UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

New to this Forum, but I have a Golf, a Sharan, and a Fox in the stable.

Thinking about ordering a new 1.2 Tsi to join them, but views from Forum members much needed:-

1. What is the ride like on the 17 inch Boavista wheels ? Is it too firm for our badly maintained (particularly rural) roads ? Are the standard 16 inch a better bet ?
2. Has anyone got factory-fitted Xenons on their Tsi ? What are the pros and cons and are they worth the cost ?
3. Is DAB radio worth specifying ?
4. Any electrical or mechanical problems so far ?
5. Any Forum member got any new Polo in any colour other than White, Flash Red, Black, or Nimbus Grey ? Surely no one has a Savanah Yellow or do they !?
I am currently torn between Red or Black.
6. Any other pearls of wisdom - if you were ordering again now - what you would and would not order- very welcome

Hi VW family man, I picked up my new Polo GTI 2 weeks ago so can offer some feedback.

1. I have the 17 inch Monza's on the GTI and the ride is ok not as good as the golf but in have always had GTI's so I like a firm ride. Bovista's look great so go for it.

2. Xenons look great and from experience on the Polo (the dealer had a red GTI which I had for a couple of days and used at night as I was interested in using them) they are better than the standard set but I always look at the price and decide against it. In my last two Golf's (MK 5 & 6 GTI's) I changed the bulbs for Xenons with the 90% increase in light and these work wonders for £25 for a pair of H7's. I am looking to do that same for the Polo but need to check what types of bulbs I need. If you do a lot of night driving then yes these are worth it but you can achieve a great result by just changing the bulbs.

3. Sorry can't comment on DAB as I don't use it at all. I can recommend the RCD510 as a head unit as this is great with the media input. Also if you specify the sensor pack the radio display shows where any objects are on the screen.

4. Only had the car 2 weeks and no problems so far.

5. Go for Black if you look at my thread I have posted some picks of my car. The Polo GTI I had from the dealers for a few days was Red and it did stand out but does not look as classy as black. However red is easier to keep clean.

Opps not sure how I managed to miss off the end of my post?

6. I don't regret ordering any of the options, deep black pearl, convenience pack, winter pack, MFSW and RCD510. As mentioned in my thread I had a nice surprise as the MFSW came with controls on RHS to operate the MFD and this was also upgraded to Highline spec. However not quite as Highline as the Golf MFD eg does not have as many menu options.

Cheers,
Edi30

Hi

Got my 1.2TSI SEL the first day of the 60 plates.

I can help with some of your points:

1. I find the ride more than fine on my 17" boas but I think it may be a little more smooth on smaller wheels, but I really like the look of the 17s.

2. No info on this.

3. DAB is quality - even better than I expected. Reception here in the south of the UK has been perfect - not dropped once. If you listen to non-FM stations like 5Live or other specialist stations then it is even better. Would highly recommend this.

4. None yet but only 2k miles.

5. Went for nimbus grey and think it looks sophisticated. Like the black and red too - would avoid other colours personally but all down to own taste.

6. Loving the heated seats (winter pack) at the moment with the weather as it is. DAB for sure, tinted glass nice, 17s as discussed, I went for climatronic (set and leave) which makes life a little easier as does the auto dimming rear mirror (convenience pack). I also got the sensors and cruise but this all depends on how and where you drive.

All in all, a very good drive and a quality car.

1. Love the look of the 17" Boavistas. The car we test drove had standard 16" wheels, and to be honest don't notice the difference in ride and handling all that much. Perhaps a tad firmer but certainly nothing much to really make a difference

2. No. Not worth the cost in my opinion.

3. Not in my opinion.

4. None. Touch wood!

5. We've got a Nimbus Grey and love it. Did consider black, but given that we've had a black car before and had nightmares trying to keep it clean, opted for grey (nearly the same colour as our previous Ford Focus - nobody in work realised we had a new car "because it's the same colour!"). Red does seem to the colour that VW are using for all the advertising, but I think it's down to personal preference and I'm not a huge fan of white cars. To each their own.

6. Himself wanted a sunroof, and while I really like the convenience of a sunroof - fresh air without having to have the windows open - I'm not keen on the price to have it as an option.

Other than that, we're thrilled with our Nimbus Grey 1.2TSI!

Many thanks for all your comments - very helpful.
I like the appearance of the 17" Boavistas too. Hopefully easier to keep the white worm at bay than on Golf GTi Monzas.
The tyres are quite expensive - the mobile fitters I use would currently charge about £120 inc VAT each for a Dunlop Sportmaxx or £132 for a Goodyear Eagle for the 17" wheels.
Hopefully with reasonably sensible driving the fronts should last 20,000 miles ? or will they ? Time will tell !

I could be tempted by the GTi version (I owned two new MK1 Golf GTi's back in the late 1970's) if it was offered with a manual box rather than DSG.
I am informed that VW have no manual box that will fit and take the torque for this engine.

Hitting the mid-sixties with an inevitable gradual deterioration in night driving vision has spurred me on to consider the Bi-Xenons. Being realistic my sight is not going to get any better.
I also like the LED DRL's and headlight washers included with the xenons.
My wife is keen on a sunroof - having one on our Mk IV Golf. This TDi 110 brought new in 1998 is still going strong at 125,000m. I wonder if a 1.2 TSi would make it to that mileage ?
I am pleased that the TSi has a chain driven cam rather than needing expensive labour for rubber belt replacements.

We are lucky in having a very good VW dealer 20 miles away in Ashford Kent that has supplied and looked after our VW's for 12 years.
I have borrowed a new black bog-standard 1.2 Polo from them whilst the Sharan was being serviced and was impressed by it - despite its limited performance.

Test drive on a 1.2 TSi planned when the weather improves. Miserable here today with snow and a bitter NE wind. Even the sheep are pi**ed off - I don't blame them.

If I order the spec is likely to be:- Flash Red, 17" Boavistas, sunroof, bi-xenons, MFSW, & DAB.