Skip to content
Aussieveedubbers

VW Polo - CarsGuide Car of the Year 2010

0 likes
Share Share on Facebook Share on X Share on Reddit
Log in to reply

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#814359
VOLKSWAGEN has done it again.

For the second straight year, the German carmaker has topped the best of the best to claim the Carsguide Car of the Year award. Last year it was VW Golf. This time it's the baby Polo that has done the job, trumping the top 10 contenders and finishing ahead of the Kia Sportage and Skoda Superb wagon

In the end the Polo scored a convincing win, not because of its $16,690 starting price but because of its impressive safety, quality, comfort and driving enjoyment. Look no further - the Golf's little brother is the worlds best small car," says Paul Pottinger, one of the Carsguide COTY judges.

The battle for the 2010 COTY prize began with a cull of more than 100 new arrivals in Australia through the year since the Golf claimed its COTY trophy. The eventual contenders cover every class and price category, from the baby Hyundai i20 through the luxury BMW 5 Series and the E-Class from Mercedes-Benz.

The Carsguide COTY contest is a national award which draws its judges from News Limited papers and websites from coast-to-coast, with former rally star - and current economy champion - Ed Ordynski also joining the panel for 2010.

The judges are led by managing editor Ged Bulmer, who is joined by Carsguide chief reporter Paul Gover, Karla Pincott of Carsguide.com.au, Neil Dowling of the Sunday Times in Perth, Stuart Martin of the Advertise in Adelaide, Craig Duff of the Herald Sun in Melbourne, Paul Pottinger of the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, Peter Barnwell of news suburbans and Mark Hinchliffe of the Courier Mail, Brisbane.

Together they put the 10 finalists through two gruelling days of tests, from track laps to back-seat measurements, but concentrating on real-world driving in all conditions from stop-start city traffic to deserted gravel roads.

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-news/polo_wins_car_of_the_year_2010

1 attachment · Log in to view

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#814547
I read in the SMH today that the Polo has also won the DRIVE Car of the Year award too.

So far:

World Car of the Year - 2009 Golf, 2010 Polo
Cars Guide Car of the Year - 2009 Golf, 2010 Polo
DRIVE Car of the Year -2009 Golf, 2010 Polo
NRMA Best Cars Car of the Year - 2009 Golf, 2010 ...?
Wheels Car of the Year - 2009 Golf, 2010 ...?

Keep an eye on the Best Cars and the Wheels award - chances are the Polo will win those too...

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,785 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#814570
Saw one of these on the road the other day

REckon they look a heap better than the Mk 6 Golf

I like!!

No GTi at the moment though?? 👎
Futue te ipsum!!!

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#814653
The Polo GTI was on display at the recent Sydney motor show, looking fantastic in red. They said it would be going on sale 'in the new year'.

In fact the Polo GTI is on sale now. It was released for local sale on Friday.

The 1.4-litre twin charger engine produces 134 kW, up from 110 kw in the previous model, and 250 Nm. 7-speed DSG gearbox. 0-100 in 6.9 sec, and just 6.1 L/100 km combined.

3-door model is $27,790, 5-door is $28,990.

http://www.nextcar.com.au/n.vw.polo.101126.gti.html

1 attachment · Log in to view

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,785 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#814656
mmmmmmmmmmm................just found my next car 😵
Futue te ipsum!!!

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#814762
It would be great if the Scirocco R does finally make it here - if so maybe it can be NEXT year's Car of The Year for all the magazines and newspapers.

Interestingly, the Scirocco R is slated to have the full Euro-spec 198 kW engine, whereas the Golf R (same engine in Europe) is detuned for Australia to 188 kW. YET - the Scirocco R is front-drive only, not 4Motion all-wheel-drive like the Golf R. More power but only through the front wheels...

The Polo GTI is great value for $27,990. Those AussieVeedubbers still driving Magnas, Subarus, Falcons, Commodores, Evos etc should trade them in.

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#814854
Phil74Camper wrote:It would be great if the Scirocco R does finally make it here - if so maybe it can be NEXT year's Car of The Year for all the magazines and newspapers.

Interestingly, the Scirocco R is slated to have the full Euro-spec 198 kW engine, whereas the Golf R (same engine in Europe) is detuned for Australia to 188 kW. YET - the Scirocco R is front-drive only, not 4Motion all-wheel-drive like the Golf R. More power but only through the front wheels...

The Polo GTI is great value for $27,990. Those AussieVeedubbers still driving Magnas, Subarus, Falcons, Commodores, Evos etc should trade them in.
Great car except I need a little more space than a 3 door polo.

