I've now had my VW Polo Bluemotion 2 5 door for 4 months, have done over 5,000 miles in it and I'm loving it.
The Bluemotion is VW's eco-friendly range, the Polo was the first of their range to be introduced, but the other main vehicles in the range will/have followed.
It is a company car and I had a choice from a limited range of vehicles. I chose this one as it was the most economically one for my circumstances. VW claim it will do a combined 70.6mpg and 88.1mpg Extra Urban. I drive it mainly on the motorway and regularly get 83mpg out of it, and around 550-600 miles on a tank, which is costing me around the £40 to fill up from empty.
Equipment
All Polo BlueMotion models are fitted — as standard — with anti-lock braking, front and side airbags, power steering, electric front and rear windows, electrically-heated and adjustable door mirrors, electronic trip-computer (which I find invaluable), radio/MP3 compatible CD player and front and rear (three) head restraints along with Isofix fittings to accept two rear child seats, crucial for me as I have a young son and planning another before the car is due to be replaced.
Polo BlueMotion 2 versions also have semi-automatic climate control air conditioning, as well as automatic 'coming home' lighting, rain sensing wipers, leather trim for the steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake and remote central locking. These extras do add a little more weight and therefore push emissions up by 5g/km to a Band B rating, giving these an annual road tax bill of £35, but still much cheaper than any other car I've had.
Cost
These are slightly more than a normal Polo, about £1,200 for the Bluemotion 2 5-door, but that is to be expected for the eco-friendly side of it.
Engine
The engine is a VW 1.4-litre three-cylinder TDI turbodiesel , which has Electronic Gas Recirculation and a diesel particulate filter. It also have a revised five-speed manual gearbox with 'longer' third, fourth and fifth gear ratios to optimise fuel economy and results in lower CO2 emissions.
Interior
The interior is basic but functional. I like the ice blue and grey upholstery, but it might not suit some people. I opted for height adjustable front seats and under seat drawers. The construction of the interior is quality and looks good. There is plenty of space and nooks and crannies for storage.
There is good leg room in both the front and the back and the boot space is surprisingly roomy and comfortably takes my sons stroller with room over for all my weeks shopping.
Exterior
I think the exterior of the car is extremely stylish, with great alloy wheels, silver door mirrors and tail gate, clear lights and the usual classic styling from VW. I got the car in black and other than the fact it means it is very hot when you get in on a warm day, it does cool very quickly with the air conditioning.
Handling
It handles wonderfully and once I had run it in the fuel economy is brilliant. The brakes are effective and sharp.
Disadvantages
- No spare wheel only a patching kit, left out to keep weight down and improve economy, not the end of the world for me as I have breakdown cover supplied from my company, but may be a downside for some. - Front seats can be difficult to adjust, need to pull the lever from the exact angle or don't work.
Conclusion
Overall I think this is a fantastic little car and love driving it.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Good ecologically compared to other cars. Looks good. Well put together Disadvantages: Gearing takes getting used to. Noisy engine at low speed.
Advantages: Good ecologically compared to other cars. Looks good. Well put together Disadvantages: Gearing takes getting used to. Noisy engine at low speed.
Jun 30th, 2009
(Jul 1st, 2009)
very helpful by (100%):
