Owner Review: Nippy, manual hatchback - My 2008 VW Polo GTI

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Basic information

2008 Volkswagen Polo GTI

Reason why I bought this car

Downsizing from a Nissan Frontier to a city friendly car. It came with a manual transmission(MT) while inheriting it’s powerplant from the Mk4 Golf GTI.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM 100k~120k
• Models that I have considered include: Pre-owned W203 Mercedes / E46 BMW / new Polo

The reason why I choose this car

Having read the reviews, I was more eager to learn more about this brand and model. Since Malaysia did not bring in the highly frugal Polo Bluemotion which was giving about 5.1l/100km, there were only 2 choices. It was either the Cross or the GTI. The Cross came in that funky orange dessert colour and a 1.6l auto while the GTI in MT and in red! I decided on the GTI because it was truer to its roots in inheriting a Mk4 Golf GTI engine, tartan sports seats, typical GTI 5 spoke “Denver” rims, MT and VW being well known for their hot hatches.

User experience

• I have already done 75,784 km
• My average fuel consumption is 7.8 L/100km

Powered by a 20v 1.8T engine which produces 150PS and 220 Nm, this 1,200kg+ supermini feels planted when thrown at corners. Sporty fabric seats provide ample support and that fat leather wrapped steering wheel with red stitching feels nice to grab on to. Ride quality is sacrificed with harshness from the stiff dampers and long distance travel isn’t comfortable. The short shift gear can sometimes be vague. Safety equipment are airbags, Stability Control, Brake Assist and ABS. Turbo lag is easily corrected with the right gear and it kicks in at about 2000rpm. Being a purist, I like to keep my equipment stock and the 205/45R16 tyres are a bit difficult to find.

Never had any major issues apart from the usual wear and tear. Changed the absorbers, suspension arms etc back in 2019 which cost me about RM4k including workmanship. Recently the aircon belt broke and the compressor jammed. Again it cost me almost RM4k to replace the compressor, belts, etc. Scheduled maintenance of 10,000km or 6 months (whichever comes first) costs RM200 per service. Average fuel consumption 12.5km/l urban and 14km/l on highways.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Easy to drive and park due to its size.
• Relatively cheap to maintain.
• Ample performance for a city car - nippy on the streets.
• Anti-theft device for those who don’t know how to drive a MT.
• Not many high tech gadgets which may be costly to replace.

Cons

• Rattling noise coming from don’t know where.
• Harsh ride, small cabin space (comfy for 4).
• Dashboard cracked perhaps due to heat or other factors.
• Only 1 cup holder in the center of the console. The other 2 are in the centre console.
• To adjust the seat, you need to turn the knob endlessly unlike Japanese cars with pull levers.

Ratings

Total Score: 5
Performance: 5
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 3
Ride Comfort: 3
Fuel Economy: 4
Price & Cost: 4

Summary

This is my first German car and I am glad to have made this choice. The chances of me changing this car is almost nil since I liked it in the first place. No problems with DSG, heavy oil consumption, tech heavy gadgets or equipment makes this car a keeper. And there aren’t many on Malaysian roads.

Some interesting events

Panicked when I couldn't open the fuel filler cover at the petrol station. It was on a Saturday night in Penang. How am I going to return to KL? No solution provided from the Operations Manual and salesman. Went to a supermarket to buy some dinner and then accidentally found out that the filler cover is linked to the central locking system. Press twice to unlock all the doors and this cover will be unlocked as well. Thought I would be stranded in Penang over the weekend!

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