I feel used and abused. I've been told by 3 different salesmen at 3 different dealers that they'll call me in the morning, but they never do! I gave up after 2, but since I was going to be in the district I thought I'd try another. I spent about 45 minutes in the dealership, didnt talk bullshit, didnt try to haggle prices... just waiting, chatting all things VW old and new. But no phone call, and still no response to my web enquiry. I see shitloads of MkVIs on the road, not sure what I am doing wrong. Arent they supposed to call and say that its not me, its him?

waveman1500 Also rides a Honda

1,346 posts · joined Dec 2009 ·

#814859
I think personally that the Polo is fearsomely expensive for what it is. My grandparents were interested in one and had a test drive, but it was a bit small for them. They got an up-specced Hyundai i30 (a considerably larger car) for about $6000 less than what the Polo would have cost, with all of the same equipment and more. It may well be a nice car, but in the small car market price is usually everything. I'm surprised that it won because the various Car of the Year contests usually heavily favour value for money over all else.
1972 VW S-Bug - For Sale!
1968-onwards Beetle panels and glass for sale

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#814868
well, yeah, but you can get laptops with the same spec as my toshiba but a lot cheaper, and you can buy some really cheap TV's at JB Hi Fi with the same res and features as a Sony but they just dont look and feel the same.

Would take a bigger still Lancer over a Hyundai, but agree Polo is too small. If you cant fit your golf clubs behind the back seat then its not worth having. 🙂 Only good for P plate chicks buying new shoes and handbags.

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#815233
waveman1500 wrote:I think personally that the Polo is fearsomely expensive for what it is. My grandparents got an up-specced Hyundai i30 (a considerably larger car) for about $6000 less than what the Polo would have cost, with all of the same equipment and more. It may well be a nice car, but in the small car market price is usually everything. I'm surprised that it won because the various Car of the Year contests usually heavily favour value for money over all else.
$27,990 is for the top-spec GTI model. The normal Polo starts at just $16,690 for a 1.4 3-door manual Trendline. And before you say '1.4 isn't much' - it makes 63 kW (a 1600 Superbug made 37 kW), more than enough for commuting to work and normal running around in VW comfort and efficiency (6.1L / 100 km ). The reason the Polo has won all the awards is that it IS better value than its competition, as well as being simply a better vehicle in the first place. And best of all - it's a Vee Dub.

In any case you always pay a bit more for a better product, whether it be TVs, stereos, power tools, fridges, whatever. There's no law against buying cheap crap cars. Back in the late '50s lots of people paid less than £800 for cars like Morris Minors, Simcas, Hillmans, Austins and Standards, maybe even paid more to spec them up a bit, when Volkswagens were relatively expensive at £899. History has shown which were the better buy, and it's the same today.

Sure the Polo is a little city car - it's the smallest model in the Australian range at present - so if you need more space you should consider a Golf or Jetta. That said, the current Polo is bigger than the Mk1 Golf was - and it was praised at the time for being roomier than a Torana.

waveman1500 Also rides a Honda

1,346 posts · joined Dec 2009 ·

#815242
All of that is very good Phil, I don't doubt that it's a good car like all VWs. However, in the small car market, a lot of buyers are very tight for cash, they may be parents buying a first car for their child, or often retired pensioners. For these people, the price difference of a couple of thousand on a small car is often too much to get over. Also, I've never seen a Polo advertised for $16,990. As far as I've heard the starting price for a 3 door Trendline is $19,990, which is too much. At that price you're $5000 clear of the cheaper competitors and at least $2k above most others. That's a lot!
1972 VW S-Bug - For Sale!
1968-onwards Beetle panels and glass for sale

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#815259
I suppose it comes down to whether you value paying a little extra for (award winning) Volkswagen quality over saving a few bucks on a cheep and cheerful Korean thing. I'm a VW enthusiast first, so I do - and I'm glad that many others have also felt the same over the years, or there wouldn't be used VWs to choose from. Every Beetle, Type 3 or Kombi on the road mean that, once, someone chose to pay extra for it new rather than choosing a cheaper Corolla or Datsun 120Y, Hiace or Ezy-Loader. Thank goodness ! But most people won't, which is why Kias and Hyundais sell more than the Polo. Still its nice to know that the Polo is better.

I've read lots of reports and reviews that quote the Polo as starting at $16,690 for the most basic Trendline, such as http://www.caradvice.com.au/66927/2010-volkswagen-polo-review/

But having checked the VW Australia website, they now say $19,990 (that's drive-away - maybe includes all on-roads? I dunno), so you're right. Either they've upspecced that model since release, or jacked the price up.

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#824831
I was doing really well until I was asked about VW twice this week. All of a sudden I'm half looking again.

