Pros: Excellent fuel economy, small and easy to park, small turning circle, low road tax, modest price, surprisingly roomy inside with good rear passenger space, and a class leading boot, easy and fun to drive, good handling, precise steering, rather nippy at city speeds, surprisingly smooth and quiet on city roads, suspension soaks up speed bumps well, happy on motorways, lots of options, nice restrained internal design, and decent quality.

Cons: Modest performance at higher speeds, you have to work the gears, only four seats, only one external lock (driver’s door), base spec model’s seats lack height adjustment, seats have only one tilt mechanism, simple audio system with a non-digital iPod input, basic speakers, noticeable road noise at motorway speeds, somewhat basic interior with exposed metal on the doors.

I bought my Up soon after launch. I needed a car quickly when my Ford Ka (the old teapot model) failed its MOT and only three days were left on the old one. A local VW dealer, Martins of Basingstoke, said I could buy the showroom model, but I could not take it away until a replacement arrived. Clearly the lack of a showroom model could impact sales. So they suggested a loan car. Two weeks later, I handed back the diesel Polo and drove off in a brand new TakeUp. I have now had it for almost a month, and overall I am rather impressed. It is small, hence I can park it in places that even a Ford Fiesta would not fit. Road tax is almost zero, and fuel economy is impressive. I’ve only done 1,500 miles, so the engine has not worn in, but the last 3 refuels worked out at 60 miles per gallon, based on the amount of fuel put in, and the mileage done. Bear in mind that I have kept to 60 mph to economise, as I drive a fair bit, and want to keep costs down. However, in the first few weeks I routinely did 70mph on the motorway and I still got about 54 mph. Impressive! And with luck fuel economy should improve as the engine breaks in.

The car is very easy to drive, with light steering, smooth brakes and gear change, and an easy to read console. In addition to the usual suspects there is a rev meter, a clock, an outside temperature gauge, and an indicator telling you which gear it thinks you should be in. The car is remarkably responsive at lower speeds, with a rather appealing throaty growl from its diminutive 3 cylinder engine when accelerating. At higher speeds you need to work the gears to get any acceleration. On numerous occasions I’ve found myself behind some cars doing 50mph, on a minor road, and after dropping into third gear, the car accelerated rapidly and flew past without any problems. On the motorway it feels stable, albeit with more road noise than I would prefer. That said, it is much quieter than my old Ford Ka, and on a par with the VW diesel Polo I had on loan. It is easy to have a conversation while on the motorway without shouting and I suspect you would have to pay a lot more to get a noticeably quieter car. At city speeds the car is remarkably quiet, although not surprisingly road noise does depend on the road quality. On at least one occasion I’ve been at traffic lights, and I have tried to restart the engine after mistakenly thinking it had stalled. On a good road you might think the engine was electric. One issue I had was that sometimes on inserting the key into the ignition I was unable to turn it. This is an issue I also had with the VW Polo, so it seems to be a VW feature rather than a fault. Jiggling the steering wheel and the key for a while sorts it out, but I don’t think this is desirable.

The console and interior look nice, although there is exposed metal on the doors, and the plastic door panels are very basic. The design of the dashboard is pleasing and modern, and rather German, in that form follows function, in fact that is true of the entire car. The front seats have integral head rests, but lack height adjustment (this is only true of the base model), and there is only one tilt mechanism, so if you tilt the seat forward for someone to get in the back, you lose your preferred setting. Although the interior looks nice, and is of good quality, it has nowhere near the interior quality and finish of the Polo, which in that respect is a class leader. Nor is it as stylish as a Fiat 500, inside or out, although the external appearance is pleasing, and undeniably from the same stable as the Polo and the Golf.

Interior space is good. No doubt reducing the engine size frees up interior space. I am just under 6 foot tall, and I can sit in the driver’s seat, without having to move the seat forward, and the rear passenger still has decent leg room, unlike in some cars such as the old model Ford Ka. I’ve been a passenger in several small cars, including the Ford Fiesta, the Fiat Panda and a Toyota Aygo, and the VW Up is as good as the best of those. I would not want to be a rear seat passenger on a long drive, but I am sure it would be no worse than many train seats. In terms of storage, there is a decent boot, with room for several suitcases, a pocket in each door, a very nice glove box, and various small cubby holes and cup holders. Storage space in the rear seat area is lacking. The rear windows cannot be opened, so rear seat passengers must rely on the front windows and the ventilation system. The base model does not come with air conditioning, but it can be fitted as an option, and comes as standard with the next model up, the Move Up. The base model also comes with manual door winders, and electric windows can be ordered as part of an optional pack. Electric windows are standard on the next model up. The rear door has a large glass panel which adds to the appeal. There is a radio and CD unit, which comes with an aux input for an MP3 player. It is a fairly basic unit, but the face plate has a nice piano black design, and the layout of the controls is clear and easy to use, so I have no complaints. The TakeUp has two speakers.

The TakeUp comes with front driver and passenger airbags, and side airbags, crumple zones, and ABS, and it achieves 5 stars in the NCAP tests, making it one of the safest small cars on the road. The MoveUp and higher models includes Electronic Stabilisation Programme, further improving safety.

Servicing is every 10K miles or year, whichever is the soonest, and alternates between oil change services, and full services. Essentially the full service is every 20K miles or two years, but the oil is changed every year as recommended by many people including Honest John.

Overall, the Up is a class act: small, inexpensive, economical, quiet, fun to drive, and surprisingly spacious. What’s not to like?

Brief comparisons: I had a VW 1.2L TDI Polo on loan for two weeks before collecting the TakeUp. The TakeUp is better to drive, and feels almost as roomy, although the boot is a bit smaller. The Polo had quite a bit more grunt at motorway speeds, but lacked performance at low speeds, due to turbo lag. The interior was built to a noticeably higher standard, as you would expect. A year ago I was loaned a base spec. Ford Fiesta for a weekend. I did not like it. It felt a bit cheap inside, and the engine was disappointing, and not at all perky. Before the TakeUp I had an old style Ford Ka which I bought new and kept for 10 years. I was very find of it, as it was fun to drive, more so than the Up, but it was very noisy on the motorway, and it only did 40 to 45 mpg.

Note: Cost of maintenance and repairs rated 5 stars but too soon to know. However, a three year servicing plan is available for £300 which is decent value.

The above was written on 9 May 2012.

Update 10 May 2012: Volkswagen have numerous factory fitted upgrades to the base model TakeUp that I own. For example, the Comfort Pack which costs £350 includes electric windows, remote locking, and seat height adjustment. Higher models such as the MoveUp include the Comfort Pack items as standard.

Update 12 May 2012: At least one bike rack for the rear hatch is available from a third party supplier.

Update 26 March 2013: Over 65mpg in Summer, average 57mpg in Winter. The driver's seat has broken in. It is still running nicely. Only one problem. On one drive home the steering pulled to the right. The next day it was fine. I only wish other people would post reviews, to balance my overenthusiastic one! Some people have problems with the gearbox including noise. Details on the Up owners forum.