We have been looking at these two cars to buy at about 12 months old. SWMBO likes the Corsa, I prefer the build quality of the VW. Probably not much between them in terms of reliability or mpg. Both quite nice to drive, given limitations of a small car.
Corsa will be cheaper to fix, VW has better resale values but costs more in the first place. VW has nicer and better quality trim and has galvanised panels. Corsa looks nicer and most towns have a dealer. So we have a problem deciding.
What do others think? Which would you take given a free choice?
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We bought a new Corsa (not a diesel) in 2002 and its been superb both in terms of build quality and reliability. I think you will find a good part of the Corsa's panels are galvanised too. If the previous model Corsa is anything to go by, rust won't be a problem.
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I had a corsa on hire for 2 weeks / 1000 miles last year BC, and had real problems with comfort.
The seat is very thin and basic [unless you're looking at the sri] and the pedal / wheel alignment was well off true - result backache.
I bought a polo - not a TDI - which has had niggling electrical problems, [so much for 'VW reliabilty'] but that apart it's a great car - comfortable and refined with a grown up feel, it's a mini-mile-muncher, the TDI would be even more so.
If funds allow I'd try the corsa in SRI trim at ukcarbroker for £9220 - £3200 off list.
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Not sure of your buying power, but in place of the Polo have you looked at the Seat Ibiza diesel? More for your money?
I just mention it, me being a SEAT fan!
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Not sure of your buying power, but in place of the Polo have you looked at the Seat Ibiza diesel? More for your money?
Or Skoda Fabia. Same arguments apply, but depends which styling you prefer.
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It depends on your budget, I guess - but VW franchise dealers typically ask more for a year old Polo than brokers do for a new one.
Of the two, I've only driven the Corsa and found it crude and not that quick, but evidently what matters is which car you prefer to live with.
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Wife bought a 1.2S from ukcarbroker - very roomy supermini, precise steering, good gearbox, clutch a bit soft, blue-lit dials look good. Handles well but gets blown around at higher speeds in open spaces. Interior a bit bland. Overall a good buy for £8k.
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My wife replaced her 9 month old (4,000 miles) Polo 1.4 tdi last January with a Skoda Fabia 100 bhp Elegance. Reasons:
New gearbox needed at 300 miles (couldn't get the gearbox out of reverse)
Two new front seats fitted at 400 miles; driver's seat stuck when it was tipped forward so car couldn't be driven. Operating cables broken.
Three attempts to cure oil leaks from top of engine, none successful.
Fuel/vacuum pump replaced at 2,000 miles.
Camshaft cover replaced at 2,500 miles.
Brake judder caused by warped discs.
Creaking door seals replaced but no improvement.
The car was off the road for almost four weeks waiting for parts.
Very poor unhelpful, disorganised dealer.
Very unhelpful, disorganised VW customer services.
75 bhp engine underpowered for quite a heavy car.
Economy poor; only about 40 mpg, probably because of over-worked engine.
Possibly luck of the draw, but....?
In contrast the Fabia has been no trouble at all with an excellent dealer.
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Polo or Corsa. Both can be nightmares in terms of reliability. I know there are good ones about, but generally very average reliability. Perhaps a Toyota Yaris diesel or Honda Jazz would be a better bet?
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Yaris diesel engine v. impressive - don't really like the Yaris though -wifes' 1.3 petrol is too rattly, with odd, bouncy ride. If Honda did a good diesel Jazz, I'd buy that ASAP. 3 cylinder TDI I tried in A2 was quite nippy, with the massive torque for its size: the same as my old 1.9 Audi 80, which got 50mpg easily, and I had it for 50k miles. So would expect the Polo to be pretty respectable in response and mileage, apart from top speed. Maybe the example cited above was off-colour, as it appeared to be a real lemon!
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If Honda did a good diesel Jazz, I'd buy that ASAP.
I know there are lots of reasons to go diesel, but if economy is one of them, I'd still be tempted by the Jazz. Its mpg figures look remarkably diesel-like!
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bert
(1) 75 bhp engine underpowered for quite a heavy car.
(2) Economy poor; only about 40 mpg, probably because of over-worked engine
I have to disagree with these two comments.
(1) In my opinion this is the best small diesel engine there is, you should check the performance figures of similar diesel engined cars to see how good it is espescially considering the Polo is 200 tO 400 lbs heavier than the opposition
(2) 40 mpg?, it would have to be in stop start traffic or revving the nuts off it for it to be as low as this.I get 65/68mph on the motorway and 50/55 mph in and around Sheffield and i have not got a feather foot.
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Alan
My wife's Polo replaced an older one (previous model) with the same 75 bhp tdi engine. The older car was superb and the engine/performance/consumption were all excellent but the car was about 200kg lighter. IMO I think that you would find the 100 bhp tdi version of the Polo far superior. In the Fabia it gives far better performance and better consumption than the 75 bhp version
Unfortunately, as you will have gathered, we found the newer Polo to be absolute rubbish. Perhaps we were unlucky but there have been very many complaints about the quality of the 'new' Polo and VW's in general.
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bertj
From what i have read most of the adverse publicity and poor reliability ratings are down to the so called coil problems and although this fault should not have been allowed to occur i think it may have had a disproportionate effect on VWs ratings. Maybe you have been unlucky, i have had no problems since i bought my Polo By the way i would have loved a 100bhp one but the piggy bank was a bit empty, also i was tempted at my local dealers with a £1200 discount for a 3 door in metallic blue 22 months ago when the price for them was just over £11000. At the time this was a really good deal.
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Thanks for all this advice, it's really useful. I have considered the 1.9 Polo but my local VW garage (non-franchise) warned me that a cambelt change is seriously expensive since the engine has to be dropped. Presumably this applies to the Ibiza as well since it's basically the same car. The smaller 1.4 TDi engine would not have this problem.
I've also been put off VW's recently by their decline in reliability. Either this or the competition has closed the gap.
I'm really waiting for Honda to start making good small diesel engines in cars like the Jazz. Judging by how good the new 2.2 in the Accord is, we may be in for a treat in a few years.
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I'm never too sure as to how the £$£$ add up on the super - mini diesels.Cost more up front & sometimes on the maintainence - tyre wear/cambelts/service frequency.
Anyway, depending on how new you want, Vauxhall have started off loading lots n lots n lots of ALL spec Corsas in auction, so potential BIG savings there.
& your best choice of small, low mileage disels appear in the Motability auction sections.
Check Auctionview link, to our left.
Have you thought that, surely you should be considering Pug 206????
VB
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I had hire car Polo 1.2s. It had nice free reving engine but quite noisy. Looks rather ordinary and cheap unlike my A2.
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I'm really waiting for Honda to start making good small diesel engines in cars like the Jazz. Judging by how good the new 2.2 in the Accord is, we may be in for a treat in a few years.
And the Civic! I'd buy one like a shot. I don't know why they even bothered doing a Civic CTDi (or whatever it is). Why would people, esp. private buyers, bother buying a Honda with an Isuzu engine in it, that gets write-ups of the "Well, it's all right, but....." variety seemingly everywhere?
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I prefer thebuild quality of the VW.
VW has nicer andbetter quality trim >.
are you sure? fabia and corsa much better build IMO.
polo quite poor especially dash plastics and seat trim.
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