Tell me why the Polo GTI is only available in DSG? Dumb. The DSG is brilliant going up gears. Not so much going down into second around corners. Too slow. On paper the performance looks better than MkV Golf GTI. Better power to weight ratio 9.12 vs 9.01kg/kW and better torque to weight 4.79 vs 4.76.

One really crazy item in the brochure is the towing capacity. How long would a 63kW polo trendline last pulling a 1 tonne trailer????

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#824882
I suppose since VW Australia sells more DSG Golf GTIs than manual GTIs, they supposed the Polo choices would also go the same way. And since they only sell 3,000 Polos a year and 15,000 Golfs, it wasn't worth the expense of adding a manual option.

According to the VW UK website, they only get the DSG as well. http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/#/new/polo-v/which-model/compare/853/

I guess for 99.999% of everyday drivers, with our speed limits they way they are and the number of cameras out to catch you, the DSG will be just fine. I'd like to see someone try a Polo GTI at Wakefield Park or Huntley but people who buy them don't seem to be interested.

Yes 63kW doesn't sound like much, but a 2-litre Kombi only made 51kW and plenty of them tow 1-tonne trailers. I suppose normally you wouldn't, but it's nice to know that if you had to, you COULD.

Gracey Wolfsburg Wizard

511 posts · joined Feb 2003 ·

#824942
amazeer wrote:I was doing really well until I was asked about VW twice this week. All of a sudden I'm half looking again.

Tell me why the Polo GTI is only available in DSG? Dumb. The DSG is brilliant going up gears. Not so much going down into second around corners. Too slow. On paper the performance looks better than MkV Golf GTI. Better power to weight ratio 9.12 vs 9.01kg/kW and better torque to weight 4.79 vs 4.76.

One really crazy item in the brochure is the towing capacity. How long would a 63kW polo trendline last pulling a 1 tonne trailer????

I agree, I'm interested in a GTI Polo, however I don't want DSG. A 6 speed manual would be tops and it'd probably drop the price by a couple of grand. That would make the GTI untouchable from a value for money point of view.

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#824982
amazeer wrote:I was doing really well until I was asked about VW twice this week. All of a sudden I'm half looking again.

Tell me why the Polo GTI is only available in DSG? Dumb. The DSG is brilliant going up gears. Not so much going down into second around corners. Too slow. On paper the performance looks better than MkV Golf GTI. Better power to weight ratio 9.12 vs 9.01kg/kW and better torque to weight 4.79 vs 4.76.

One really crazy item in the brochure is the towing capacity. How long would a 63kW polo trendline last pulling a 1 tonne trailer????
good to hear u r looking again 😉
get back on the wagon n get that golf for the golf clubs 👍
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse

Fantasy http://seventhchronicle.com

Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity

Barrels www.barrelman.com.au

VW Workshop - aircooledgarage.com.au
allcooled.com.au

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#824992
Like you say, trying to find manuals is impossible. When I was looking at golfs I couldnt find a manual from nowra, moss vale, liverpool to sutherland or anywhere in between.

I've driven 3 dsgs. A passat with the steering wheel paddle shift, an fsi and tdi golfs with the secondary gate on the shifter. My falcon also has the secondary gate. I cant get used to driving them in manual mode. The passat I might have been able to get used to... only it shifts itself back to auto after a short period of time. The DSG is supposed to be equal or quicker in drag race accelaration times. What it cant predict though is what you can see. An overtaking lane about to open up. Or worse overtaking on the other side of the road. It cant see the hill approaching, it doesnt know if you are slowing down for a traffic light, a bend or a corner. For moving around in city peak hour it may be fine. I know its had several design awards and they ARE better autos than anything else I've ever driven or been a passenger in. Its definitely not for a car "driver" though. Give me a 5 speed manual over a 7 speed DSG any day. If you arent a car driver, dont waste your money on a Polo GTI. Its just stupid. Get a bigger smoother Golf.

Hutcho Wolfsburg Wizard

528 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#825130
waveman1500 wrote:All of that is very good Phil, I don't doubt that it's a good car like all VWs. However, in the small car market, a lot of buyers are very tight for cash, they may be parents buying a first car for their child, or often retired pensioners. For these people, the price difference of a couple of thousand on a small car is often too much to get over. Also, I've never seen a Polo advertised for $16,990. As far as I've heard the starting price for a 3 door Trendline is $19,990, which is too much. At that price you're $5000 clear of the cheaper competitors and at least $2k above most others. That's a lot!
Each to thier own and no offence but a certain cliche comes to mind...
You get what you pay for...(generally speaking)!!