128-point inspection and a warranty, with extended cover available.

Alternatives

• SEAT Ibiza — the Polo's close cousin under the skin, a little sportier and usually cheaper.
• Ford Fiesta — the most fun to drive in the class, if you want a keener, sportier feel.
• Vauxhall Corsa — a stylish, keenly priced rival with petrol and electric versions.
• Peugeot 208 — a chic small car with a distinctive interior and striking looks.
• Audi A1 — the premium-badge sibling, if you want a plusher small car for a little more.
• Toyota Yaris — the sensible hybrid choice, with excellent fuel economy and a strong reliability record.

Verdict

The Volkswagen Polo is the grown-up's supermini and remains the benchmark in its class, so it's very easy to recommend as a used buy. It feels a cut above its rivals for quality and refinement, it's practical and safe, and it's cheap to run and insure. This 1.0 TSI Life, with wireless Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise and VW's trademark solidity for £12,799, is a lot of grown-up small car for the money. The honest trade-offs are a willing-rather-than-quick 1.0 engine, a Life trim that's generous on safety but plainer on comfort, and the cam-belt service to keep in mind. But for buyers who want a small car that doesn't feel small in quality, it's one of the best around.

Overall Rating: ⭐ 4.4 / 5