Ford Fiesta vs VW Polo

ralphsreview — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:07:25 +0000

Is the Polo at long last a contender? The Ford Fiesta was launched way back in 1976 following the success of British, French and Italian small cars. VW’s small car was the Golf . Over the years the Golf grew from a small car into a medium small hatch competing with the Focus and Astra. The VW Polo filled the space but somehow it has never captured the imagination of buyers in the same way as the Fiesta, Golf and other small cars with street cred’. It seems things have changed.

The Fiesta and VW’s have always stuck with clean simple lines. However the new Fiesta has sleek style curves rather like a Mazda2 while the Polo retains clean lines albeit a bit chunkier like a Golf. So the Fiesta and Polo look different.

The other main difference is there’s a credible Polo GTi. Hot hatches definitely elevate the image of a model. Think what Williams then RenaultSport did for the Clio and VXR for Corsa. It’s said the new 207 will see the return of their GTi. If the new Polo GTi catches on like the original Golf GTi – well.

Otherwise the Fiesta and Polo are very similar:

They have the same entry-level price.
They have a similar range of engines and trims.
The Fiesta and Polo are virtually the same size.
Both their 1.2 petrol engine versions have very similar fuel consumption, emissions and performance. It’s the same story with their manual 1.4 petrol engines.
The Polo has a more efficient 1.4 automatic.
The Polo BlueMotion diesel is highly efficient.
Overall the Fiesta 1.6 diesel looks to me like it has the better combination of economy, emissions and performance.

So that’s it. The Fiesta and Polo are very similar apart from their style and the significant fact the Polo has a GTi. I think the Polo has at last taken the original Golf’s place in the small car sector and is a real contender. But watch out for the new 207 and Clio.

A few things to watch out for:

When car fuel consumption figures rank closely the DVLA make the point theirs are lab’ figures and there may or may not be any difference on the road.
If you’re thinking about diesel compare it with a petrol engine with similar acceleration and the same trim level and note the difference in their prices. Then calculate at what total mileage savings in fuel consumption pay for the premium you pay on a diesel car.
When you consider different engines and trim options note the different car insurance groups. Car insurance groups have widened to 1 to 50 so a wider range of insurance premiums can be charged.

If you’re looking to buy a Fiesta or Polo you can happily go for the one you like the look of or find nicest to drive – subject to the deal of course. You’re unlikely to regret not buying the other one.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. car comparisons to help you find the car to suit your lifestyle and budget.

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Ford Fiesta vs VW Polo